Written by Mike Donovan Downside pressures increase Every farming year has its ups and downs and in many ways 2022 didn’t perform too badly. The cost of inputs was certainly a real hit, but were to an extent balanced by the increase in crop values. Interest rates rose rapidly following inflation, but from an historic …
Written by Chris Fellows We certainly confused a few in the last issue with the title change. As you can see, we are back to normal now (see what we did there). But the point stands, regen agriculture is everywhere right now and Defra have made it more profitable than ever. Thus, every other publication …
As a farmer, I have always been interested in new technologies that could make my job easier and more efficient. One of the most exciting new technologies in agriculture today is Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is a broad term that encompasses many different technologies such as machine learning, natural language processing, and robotics. These technologies …
In January we launched the all-new Direct Driller Magazine Website. You can now read articles from every issue of Direct Driller over the past 5 years (well you will when we have finished loading them all up). Issues 1-6 and 18-21 are all already live. This should make it much easier for you to share …
April 2023 Edition When Chris asked me to write this article, I gravitated into panic mode because this is a quiet part of the year and I was not sure what to write about, however we seem to have been continuously busy, so I had better fill you in on our out of season activities. …
3 in 1 with KUHN Espro The KUHN 3000R, 4000 R and 6000 R Espro models can be specified with two small seed hoppers enabling up to three different products to be drilled at two depths in just one pass. The smaller 3000 R offers a 2500 litre hopper whilst the larger Espro models are …
Written by Dr Alastair Leake from The Allerton Project “There’s a reason why we use the plough” a colleague sagely advised me when I questioned this fundamental agricultural practice; “It works” – and I was treated to a history lesson to-boot. Having transitioned from growing heated glasshouse salad crops in hydroponics, the ultimate zero-till system, …
The evolution of tillage techniques on heavy arable land in the East Midlands Read More »
Written by Mike Abram When prices of nitrogen rocketed ahead of last season, and supply looked anything but assured for a time, there was an understandable interest and move towards alternative sources of nitrogen fertiliser. One of those was foliar nitrogen with plenty of growers either trialling or increasing its use. Foliar feeding, particularly of …
How to make foliar nutrient applications more consistent Read More »
Atwood et al, 2022 The paper discusses the importance of soil health in crop protection research and development. The authors argue that soil health should be given greater attention in crop protection research as healthy soils can lead to healthier crops and better yields. It highlights the challenges faced by farmers in maintaining soil health, …
Soil Health: New Opportunities to Innovate in Crop Protection Research and Development Read More »
April 2023 As this magazine is entitled Direct Driller I’ll start off with a couple of drill comments. The CO4 has had a set of replacement Dutch 2” tips fitted as the first set had worn very thin in places and changing the odd failed one resulted in uneven depth across the drill. I’d deliberated …
