Cereals 2020 crop plots growing up and away

[CerealsEvent]

Drilling of crop plots at the 2020 Cereals Event site in Cambridgeshire is nearing completion, with stands of oilseed rape and cereals emerged and growing away, despite the difficult conditions.

“The site is on free draining land and the grass for the Cereals Event has established extremely well - the whole area looks a picture,” says host farmer Robert Law.

According to crop plot manager Paul Scrimshaw, 100% of the exhibitor plots were drilled by the end of October, with the Choice Cereals plots – featuring most of the approved and candidate winter wheat and barley varieties – now ready to go in.

“Like elsewhere in the UK, we’ve experienced very tricky wet conditions – although we’ve escaped more lightly than some areas,” says Mr Scrimshaw. “We’re on light land and the whole 50ha site was ploughed and pressed before we started. The grass is looking really good, and I’m really impressed with how the Syngenta Sprays and Sprayers Arena looks.”

With over 30 varieties of wheat and more than 20 of barley, alongside oilseed rape, linseed and novel crops covering around 5ha of crop plots, the logistics of sowing and managing the site can be complicated even with perfect weather conditions, he adds.

One of the biggest challenges this year – as for many farmers – has been cabbage stem flea beetle attacks on oilseed rape. “They caused a lot of damage early on and I thought we might have to abandon two plots, but they are now all up and firing away,” says Mr Scrimshaw.

In addition to managing key crop plots at Cereals, there will be extensive demonstrations by NIAB, which – at 128 plots - has more to see than ever before. As well having all the key market leading and candidate cereal and oilseed rape varieties, NIAB will feature a large agronomy area comparing varying fungicide inputs, including new fungicides to be launched in 2020.

Grass weed control will also be under the spotlight, as will different rotation and cultivation systems, says NIAB’s Ros Lloyd. There is also a disease identification plot, legume demo and the popular Soil Pit, which will allow visitors to compare the rooting of several different varieties and species.

“Having crop plots at Cereals enables us to show off our expertise and the science that we do - we really value that opportunity; it’s what NIAB is all about.”

• The Cereals Event will be held on 10-11 June 2020 at Chrishall Grange, Duxford, Cambridgeshire. For more information visit www.cerealsevent.co.uk.