Summer meeting: Northampton

Programme*

• Registration/refreshments
• Welcome and introduction(Include AHDB update and outline winter meeting programme): Judith Stafford, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Knowledge Exchange Manager
• Monitor Farm update: Rick Davies, Monitor Farmer
  • How are the crops looking
  • What could have been done differently
  • Management going forward
  • Autumn cropping plans
  • Any updates on marketing
• The future for cereals and oilseeds production in the UK: Martin Grantley-Smith, AHDB Sector Director, Cereals and Oilseeds
  • Overview of current economic situation
  • Where the UK fits into world production
  • Brexit
  • What the future holds
  • Risk management and building a resilient business
• What type of future? Opportunities and challenges for UK agriculture: Sean Rickard, agricultural economist
• Farm walk: discussion to be led by Rick Davies
  • Review rotation 
  • Potential yields, expected and actual yields
  • Effect of black-grass and changing the rotation on (1) black-grass-free land (2) black-grass land
  • Cost of black-grass
  • Alternative strategies for dealing with severe weed burdens
  • Spring cropping – effectiveness of spring beans and spring barley
  • Input strategies – what is working and what isn’t for control of pests, diseases and weeds
  • Oilseed rape – current situatio
  • Cabbage stem flea beetle and crop losses
  • The future for oilseed rape at the monitor farm
  • Machinery and cultivations – effect of different cultivation types and why drill type makes a difference
  • Use of direct drilling and ploughing
  • View problems areas, including any compaction
  • Discuss thoughts on changes to drilling strategy
  • Include field trials:
    
    • Sheep on stubble turnips at different stocking densities
    • Cover crops (two different mixes)
    • Effect of MOP application rate on wheat and spring barley
    • Seed dressings
    • Comparison of two different direct drills
  • Role of cover crops – five different seed mixtures 
  • How the cover crops grew, method of destruction
  • Any differences in following crops
  • Making compost – trials with home-mixed (turf + cattle manure + woodchip)
  • Use of compost to improve soil health – application rates, timings
  • Dig soil pits to assess soil health
  • Discuss which soils look most “healthy” and how we assess it
  • Direct drilling into cover crops
  •  Comments on drill type, seed placement and establishment
  • Use of precision farming and use of data
• Discuss options for alternative crops in the rotation
  
  • Recap on reasons for changing/extending the rotation
  • Possible options available, including maize, grass
  • Contracts
  • What might work well in this area?
  • How could grass fit in – previous cultivations, sowing method, length of grass ley, what will happen to it afterwards
  • What could the grass be used for?
  • Arrangement with other farmer(s) for use of grass
  • Any other possible alternative crops for this region
• Return to farm buildings
• Summary and key points
• Meeting close and barbecue

Meeting reports are available at: https://cereals.ahdb.org.uk/get-involved/monitor-farms/northampton.aspx 
For more information: email judith.stafford@ahdb.org.uk or call 07891 556623