Spotlight on inputs at AHDB events for agronomists

The 2022 AHDB Agronomists’ Conference and Agronomists’ Induction days will include a focus on the management of agronomic inputs.

The free-to-attend events, delivered by AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, will help advisers manage the fine balance between crop inputs and crop outputs.

With inflationary pressures on input costs likely to impact heavily on farm net margins in 2023, farmers will look to their advisers to help deliver the best return on investment for their crops.

25–26 October (Peterborough)

The Agronomists’ Induction is a formal introduction to AHDB’s products, tools and services for agronomists early in their career.

The event lays a vital foundation, with a focus on the basics of what AHDB does. It explains the independent science behind our work and how we encourage on-farm trialling to test research findings in real-farm contexts.

Ultimately, the two-day event aims to help the agronomy industry bring benefit to AHDB levy payers and provides an opportunity to kick-start career-long networking between AHDB staff and agronomists.

The 2022 event explores the role of the whole-farm system. Topics cover soil health, the diversification of genetics (e.g. varieties and beneficial organisms) and nutrient management.

Although the Agronomists’ Induction focuses on the production of cereals and oilseeds, the wider rotation is also considered. It features contributions from partner organisations, such as BBRO, PGRO, BASIS, and the Voluntary Initiative. It also covers related activity at AHDB Strategic Cereal Farms and Monitor Farms, and AHDB’s livestock sectors.

Encouraging learning, the event blends seminars with interactive workshops. It also includes a networking dinner in the evening of the first day and lunch on both days.

*Includes the latest programme.

6 December 2022 (online)

The Agronomists’ Conference is a full-day technical conference that turns the latest research into practical agronomy for the whole rotation.

In 2022, the conference is fully online, with speakers livestreaming from a venue close to AHDB’s headquarters in Warwickshire.

The event, which is now in its sixteenth year, features a mix of in-depth technical papers, expert-led thematic overviews, and panel-led debates. It is a staple feature in the diary of many agronomists.

It includes the launch of the latest fungicide performance trial data, insight into the latest edition of the Recommended Lists for cereals and oilseeds (RL) and advances in nutrient management.

This year’s event also features a session on the environment, to help arable farms move towards more sustainable production systems.

Following the conference, videos of the presentations will be available on the AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds YouTube channel.

*Includes the latest programme.

For background information about the events, visit: ahdb.org.uk/agronomists