As the daylength increases we are all now waking up from what feels like the mildest ‘winter’ and longest wet spell ever experienced (since the last one anyhow!). It feels like it started raining in July and we haven’t really had a respite since. Soils in most parts of the country have been permanently wet …
No one wants to talk about the recent weather over the last 5-6Â months, in summary it has been bloody awful and relentless for farmers and non-farmers alike and I expect most farm records have all been smashed for the wrong reasons. The topic and the big consequences that farmers have endured and suffered has certainly been one way to get people feeling pretty down, with plenty of stress and worry added into the job.Â
I’m not going to dwell on the weather but as it is a major factor in what we do, I will say, despite having constant downpours of around 40-50mm we have fared better than most. My rain gauge filled so many times I must admit I gave up emptying it. Colin McGregor, 4 miles away, …
Rachel Thorman and Anne Bhogal, ADAS Cover crops are grown primarily to ‘protect or improve’ soils between periods of regular crop production. Whilst the benefits of cover crops for erosion control and reduced overwinter nitrate leaching losses are well established, the legacy effect for subsequent crops in the rotation is unclear. Of particular relevance is …
With high stress periods now commonplace during the growing season, including a biostimulant within the programme can act as an insurance policy for growers looking to protect yield and quality. This is according to Alistair Gordon, Scotland-based agronomist at ProCam, who says that an increasing number of growers are now looking at all options when …
Todd Jex won Arable Advisor of the Year at the Farmers Weekly Awards by being at the forefront of the latest regenerative and no-till farming practices. The award is the culmination of a journey he began almost a decade ago when his eyes were opened to a different way of farming following a visit to …
An award-winning advisor’s path to no-till agronomy Read More »
Dec 2023 We have had a very busy few months since my last article, with non-farming activities sometimes compromising the day job of farming. The beans and mustard planted in the spring established well, and we also planted some home-made wild bird seed mix on the old stewardship plots. With a reduction in farmed area …
Based in the Lincolnshire countryside, a 10-minute drive out of the city, the Lincoln Institute for Agri-food Technology (LIAT) at the University of Lincoln, is an internationally renowned centre for industry-leading research in robotics and automation. At its Riseholme Campus, LIAT is also home to a working farm with specialist research facilities and sector-leading expertise. …
Industry-leading Research in Robotics and Automation Read More »
Concentrated light technology has passed proof of concept as a form of weed control and is being developed through field trials. Tech Farmer sees the Earth Rover ‘CLAWS’ in action. By Tom Allen-Stevens CLAWS moves forward, a little more than 0.5m, and stops. There’s a flash from under the hood which lights up the young …
How I think I can achieve scalable no till organic farming Nov 2023 In my opinion the Holy Grail of farming is to find a way both to use no till drilling methods and achieve a conventional farm level of yield with no artificial inputs. One sunny summer evening, this was something I was discussing …
