cover crops

Expanding Wheat, Oilseed Rape & Maize Ranges from DSV New varieties of wheat, oilseed rape and forage joined DSVs established portfolio of wheat, OSR and cover crops on their stand at CropTec 2018. Weve got an expanding maize portfolio with a DSV variety now available for most situations, says...

Improve nutrient availability by feeding soil microbes An internationally trialled liquid carbon product that feeds soil microbes is helping growers to support nutrient-hungry crops and improve the efficiency of applied fertilisers. L-CBF BOOST™ contains filtered cane molasses and nutrients...

Cover crops. A practical farm example The need to restore soil health, control blackgrass and reduce exposure to oilseed rape has resulted in a complete rethink over cropping and rotation on a North Yorkshire farm. Twenty years ago half of the land at Stephen Tuer Farms was in grass for dairy...

Cover crops improve spring drilling conditions Early season trial results show the benefits that cover crops have on spring drilling conditions and overall soil health. The trial is part of Agrovista’s Project Lamport site – a replicated research project that investigates the impact of...

IPM champions aim to inspire renewed enthusiasm Three agronomy experts from across the country are encouraging farmers and the wider industry to take a renewed approach when it comes to tackling Integrated Pest Management (IPM). Antony Wade, John Murrie and Ollie Johnson were recently...

Agrovista ramps up soil studies at flagship trials site Agrovista has extended its Project Lamport flagship trials in Northamptonshire with an increasing focus on soil health to help growers overcome blackgrass and grow more profitable cereal crops Project Lamport was set up in 2013 to...

Dry Spring highlights clever drill design The Mzuri system is widely recognised as Europe’s principal one pass strip tillage system, unrivaled in cultivation, reconsolidation and seed placement accuracy. Ben Knight demonstrates why. As Mzuri's farm manager and knowledge exchange officer, I...

Donât compromise this spring says Mzuri January 2020 Headed by farmer and engineer Martin Lole, Mzuri is a leading manufacturer of strip tillage seed drills that have been tried and tested on the company’s trial farm since its inception. Formally a conventionally managed farm heavily infested...

Take a smarter approach to rotation planning A “smarter” approach to crop rotation planning will help growers maximise productivity and deliver on the environmental goals of the new farm policy era, says Hutchinsons head of Integrated Crop Management, David Howard. The removal of direct...

Using farm trials to build more sustainable farming systems Farm trials provide an excellent test-bed for the latest tools and technology in real-world situations, but often results can be considered in isolation, potentially overlooking the complex interactions across farming systems...

Soil mapping helps drive efficiency for hop and apple grower Digital mapping systems in horticultural crops, particularly top fruit and hops, are not yet as widely used as in broad-acre arable crops, but more growers are realising the potential benefits for improving consistency, yield and...

Hutchinsons Helix farm network continues to expand Hutchinsons is delighted to announce the addition of Hundayfield farm to its network of Helix regional demonstration farms. Owned by Nick and Liz Wilson, Hundayfield farm just outside York is the northern region Helix demonstration farm in...

Donât let phosphate deficiency stifle wheat potential Lack of phosphate could be limiting yield potential in many wheat crops, even some of the best. Hutchinsons crop nutrition manager Tim Kerr examines what can be done about it this autumn. Analysis of more than 900 grain samples...

Now is the time to establish summer cover for soil health The next few weeks are the ideal time to establish a summer cover crop mix on uncropped land requiring improvements to soil structure and health after last winter. Short-duration summer cover crops, such as the new seed mixes available...

Bespoke cover crop solutions to improve soils Leading agronomy firm Hutchinsons has unveiled a new range of tailor-made cover crop mixes that includes options which could help improve the structure and health of land left fallow this spring. With many fields in the wettest parts of the UK...

Remedying Soil Problems After a Difficult Harvest With the recent challenging wet weather in many areas of the country, farmers should consider what can be done to make their soils more resilient for the years ahead, says Matthew Hyslop, Hutchinsons agronomist, based in Angus and Perthshire...

Undersowing maize has soil health benefits Hutchinsons trials in Cumbria are showing how a low-cost way of undersowing maize with Italian ryegrass could have significant benefits for soil health. The trials at the firm’s Smalmstown Farm demonstration site near Carlisle, kindly hosted by Mr &...

Potato Grower Increases Worm Numbers with Cover Crops A Shropshire grower is trying to limit the damaging effect of heavy cultivations for potato crops to his light soils through the use of cover crops. He has seen worm numbers increase since introducing the cover crops to his rotation...

KUHN TILLER DEVELOPED FOR COVER CROP INCORPORATION KUHN Farm Machinery has launched a shallow soil cultivator designed specifically for the mechanical breakdown and incorporation into soils of cover crops, other plant residues and organic manures. The EL Biomulch is a development within KUHN’s...

Innovation to overcome regen ag challenges ON-FARM challenges faced when transitioning to regenerative agriculture, and how to overcome them, were explored during a recent webinar hosted by agri-tech innovation centre, CHAP. Welcoming more than 100 farmers, agronomists, researchers and...