Search our website enhanced by Google.
- Home
- Cereals & Oilseeds: Summer 2022
Welcome to AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Summer Hub.
Below you will find links to the latest practical information, research, market information, publications and on-farm trial updates to help inform your decisions this summer. You will also find AHDB contacts for each area of work so you can contact us at any time.
Environment & Farming
Environmental sustainability is a key focus area, especially with changes to subsidy support and the industry’s aim to be carbon neutral by 2050. AHDB's soils, nutrition and environment research is continually being tested and reviewed to provide the most up-to-date technical information and tools.
Optimising nitrogen use
- Nitrogen fertiliser adjustment calculator for cereals and oilseeds
- Blog: How should farmers manage costly nitrogen fertilisers?
- How best to respond to costly fertiliser nitrogen for use in 2022 (Research Review 97)
- How to manage high nitrogen fertiliser prices (four perspectives) - YouTube
- AHDB’s Nutrient Management Guide (RB209)
- Biostimulants for cereals and oilseed crops
- WeatherHub
- Slurry and manure management
Environment & Farming: On-farm trials
AHDB Strategic Cereal Farms put research into practice with the view of making their business more environmentally and economically sustainable. There are currently three Strategic Cereal Farms trialling soil and crop management interventions to reduce artificial inputs and improve soil health. Results and progress to-date can be found below:
Optimising nutrition and inputs
- Optimising nitrogen application trial at Strategic Cereal Farm Scotland
- Adjusting nutrition programme in response to live crop monitoring at Strategic Cereal Farm Scotland
- Managed lower inputs: Strategic Cereal Farm East
- Improving early crop biomass for late-sown crops to reduce nutrient losses over winter at Strategic Cereal Farm East
Managing soils
- Cover crops to improve water quality at Strategic Cereal Farm East
- Cover crops ahead of spring barley trial at Strategic Cereal Farm Scotland
- Cover crops and water quality at Strategic Cereal Farm South
- Soil health at crop establishment at Strategic Cereal Farm South
- Soil and crop health under different management systems at strategic Cereal Farm South
- Soil health field assessments at Strategic Cereal Farm South
- Impact of cultivation on soil quality, soil health, crop rooting and cost of production at Strategic Cereal Farm West
- Effect of summer catch crops on soil nitrogen supply, soil structure and the following crop at Strategic Cereal Farm West
Environment: Key contacts
.jpg)
Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Integrated pest management (IPM) is a coordinated and planned strategy for the prevention, detection and control of pests, weeds, and diseases. AHDB’s in-depth guides and tools can help you identify species, understand their lifecycle and provide important thresholds to help you identify risk and plan accordingly. AHDB’s independent information on varieties and fungicide performance are also key to planning IPM strategies.
Variety selection
- Recommended Lists
- Variety selection tool
- Variety blend tool for winter wheat
- Could blending wheat varieties help reduce risk on your farm?
- Integrated pest management (IPM) hub
- Arable connections page – UK wheat and barley trials
- Enabling the uptake of integrated pest management (IPM) in UK arable rotations (a review of the evidence)
- Sign up to Harvest Results to receive Recommended Lists trials data
Resistance management
- An introduction to disease resistance in cereals and oilseed rape
- Fungicide performance in cereals and oilseed rape
- Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG-UK)
- Insecticide Resistance Action Group (IRAG)
- Weed Resistance Action Group (WRAG)
Decision support tools for IPM
- IPM Hub
- Can decision support tools help make better choices?
- Wheat yellow rust watch list
- Septoria risk factors and management
- Viruses in cereals and oilseed rape
- Seedborne diseases and germination of cereals: tests and thresholds
- IPM for cabbage stem flea beetle control
- Integrated management of black-grass
- Cultural control of brome in cereal crops
- Broad-leaf weed management
- Straw incorporation review
- Harvest toolkit
IPM: On-farm trials
Strategic Cereal Farms have been putting IPM research into practice since they started in 2017. There are many trials that have shown a better cost of production with reduced inputs, focussing on variety selection and tailoring applications accordingly.
- Flowering habitats for pest control Innovative Farmers field lab
- Impact of flowering strips on beneficial insects and pests at Strategic Cereal Farm East
- Flowering strips and monitoring pests and natural enemies at Strategic Cereal Farm West
- Flowering strips results from Strategic Cereal Farms East & West video
- Adjusting nutrition programmes in response to live crop monitoring at Strategic Cereal Farm Scotland
- Managed lower inputs trial at Strategic Cereal Farm East
- Managed lower inputs trial at Strategic Cereal Farm West
- Wheat fungicide margin challenge 2021 (ADAS/AHDB)
IPM: Key contacts
.jpg)
Markets & Policy
Prices, markets and supplies shift continuously. AHDB’s market intelligence team provide farmers, growers and food businesses the world-leading intelligence and insight to inform decisions. Whether it is the latest prices or shifting consumer trends, detailed insight on the big issues or the future outlook for supply or demand for agricultural commodities, our team of experts can help provide the information you need.
- Assessing the impact of the Sustainable Farming Incentive on farm businesses
- Trade and policy hub: food, farming and agriculture
- Horizon blog: trade and policy insights for the food and farming industry
- Cereals and oilseeds market prices
- Direct payments calculator
- Sign up to receive daily or weekly market reports by filling out the keeping in touch form
Markets & Policy: Key contacts
Business & Skills
AHDB’s report Preparing for change: the characteristics of top performing farms showed that those in the top 25% set goals and budgets, have a mindset for change and innovation, continually improved people management and minimise their overhead costs. Below are resources which can help evaluate your business, develop your leadership skills, identify areas to cut costs such as collaborating with neighbouring businesses and planning a business strategy to help you thrive.
- Labour Life Cycle: Labour is one of the greatest assets in farming and growing. Whether you’re looking for your first employee or already run a team of people, make sure you understand all the steps of the labour life cycle first.
- Preparing for change: the characteristics of top performing farms: Learn about the key characteristics which set the highest-performing farms apart from the rest
- The principles of lean management: Optimise resources, maximise value and minimise waste
- Farm business planning tools: Set business and personal goals to help you plan for the future
- Business resilience checklist: Understand your strengths and areas for development to prepare for changes in policy
- Direct payments calculator: Calculate simply how BPS payment reductions will impact your farm
- Farmbench: Benchmark your business, compare your farm to similar businesses and identify where you can become more efficient
- AgriLeader: Challenge your thinking and develop skills to drive your business forward
- Mental health support: From money matters to mental health, there are a number resources and charities to help
Business & Skills: Key contacts
Publications
Order a publication
If you would like to order a hard copy of one of our publications, please contact:
- Email: publications@ahdb.org.uk
- Telephone: 02477 990 069
Sign up to receive newsletters, publications alerts and market reports by filling in the keeping in touch form
In your region
Get involved in your region by attending a Monitor Farm or Strategic Farm event. Contact your local Knowledge Exchange Manager to find out more about AHDB events, tools and services.
Scotland
South East