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With growers able to choose more disease-resistant varieties and aim for later sowing dates to mitigate disease, one of the biggest fears is the weather in the season ahead.

A combination of cabbage stem flea beetle larvae infestation and heavy frosts have knocked oilseed rape crops back in recent weeks.

The University of Warwick’s research commercialisation wing, Warwick Innovations, has signed a contract with Agrii to promote the commercial production of UK haricot beans.

While, in some cases fields may be beginning to dry off on top, wetter soil at depth means patience is needed before cultivating to avoid creating poor seedbeds for sugar beet.

A cross-industry taskforce is calling for UK oilseed rape growers to join an ambitious on-farm monitoring and trials programme in the war against cabbage stem flea beetle.

With maize drilling likely to start in less than 10 weeks, now is the time to finalise the details of managing the crop.

It is looking increasingly likely that the virus level forecast for the end of February 2021 will be below the threshold for triggering the Cruiser SB (thiamethoxam) derogation in sugar beet, says BBRO.

The next 5-6 weeks will be key to see whether farmers push the seed drill onto every available hectare.

With drilling around the corner, Íæż½ã½ã explores key considerations for spring barley crops this season, whatever the end market.

Early aphid migration, spring drought and cercospora infection at levels never seen before led to the perfect storm for sugar beet crops in 2020.