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Heavy rainfall has put a stop to autumn drilling across many parts of the UK, making many growers nervous of a repeat of last season.

Niab and the University of Cambridge have announced the opening of their Crop Science Centre, an alliance between the two organisations designed to fast-track technologies to sustainably improve farmers’ yields worldwide.

It has been a disappointing start to sugar beet harvest for Lincolnshire grower, Tilly Ireland who began lifting the 280-hectare crop slightly early after the Newark British Sugar factory opened on September 22.

The loss of potato desiccant diquat, sprout suppressant chlorpropham (CIPC) combined with soil damage from last year has meant that some growers are facing added growing costs of £100/hectare in 2020.

Cereal growers are being advised to be particularly cautious when handling over-yeared seed bags following reports of bags ripping or spilling during movement.

Recent wet weather in many parts of the UK, particularly in the North, has led to an increased risk of large slug populations.

Earlier drilled oilseed rape crops have managed to get up and away from early cabbage steam flea beetle (CSFB) grazing this season, but later drilled crops in some parts of the country are starting to suffer.

Sowing spring beans this autumn could help solve the problem of short winter bean seed stocks caused by the difficult growing season of 2020, according to new research by PGRO.

Food and biodiversity will be at the heart of LEAF Open Farm Sunday’s (LOFS) two-day virtual event this weekend (September 19 and 20).

Early drilled oilseed rape (OSR) crops benefited from good weather conditions in August giving them an early boost ahead of cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) migration, although some crops have started to receive a hammering