By Rosalind Platt, managing director of BFS Fertiliser Services, UK leaders in crop nutrition since 1948. Late-season foliar nitrogen applications can significantly lower the total nitrogen required in crop production while maintaining – or even increasing – yields. Recent research has shown particularly strong results in oats. Ongoing volatility in the fertiliser market continues to […]
Reducing nitrogen fertiliser use Read More »
When you walk into Cereals in 2026 (if you can get in past all the influencers who are going to descend on Diddly Squat), it will be immediately clear this is no longer just a machinery show. Gone is the really big kit, with combines and tractors lined up in neat rows. But look closer
Where Innovation Gets Real: The Evolution of Cereals 2026 Read More »
Written by Chris Fellows The promise of a high-tech farming future is here, but for many UK farmers it remains tantalisingly out of reach. We are caught in a dangerous limbo: a “Gramsci Gap” where the old ways of farming are dying, but the new, tech-driven world is struggling to be born. As a farming
Mind the Gap: Why UK Agritech is Stuck in the “Time of Monsters” Read More »
Running both a specialist engineering business and his small family farm in Lincolnshire, Chris Marshall has learned to spot opportunities and adapt quickly. Now, after a successful first year as a farmer trialist in a project led by the British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN), Chris has committed to two more Defra-funded projects. The instinct to
Tradition, trials and tech Read More »
The first three gene-edited cereals are being submitted for approval to be drilled in commercial farm trials in England during 2026. Tom Allen-Stevens explains the new regulatory regime. New regulations governing the development, release and marketing of precision-bred crops in England came into force in November, marking a major step in the implementation of the
Precision breeding regulations come into force Read More »
I was recently introduced to the RumboJet technology for tackling docks and other weeds such as ragwort, thistles, dandelions and buttercups in grassland. Buttercups are generally a feature of acidic land and I would recommend a basic soil test and liming if this is the case, however, this high-tech sprayer is ideal for those weeds
Game-changing technologies for farmers: new tools for weed control Read More »
Exchange Market pays arable farmers to help de-risk practical changes that reduce emissions, for example reducing fertiliser. With 12-month contracts, flexibility over actions and no requirement to sell carbon, it’s designed to fit real-world arable systems. For many arable farmers, the desire to reduce fertiliser is already there. Inputs remain a major cost, margins are
Reducing fertiliser without taking all the risk Read More »
What needs to happen for regenerative farming to be commercially scaled and expanded? A panel at the recent World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit gave their views Written by Mike Abram Attempts to scale regenerative farming practices through the value chain must de-risk the financial transition for farmers, key representatives from major companies across the agri-processing, food,
The British On-Farm Innovation Network (BOFIN) encourages farmers to ‘lead the field’ in agricultural innovation by taking part in Defra-funded projects that are changing the shape of the industry. Here we catch up with the latest updates across its collaborative projects. SLIMERS project advances in the battle against slugs Farmers involved in a major slug
On-farm trialists ‘lead the field’ Read More »
As the pressures on agriculture mount—from climate instability to rising input costs—farmers are increasingly turning to smarter, more sustainable technologies to protect both yields and margins. Among the most promising of these is Variable Rate Application (VRA), a precision farming approach revolutionising how crop inputs are managed. With its ability to fine-tune inputs like fertilisers,
Variable Rate Application: The Economic and Agronomic Edge for Modern Spraying Read More »
