Land prices still stable in Aberdeenshire and Angus
Farmland remains scarce and prices stable in Aberdeenshire and Angus – for now.
arable
‘Exciting’ results from research into cover crops
Cover crops could help farmers capture more nitrogen from anaerobic digestate, according to results from an Innovative Farmers project.
Brexit and bad weather causing grain mountain
Grain is mounting on Scottish farms as growers struggle to find a home for it – or a haulier to move it.
Simple scan on way to ensure oat provenance
Shoppers could soon be able to scan a QR code on a packet of oats to trace their origin and ensure they are gluten-free.
Mearns farm champion of cereals competition
A Fettercairn farm has been crowned cream of the crop in this year’s Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) growing cereals competition.
Farmers told to accept loss of agrochemicals
Arable farmers have been told to stop wasting time being defensive about the inevitable loss of agrochemicals and instead accept they will have to adopt new crop protection techniques.
Call for beetle samples to help in pest research
Farmers are being asked to collect samples of adult cabbage stem flea beetles from oilseed rapes crops at harvest.
Award in search of best arable farm in Scotland
The hunt is on to find the best arable farm in Scotland.
Wide variety of costs for farm labour and machinery
Some farmers are spending almost twice as much on labour and machinery than others, according to Scottish land agent Mary Munro.
New event to ‘pull together the entire arable industry’
A new field-based arable event for Scotland, focusing on innovative and sustainable farming, is to be staged at Balruddery Farm, Invergowrie, on July 2.
Warmer winters cost oilseed rape growers £160m
UK oilseed rape growers could be losing up to £160 million due to temperature rises in winter, according to a new study.
Crops are looking good in spite of long dry spell
Crops across Scotland are looking good so far despite the prolonged dry spell, with NFU Scotland cereals chairman Ian Sands describing his own varieties as “charging on”.
Improving soil health focus of free workshops
Growers are invited to learn about improving soil health at a series of agronomy workshops next month.
New RL varieties give ‘exceptional untreated yield’
New cereals and oilseeds varieties with “remarkable untreated yields” feature in the latest AHDB Recommended Lists (RL).
Scottish spring barley acreage up 5%
Scottish growers are moving away from winter barley to spring varieties, according to AHDB.
Winter barley in the spotlight at Cereals in Practice
Winter barley has historically made little impact on the Scottish malting market but that could be about to change, according to Dr Bill Thomas of the James Hutton Institute (JHI).
‘Arable farmers should be encouraged to diversify into horticulture’
Future farm payments should be used to encourage arable farmers to diversify into horticulture in a bid to reduce trade deficits and encourage healthier eating, claims an expert in rural policy.
EU farmers’ unions call for help over drought
The hot, dry weather is causing concern for cereals and potato producers in Scotland, but in parts of central Europe and Scandinavia farmers are warning of the catastrophic consequences of a severe drought.
Frustration increases as late spring hits sowing
Growers across Scotland are becoming increasingly frustrated by the stop-start approach to sowing after the delayed spring.
Organic animal feed in short supply
The Soil Association has called for more UK farmers to grow organic cereals for animal feed.
Frontier Agriculture hails strong year with profits and turnover up
Britain’s largest arable inputs and marketing firm has hailed a “very strong performance” with turnover and pre-tax profits up.
Maltster’s warning over barley production levels
With an upturn in whisky production on the cards, a leading maltster yesterday told farmers that they would need to sustain increased barley production levels to meet demand – or face the prospect of some of the major distilling companies tying themselves into long-term commitments for imported malting barley.
‘Stem rust threat looms over wheat and barley’
UK and European wheat and barley crops could be under threat from stem rust, warn scientists.
Scottish farmers reminded of changes to greening rules for 2018
Scottish farmers are being reminded of changes to greening rules under the Common Agricultural Policy (Cap).
Crop issues to be tackled at agronomy workshops
Arable farmers are invited to attend a series of agronomy workshops next month.
Mixed fortune for Scottish farmers as wet weather puts dampener on Harvest 2017
Harvest 2017 is one of mixed fortunes for farmers across Scotland, according to NFU Scotland (NFUS).
NFU Scotland urges growers to complete harvest survey
NFU Scotland (NFUS) is urging arable growers to take time to complete its annual harvest survey.
Propino spring barley named cream of the crop in RNAS contest
A block of Propino spring barley has been crowned cream of the crop in this year’s Royal Northern Agricultural Society (RNAS) growing cereals competition.
Top notch barley and wheat rewarded in Turriff and Fettercairn Show contests
The farmers with some of the best blocks of barley and wheat this season have been unveiled by two agricultural shows in the north-east.
Scottish spring barley area remains at 10-year low
The amount of spring barley being grown by Scots farmers remains at a 10-year low, according to AHDB Cereals and Oilseeds.
Careful variety selection could pay dividends for arable farmers
Careful choice of cereal varieties can offer growers a real opportunity to save money, according to Professor Fiona Burnett of SRUC.
Arable farmers urged to introduce sheep to their farms
A report highlighting the benefits of introducing sheep to an arable enterprise has been published by the National Sheep Association (NSA).