ADAS

In our first workshop of the season and as part of the Countryside COP programme we met to introduce YEN Zero and discuss productivity and land use as it relates to crops and GHG emissions, addressing the questions: What is the role of productivity in reaching net zero agriculture? How do we balance meeting food demand while protecting our environment? Should we be ‘sparing’ land for nature or ‘sharing’ our agricultural land with nature?

This Livestock and Pasture study is part of the wider UKRI STFC-funded EO4Agroclimate programme.  

ADAS has the largest group of crop physiologists in the UK The ADAS crop physiology team focuses on improving performance and sustainability of cropping systems for food, feed and biofuel production.

The Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) was launched in 2012 to support and energise on-farm learning-by-sharing and thus to enhance farming progress.

The Farmer-Led Innovation Network (FLIN) are UK based organisations driving farmer-led innovation - working together to power up and increase the impact of farmer led innovation initiatives.

Nitrogen Efficient Plants for Climate Smart Arable Cropping Systems (NCS) is a four-year £5.9M ambitious research programme involving 200 UK farms and 18 partners. The project is funded by the Defra Farming Innovation Programme, delivered by Innovate UK. The consortium of UK companies, research institutes and farmer networks, led by PGRO, aims to bring about a reduction of 1.5Mt CO₂e per annum or 54% of the maximum potential for UK Agriculture. This will be achieved by increasing pulse and legume cropping in arable rotations to 20% across the UK (currently 5%). In addition, 50% of imported soya meal used in livestock rations will be replaced with home-grown feeds.  Both of these ambitious aims will be steered by science and proven by real farm enterprises, with significant benefits for both crop and livestock productivity, including cost savings of over £1bn/yr.

Farmers taking part in and getting paid for on-farm trials as part of the NCS Project.

The IPMNET (Integrated Pest Management Network) initiative aims to improve the practical understanding and application of IPM (for pests, weeds and diseases) for farmers,  and inform policy design promoting IPM strategies. 

An EU-wide network to support and promote solutions for alternative weed control.  

At this years Agri-Tech E REAP Conference, Sarah Kendall, ADAS Crop Physiologist joined a panel consisting of Matthew Smith (Scientific Technologies) and Macelo Galdos (Rothamsted Research) to discuss how the digital world is informing and guiding the developments and decisions in the real world – ranging from digital twins to predictive models, from platforms to help with scenario planning to the use of AI and machine learning to yield unprecedented insights into the future of agriculture and horticulture.

Share your views on how we can improve Farmpep.net

The initial Farm-PEP project funded under the Innovate UK competition 'UKRI Ideas to address Covid-19'.  ADAS led consortium to assess the impact of Covid-19 on knowledge exchange in agriculture, and to develop the Farm-PEP web solution at www.farmpep.net. The initial Farm-PEP project began in January 2021 and ran to February 2022.

Soil health has been broken down into measurable parts to help farmers optimise crop and grassland productivity. As part of the Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership, a project in the AHDB & BBRO GREAT Soils programme, guidance and protocols have been issued to help practitioners benchmark their soils

Farmers, advisors and researchers working together to understand and improve crop nutrition on-farm

The development of a forage network which will recommend a pathway to gaining optimum benefits from forages through realistic actions​. This project, which runs from September 2023 for 6 months, will: Bring together a network of stakeholders to understand the best approach for improving forage systems, considering potential opportunities and barriers to uptake​ Create a roadmap, which can be used to achieve benefits for livestock sectors through changes in forage systems​

To celebrate 10 years of the YEN, we are hosting a YEN conference that brings together learnings from across our networks. 

Help us develop a smart app for the management of wheat pests

  Supporting farmers with robust design and analysis of on-farm experiments in tramline trials.

The ideas behind Farm-PEP came together in ~2018, drawing from the developments of Agronomics, the YENs, AHDB's Monitor Farm programme and the idea of a 'What Works' Centre for Agriculture. 

ADAS are planning the annual Nutrition Challenge to compare the effect of different spring nutrition programmes on winter feed wheat yield, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) metrics and gross margin. The objective is to maximise outputs (yield and gross margin) while minimising losses to the environment by using novel practises and/or products. The overall aim of the project is to ensure farmers are equipped and encouraged to use fertiliser efficiently, for the benefit of the environment and to maximise their farm’s profit and productivity.

Inferring the right conclusions from field trials is important - how confident can you be that a result is 'real' rather than due to the underlying noise? As part of the Farm-PEP FIP project we are working with BGS to explore the best ways to communicate confidence, uncertainty, significance, probability and value with farmers and growers.

Mitecontrol is a European research project to develop effective and sustainable treatment approaches to control PRM infestation using an integrated pest management (IPM) approach.

Project objectives To quantify the impact of contrasting cover crop mixes and destruction techniques on over winter nitrate leaching, soil nitrogen supply (and hence crop nitrogen fertiliser requirements) and performance of the following cash crop. In particular to determine the: effect of cover crop species mix on the quantity and timing of nitrogen returned to the soil effect of cover crop destruction method e.g. glyphosate & min till/direct drill vs mechanical destruction & min till/direct drill To determine the timing of nitrogen release from cover crops and potential legacy (year 2) effects on nitrate leaching and crop performance

ADAS scientists help evidence and guide crop disease management by chemical, genetic and biological approaches. Our expertise covers all areas of disease management on the major crops. We lead multi-organisation collaborative research into disease management and preventation, as well as provide strategic consultancy.  

In 2021 Defra commissioned an ADAS led consortium to look at the environmental and productivity benefits of mob grazing systems in the UK. 

Helping you protect your soil and improve its productivity.  AHDB's GREATSoils inititiative brings together practical information on soil management as well as links to soils research and knowledge exchange. Whether you need an introduction to soil biology or a detailed guide to improving field drainage, AHDB has information and guidance to support you. 

The ADAS Climate and Sustainability team help clients to address their sustainability challenges.

Review conducted by ADAS and funded by AHDB into how farmers should respond to the high fertiliser (& grain) prices experienced in 2022.

The 18th Recycling of Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial Residues in Agriculture Network (RAMIRAN) conference will be held in Cambridge, UK from 12–14 September 2023.  All sessions will be held in the heart of Cambridge at the Guildhalls and Corn Exchange.

Roger Sylvester-Bradley      Tuesday 31st January 2023   It’s news across the world – the biggest wheat crop ever grown, yielding 18 tonnes of grain per hectare! This is fantastic, and laudable in all respects, but it’s no accident.    

How should we ensure the long term growth and development of the PEP platform and community?  Give us your ideas here

The Cereal YEN was established in 2012, and is the longest-running Yield Enhancement Network.

Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, Countryside COP will once again be held in October to allow the rural community to come together and showcase the opportunities available and the contribution already being made to reach Net Zero. 

Poster paper given at IFS 2022 by Daniel Kindred, Roger Sylvester-Bradley, Pete Berry and colleagues. Conventional routes to generating knowledge of ‘what works’ in agriculture have relied on (i) farmers developing their experiences and passing these on locally, and (ii) researchers conducting small plot experiments on a limited number of sites, analysing data and drawing conclusions in a more generic top-down fashion. The advent of (i) the internet enabling ideas and data to be shared widely and (ii) precision farming technologies enabling comparisons or trials by farms, provides the opportunity to interconnect the top-down approach with a more robust farm-centric bottom-up approach.

A transdisciplinary hub looking to provide to bridge the gap between science and policy to achieve Net Zero

What are the prospects for yield in 2022?  Share your views here

The IPM Network pilot year kick-off meeting was held in February 2024. We were joined by a range of stakeholders to share IPM experiences, and tap into the expertise of speakers and demonstrate the value of networks for knowledge exchange.  

ADAS have produced a new guide with our five top tips for successful on-farm trials. We'd love you to give it a try and to hear about what products or approaches you're testing on farm - by sharing the results of trials, we can learn more together.

An Innovative Farmers Field Lab with four sheepers farmers working with ADAS has shown that long-held fears of red clover in herbal leys affecting fertility in sheep are unfounded, with the findings that inclusion of the legume can even have a positive effect on pregnancy rates.

Guidance from AHDB GREATSoils giving four easy-to-follow steps for assessing soil structure. 

Root2Res is short for ‘Root phenotyping and genetic improvement for rotational crops resilient to environmental change'.  It is a project that will go beyond the state of the art, developing new tools to evaluate root traits linked to sustainable crops, and measuring heritability and plasticity, that is, the ability to cope with environmental stress while delivering stable production. Working alongside breeders and farmers from areas under the greatest climatic stress, an interdisciplinary team is set to test cereals, tubers and legumes common and novel to European rotational systems.

This guidance provides instructions on how to gather IPMNET in-field observation data. By collecting observations in a consistent way, you will be able to make meaningful comparisons within and between fields across the IPM network.   Download the guidance at the bottom of this page to find out more!                          Please click here to share pest and disease information about your field(s).

The IPMNET Conference took place on Thursday 13 February 2025 at the KingsGate Conference Centre, Peterborough Keynote speaker: Sean Sparling, AICC  

Understanding what works on farm through Explanations, Evidence, Experimentation and Exchange.  We are developing a community that supports knowledge generation and sharing of 'what works' on-farm, bringing together people, tools and resources - Do you want to be part of it?  For any one looking to test agronomic solutions for the ADOPT program we can support projects as facilitators, contractors or project partners.   

Having celebrated its 12th harvest in 2024 and 12th conference in January, YEN is looking forward through 2025 with a series of reflections on its findings so far.

Integrated Pest Management focusing on disease control in cereals Link to video series playlist on YouTube

This pioneering three-year research project is set to investigate how companion cropping can support pest, weed, and disease management in oilseed rape (OSR) grown in Sweden and the UK. You can find the full project page here on the Agricology website  Running from January 2025 to December 2027, the study aims to develop Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies that reduce reliance on pesticides, offering growers practical cultural and organic crop protection techniques. The project is a collaboration between ADAS, Agricology & Agrovast, combining expertise to explore sustainable solutions for OSR growers facing increasing challenges. The project has been generously funded by the Ekhaga Foundation

This article gives two case studies on how the Viability Indicator can be used, provides links to the full information (so far!) and invites feedback.

We are starting an ADOPT project with four farmers in Yorkshire to explore how we can make better crop nutrition decisions. Working with ADAS and the High Mowthorpe Farming Association and other local groups we are looking to engage more widely to gather and test ideas and experiences. 

The development of Farm-PEP Performance Enhancement Partnerships to support on-farm knowledge generation through shared ideas, data and experimentation. Funded as part of Farming Innovation Pathways programme from Defra and Innovate UK Transforming Food Production.

ADAS has developed YEN Nutrition to support growers in evaluating the effectiveness of their crop nutrition management plan.

The IPM Decisions project created an online platform that is easy to use for the monitoring and management of pests. Access the platform now at https://platform.ipmdecisions.net/ Co-funded by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme of the European Union Under grant agreement No 817617 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdFMIupmFOA

AICC Advisors and farmers testing appropriate nitrogen rates and strategies for reduction in light of current high prices.  Brought together by the FarmPEP FIP project

EIP-Agri Project supporting groups of YEN farmers to test specific ideas.

Understanding how to drive performance of pea crops, by sharing measurements, experiences and ideas

With support from Defra the YEN database was analysed to investigate Nitrogen Use Efficiency (NUE) metrics and how the variation in these metrics are influenced by parameters such as soil, crop performance and crop management.

BEIS and STFC supported programme aiming to explore the opportunities for Earth Observation to provide solutions for agriculture and climate change, through collaborations between the UK and Australia.

Crop profitability depends on maximising margins, rather than yield alone. Deciding on the optimum crop protection strategy in the spring requires judgement of the variety, its situation, and how yield affecting diseases can be controlled. ADAS with the support of the AHDB and the wider industry set up the first Fungicide Margin challenge in 2019. Since then a total of 10 trials have been carried out over 3 years, allowing entrants to pit innovative strategies against others, against an ADAS experts' programme and against an untreated crop in replicated plot trials. The aim being to achieve the highest margin over fungicide cost.   

An EU-Wide Farm Network Demonstrating and promoting cost-effective IPM Strategies.

The INNO-VEG project aims to increase the speed and uptake of innovation in the field vegetable and potato sectors by: Defining and implementing a new approach for delivering cost-effective research. Establishing a cross border innovation network which will create the framework conditions for innovation to facilitate uptake of the new approach.

This Innovative Farmers Field Lab investigated defoliation as a control for cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) larval populations in oilseed rape. It worked with eight farmers to look at the potential for controlling cabbage stem flea beetle by mowing and grazing OSR crops

Remote sensing solution for Crop Intelligence

The Wheat Growth Guide was first published in 1999, following extensive measurement of a range of reference crops in HGCA funded projects. The AHDB Wheat growth guide allows crop progress, structure and final performance to be measured and compared against a series of UK benchmarks. To manage crops effectively, it is important to set targets, assess progress, adjust inputs and monitor success. Our wheat growth guidance outlines the main crop growth stages and components of yield, as well as the opportunities for management.

An online global conference on On-Farm Experimentation was held in 2023 - The proceedings are now published - 23 peer-reviewed papers and 34 short videos.

Establishment in Oilseed Rape key - this extension to the Oilseed YEN aims to encourage growers to share what works in successfully establishing OSR crops, with a 'Beauty Contest' to make it fun. 

‘Healthy soil, Healthy food and Healthy people’

Farmer Innovation Group as part of the YEN Yield Testing EIP Agri project Amino acids have been widely reported in the farming press and in a few scientific papers to be biostimulants, but with little or no independent evidence from UK field conditions. This Amino Acid FIG was established to put that right, making eight tests in 2018 and five more in 2019.

Guidance from ADAS Agronomics on how best to conduct Line Trials on farm.  

Driving Decision Making for Efficient & Sustainable Agricultural Production ADAS Digital Decision Support encompasses the way in which we use digital data and digital technology to deliver solutions in crop production, sustainable food and farming, land management and ecology to our clients.

The NUTRI-CHECK NETwork aims to maximise site-specific precision in managing the nutrition of European arable crops.

Online guide to identifying arable weeds from ADAS, AHDB and BASF

This field lab was initiated as part of the ADAS project ‘Investigating the distribution and presence, and potential for herbicide resistance of UK brome species in arable farming’, funded by AHDB.  

ADAS Natural Solutions brings together various in-house services to deliver a bespoke solutions based on the requirements of your business. Whether you are looking to increase your biodiversity or achieve net zero, our dedicated team can work with you to create, restore and manage both natural and modified ecosystems. 

Hybrid conference held in Montpellier in October 2021 exploring Farmer Centric On-Farm Experimentation.  

The Agriculture and Land Use Alliance brings together all interested organisations/individuals across the UK pre-farm gate sector to drive change to a net zero economy through results-driven collaboration.

Guide published by BASF and AHDB, written with ADAS & Rothamsted, providing a complete reference book for cereal diseases. 

Farmers Weekly article by Mike Abram exploring four carbon calculators

Agri-Tech Week features a mix of in-person and virtual events that are designed to showcase exciting developments in agri-tech. It is coordinated by Agri-TechE working closely with partners across the innovation ecosystem and aims to provide opportunities to attract new customers and partners and to broker collaborations and international connections.

Scientific paper in Field Crops Research published by the ADAS Agronomics team reporting experience working with BASF Real Results farmers conducting around 50 on-farm Line Trials per year.

Uptake of plant biostimulants is predicted to increase because of high fertiliser prices, increased demand for sustainably produced products and the UK Governments climate and environmental goals.   The aim of the Defra biostimulants project, which started in Autumn 2023, is to determine the most appropriate methods to enable the effective and safe use of biostimulants products in the UK, to maximise productivity and explore the environmental impacts of their use.  

Create IPM plans for your farm

The encyclopedia of oilseed rape diseases is a guide that was created by ADAS and BASF to help growers identify and understand diseases of OSR. As well as highlight emerging threats such as Verticillium wilt and raise awareness of other economically damaging diseases. 

In the UK an estimated 3.3 million tonnes of food are wasted before making it off farm. Farmers face numerous barriers to accurately tracking and reducing on-farm food waste. In response to this hidden issue, WWF and Tesco have worked with members of the food system, including farmers, suppliers, retailers and NGOs to develop the Hidden Waste Roadmap. This report sets out actions for food system actors between 2022 – 2026 to support farmers in measuring, reporting and reducing food waste on farms. 

The 18th Recycling of Agricultural, Municipal and Industrial Residues in Agriculture Network (RAMIRAN) conference was a resounding success. See selected resources from the conference below.

A free half-day workshop on the 26th January to hear about the results and outputs from the INNO-VEG project.    

Series of articles in CPM reporting results from research projects by AHDB & others

Calling all agronomists! Sign up for the last few places at Soil Benchmark's event at NIAB on 7th December - hear from Dr Elizabeth Stockdale and join some of the UK's leading agronomists in the discussion on Farm Data and the Future of Agronomy

TALISMAN and SCARAB were long-term projects developed to follow on from issues raised in the Boxworth project. TALISMAN focused on the economic issues of reducing pesticide and fertiliser use, whilst SCARAB examined the ecological side-effects of pesticides.

AHDB Guide from 2021 incorporating WRAG guidelines. Weed control is vital for high yields of good-quality crops and to prevent the spread of pests and diseases, e.g. ergot. Yet with fewer active ingredients, a need to protect water and manage herbicide resistance, the weed challenge must be managed across the rotation.

ADAS investigated a range of widely-used farm-level GHG emission assessment tools (carbon calculators) to identify opportunities to harmonise their outputs and provide robust data for farmers to use for decision making. 

Report from 2011 by ADAS for NEPIC exploring how nitrogen fertiliser rates and timings could be optimised for bioethanol production.

This EIP Project aimed to determine low impact machinery options for providing access to woodlands with emphasis on the effects on soil structure and water runoff during the operations.

At ADAS Boxworth, a range of Horticultural trials take place both on-site and on growers/farmers' land in order to provide unbiased scientific advice to growers and farmers aroud the UK.

A half-day workshop will share new findings about the management of ground cover to improve soil quality and improve nutrient retention, and discuss how to incorporate these findings into arable rotations.

An overview of the greenhouse gas costs of cropping, including an analysis of YEN data in lead up to establishing YEN Zero.  Also includes an analysis of the relationship between nitrogen fertiliser, GHG costs, yield, GHG intensity and potential indirect land use change (ILUC) consequences. Part funded by the Morley Foundation.

Understanding cost of production is vital to improve business performance during these time of substantial change in the UK agricultural industry. The Xero cloud accounting platform allows online accounting and cost allocation to better understand enterprise profitability. ADAS provide the platform as a standalone service or as a bureau option, whereby an ADAS employee can input data for the business remotely.

Countryside COP, organised by CFEonline, provides a platform to hear how the UK farming can help tackle climate change and improve sustainability. From 20-24 November 2023, ADAS hosted a series of webinars exploring how to improve climate resilience in the agricultural sector.

Adoption of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices is growing in all agricultural sectors to fulfil environmental aims, by reducing the risks associated with use of plant protection products (PPPs) while maintaining effective crop protection. The IPMNET Bulletin series supports UK farmers and agronomists to access and benefit from various IPM tools and resources. Each bulletin focuses on a different aspect of IPM and provide links to relevant resources, such as training videos and decision support systems. The scope of the bulletin covers all UK cropping systems.

AdvisoryNetPEST - A new UK and EU-wide project aiming to increase the sharing of knowledge and the adoption of innovative solutions to reduce the use and risks of pesticides through a network of advisors.   

WRAG confirmed the first case of resistance to the herbicide glyphosate in a UK weed species on 10 January 2025.

Explore pest and disease data and information collected over 50 years with the Defra Pest & Disease Survey website.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2023, this on-farm sugar beet trial tested the effects of applying Blue N and the extent to which its use can compensate for a reduced N rate. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics analysis of Sentinel2 satellite imagery by ADAS.

Dr Duncan Coston, Senior entomologist (RSK ADAS Ltd)

Peas, beans and other legumes fix nitrogen from the atmosphere using the process of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF), whereby atmospheric nitrogen (N2) is combined with hydrogen to form ammonia (NH3​).

ADAS offer a range of different crop nutrition and biostimulant services, with experienced scientists available to help you design the best approach for your products. Our crop nutrition and biostimulant services are summarised below. 

Promoting Sustainable Choices in Agriculture and Forestry

There has been plenty of good analysis of why agri-food innovation is slow to make progress and often great science is not adopted. Rather than ‘more research’ we need better targeted research. We also need to spend existing money more efficiently and that is the focus of the actions outlined. My plan is informed by over 45 years of being fully immersed in our agricultural community and working at the interface of practical farming, research and government. Rather than another analysis of what is wrong it deliberately aims to focus on actions that I believe will move a great industry full of committed people forward to create a resilient industry that efficiently feeds the growing population and enhances the environment.   This content was originally published on LinkedIn at Action plan to deliver impact from UK agricultural R&D. Please add any comment to that post.

An ADAS report to DEFRA in 1998 highlighting key trends and research priorities for the sunflower industry in the UK Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus var. macrocarpus) are in high demand due to the culinary, confectionary, bird-seed and industrial uses of their seeds (and thus oils), in addition to the popularity of the flowers in horticulture. At the time of this report in 1998, the UK imported ~350,000 tonnes of seed annually.  Whilst sunflower can be grown in the UK, there are a number of challenges including limited drilling dates to comply with soil temperature requirements, and careful monitoring of a range pests and diseases that sunflower is susceptible to. Further risks such as a late harvest time and the possibility of sunflower itself becoming a weed in following crops meant many farmers were not considering growing sunflowers on their farms. Based on a survey of UK farmers (including both sunflower growers and non-growers), the key factors reported that would encourage more UK farmers to adopt sunflower crops were… To convince farmers of profitability Guaranteed establishment of the crop Earlier harvests Good disease and weed control More information on growing the crops This project provided a comprehensive review of growing sunflower as an arable crop in the UK.  You can find the entire report linked at the bottom of this article (including historical and market information on sunflowers) but some of the key sections are highlighted here. Note all information is accurate for the time of this report (1998).

Understanding and improving bean yields by sharing measures and ideas  

Good soil management is essential to maintain a wide range of ecosystem services, including sustainable food production, water regulation and carbon storage, and to minimise diffuse pollution of the air and water environments.

In February 2018, ADAS, AHDB and Defra launched the Grass and herbal leys farm network. The network is a partnership between farmers, researchers and industry and provides a platform to investigate the long term impacts of leys in rotations, such as: Quantifying changes in soil organic matter and soil health from introducing temporary grass/herbal leys across a range of soil types and rainfall areas. Quantifying subsequent changes to soil organic matter and soil health following the destruction of the temporary grass/herbal leys and return to arable production. Investigating the effectiveness of grass/herbal leys in controlling blackgrass in ‘problem’ fields.

For various EU projects and proposals we have collated a list of relevant tools and projects to nutrient management... Please join the Group to add more tools & projects below...

The Weed Resistance Action Group (WRAG) produces guidance on pesticide resistance issues. Hosted by AHDB, this information can be used to help protect crops and the long-term efficacy of herbicides.

Defra Sustainable Arable LINK project from 2010 to 2015 that aimed to produce an automated system using precision farming technologies for N management of cereals, but ended up changing the whole way we think about nitrogen, yields, experimentation, research, variation & knowledge.

PLANET and MANNER-NPK are nutrient management software tools that are freely available for use by farmers and their advisers.  

Farmer Innovation Group as part of YEN Yield Testing project on achieving Deeper Rooting. Encouragement of deep burrowing earthworms might enhance yields by enabling deeper rooting, and capture of more sub-soil water.

Funded by AHDB and BBRO, this five-year Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership is a cross-sector programme of research and knowledge exchange. The programme is designed to help farmers and growers maintain and improve the productivity of UK agricultural and horticultural systems, through better understanding of soil biology and soil health. See https://ahdb.org.uk/soil-biology-and-soil-health-partnership

BASF Real Results Circle (https://basfrealresults.co.uk/) has been running since 2017, bringing together 50 farmers and supporting them to test decisions on-farm.

How do you conduct and manage robust research and development at scale on your farm? What are the best methods for data collection and analysis? What are the best approaches to collaborative projects with researchers? Join us on April 28th as we explore the scientific approaches to on-farm trials and how to work more effectively with researchers.

To facilitate discussion at ACI European Mineral Fertiliser Summit

AHDB project from 2014-2018 working with farmers to monitor and optimise their nitrogen fertiliser rates on-farm.  

Network of farmers advisors and researchers working together, sharing ideas and data and testing solutions to increase soil carbon

Plant biostimulants, nitrification inhibitors, urease inhibitors and controlled release fertilisers (herein collectively referred to as Enhanced Efficiency Fertilisers, EEFs) are increasingly being adopted by farmers and have the potential to increase efficiency, and reduce the environmental footprint, of UK agricultural systems. There are myriad EEF products available, claiming benefits of, amongst others: biostimulants improving stress tolerance and increasing nutrient uptake; controlled release fertilisers reducing overall fertiliser requirement; and urease inhibitors preventing the majority of ammonia losses from urea applications. The overall aim of this project was to review evidence and make recommendation for options to best enable safe and effective use of Enhanced Efficiency Fertilisers in the UK.

Farmer Innovation Group from the YEN as part of the YEN Yield Testing Project. The idea of crop momentum arose because high yields in the YEN associated with little-and-often applications, or ‘attention to detail’. Also, two interacting factors are thought to drive crop growth: assimilate supply (source), and assimilate storage capacity (sink). It was suggested that the initial source may affect the sink at the next stage; so increasing initial growth may enhance subsequent growth, creating ‘momentum’.

The Oilseed YEN network is striving to help the whole industry to successfully grow Oilseed rape (OSR) and Linseed from start to finish – providing a better outlook for both crops into the future. 

Are you interested in Crop Monitoring?  Join this club to share ideas and experiences with the tools that are out there, and perhaps develop proposals and projects.

BASF are running a series of 3 short technical webinars, bringing together experts and industry specialists. We`ll be discussing barley and wheat disease control, but also nitrogen efficiency and return on investments.

Environment Digest is a quarterly publication that provides a synopsis of recent news, reports and other materials that are of interest to the farming community. With a particular focus on how agriculture links with the environment, each issue focusses on articles across sustainable food production, climate change, water and waste management, soils and biodiversity. Environment Digest principally focuses on stories and policy changes that are relevant to England and/or the UK with a slant towards the arable sector.

This Field Lab explores the impact of grazing sheep on over-winter cover crops on soil properties, crop performance and the management of livestock within an arable rotation.

Farmer Innovation Group as part of YEN Yield Testing EIP Agri project testing spring potassium fertiliser applications

Regenerative Agriculture - Understanding the opportunities and challenges 25th - 26th April 2023 Hilton York in York city centre & Online

International Remote Conference. 9-10 February 2022, 10:00 (EET)

The SUPER-G project is a European wide project aiming to work with farmers and policy makers to develop sustainable & effective permanent grassland systems.

The Future Farming Resilience Fund (FFRF) is a scheme set up by Defra to provide free business support to farmers and land managers during the early years of the agricultural transition. The third phase of the fund is now open for registration.

Group coming out of the YEN looking at ways to increase deep rooting, by encouraging deep burrowing earthworms.

An innovative mixed farm in Oxfordshire is working with applied researchers at NIAB and ADAS to explore whether precision planting of wheat can increase yield, compared to conventional seed drilling in rows. The project is supported by Defra through the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter oats trial tested the effects of applying Utrisha N. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

ADAS Horticulture specialises in all areas of commercial horticulture production. We are well established as impartial advisors in the soft fruit, vegetable, protected edible and ornamental sectors.

Innovative Farmers are launching a new field lab exploring the use of poly cropping, inoculants and undersown cover crops to control blackgrass (BG) in spring and winter-sown crops.  

Oats nitrogen and sulphur recommendations

AHDB Guide published in 2018.

YEN      Friday 3rd January 2023   Russ McKenzie awarded YEN's Innovator of the Year in 2022 at the 10th Anniversary YEN Conference.

Review by ADAS (Kate Storer) for AHDB in 2016 into the value of biostimulants.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter wheat trial tested the effects of applying Utrisha N at two contrasting N rates. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

Crop modelling is a useful tool in agriculture to improve our understanding how a crop grows in interaction with all external factors, including environmental interactions and the crop management practices in place. The idea is that by modelling cropping system factors as a mathematical representation, and incorporating real past data to 'calibrate' the model,  you can then simulate various scenarios and predict the impacts of certain changes on crop growth. One example of this would be a simulation of predicted environmental conditions under various climate scenarios to predict the impacts of climate change on crop growth and yields. Whilst models are oversimplifications of reality and can never capture all the complexity of agricultural systems, modelling has been a vital tool underpinning key agricultural developments and models are constantly being developed to be more dynamic, complex and sensitive. One particular application of modelling is in weed control. This page highlights the application of modelling in weed management and introduces a case study of a weed model from a DEFRA report.       

The project is a farmer-led initiative aiming to work collectively to reduce the incidence of sheep scab in the Talybont North Ceredigion area.

This project investigated how to reduce ammonia emissions from broiler houses using commercially available additives. 

The Oat Growth Guide outlines growth and development benchmarks for spring and winter oats crops.

Grazing livestock on large extensive grasslands can pose many problems such as difficulties in gathering, grazing management and an increased chance of theft. Some welsh sheep farmers are taking part in a project using tracking technology to help face such challenges. 

The Defra Pest and Disease survey has been running for approximately 50 years and monitors endemic pests and diseases in winter wheat and winter oilseed rape, along with accompanying information about agronomic practice and pesticide inputs to the crop.

A group of farmers from the Powys are undertaking this project to determine the prevalence and sources of the parasite on their farms. They hope to increase their understanding of the pathways by which it is transmitted among sheep and also identify measures they can take to control and prevent the disease in sheep.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter wheat trial compared N rates from 150 to 250 kg/ha, including the N rate recommended by the Yara N tester. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

Carbon Zero Consulting, part of the RSK group, invites you to discover what natural environmental heat sources can do for your food and drink manufacturing operations, as it is clear that high energy prices are here to stay for the foreseeable future.

A 1998 study commissioned by the Pesticides Safety Directorate to assess the non-target impacts of pesticides on non-target terrestrial plants (NTTP's).  'To conserve and enhance biological diversity within the UK' was a stated aim of of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (1994). Over 25 years later this is still a vital issue and the UK has stated its commitment to secure a post-2020 Biodiversity Framework as well as developing a 10 point plan for financing biodiversity (UK Government, 2022). However, a threat to plant biodiversity is non-target effects of pesticides - this is when pesticide materials reach areas beyond the target application area and affect the species there. Effects of pesticides on non-target plants can range from lethal (death of the plant) all the way to enhanced growth of these plants. Such varied effects depend on a range of things including the type of pesticide used, the concentration of its active ingredient and the sensitivity and spatial range of affected plants. Importantly, plants are part of complex food and pollination webs and so pesticide effects on plants can have cascading effects on the fauna that rely on them, and vice versa.

Sarah Clarke      Friday 3rd January 2023   Excellent grain quality as well as high yields were celebrated at the YEN 10th Anniversary Conference, with the Milling Quality Awards sponsored by UK Flour Millers. All UK Group 1 milling wheat entries were eligible for this competition, a total of 20 for 2022.

An overview of the greenhouse gas costs of cropping, including an analysis of YEN data in lead up to establishing YEN Zero.  Also includes an analysis of the relationship between nitrogen fertiliser, GHG costs, yield, GHG intensity and potential indirect land use change (ILUC) consequences.  

Nitrogen residue following different crops is an important consideration in the N fertiliser requirement of the subsequent crop and one of the key determinants of N fertiliser recommendations in the UK. 

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter wheat trial tested two biostimulants (3 Alo T6P and Nutrino Pro) applied as a tank mix with fungicides at the T3 timing. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter wheat trial compared N rates from 140 to 260 kg/ha, including the N rate recommended by the Yara N tester. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

Though peas and beans have long been a trusted part of cropping rotations, it is perhaps only recently that the scope and value of their potential is being realised.

This face to face workshop at ADAS Postharvest Innovation Centre in Chatteris, Cambridgeshire, will showcase advances in storage technologies and supply chain management to reduce post-harvest losses.

HGCA report from 2006 setting out the principles and potential of using wheat for bioethanol production

Wild-oats are a highly competitive grass-weed in the UK of which there are two important species: common wild-oats (Avena fatua) and winter wild-oats (Avena sterilis ssp. ludoviciana). Failure to control wild oats in arable fields can lead to high penalties to yield, seed crop contamination, income loss for farmers and reduced competitiveness of UK agriculture. Whilst herbicide resistance selection has been slower in wild-oats compared to other grass weeds such as Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides), it is still a growing problem and since this report was published in 2001, resistance has been reported across hundreds of farms across many UK counties.  Continuing development of herbicide resistance in wild-oats will limit pesticide choice and possibly lead to a higher dependence on environmentally 'risky' herbicides that are more likely to reach water. The objective of this project was to conduct and collate research on the characterisation of herbicide resistance in wild-oats with the aim of informing strategies for the prevention, containment and control of herbicide resistant populations. Links to the full project are provided at the bottom of the page.

The Global On-Farm Experimentation Network has been set up to connect OFE communities worldwide. GOFEN is setting up a directory of organisations and actors with an interest in OFE. It will be launched at the OFE 2023 conference in December 2023.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this simple on-farm winter wheat trial in Nottinghamshire tested the yield effect of reducing N rate from the 'farm standard' of 220 kg/ha to 170 kg/ha. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and reporting from ADAS.

Integrated Pest Management: Supporting tools and evidence-based learning

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, these two on-farm winter wheat trials tested whether the N inhibitor Didin can sufficiently slow N release to allow the whole season's N fertiliser to be applied as UAN in a single split. The 'farm standard' control treatment consisted of the same N rate applied as UAN over three split timings without an inhibitor. Trials were facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

In 2019, for the first time in the UK, an ALS-resistant prickly sow thistle (Sonchus asper) population was identified by ADAS researchers.   

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2022, this on-farm winter wheat trial compared N rates from 140 to 260 kg/ha, including the N rate recommended by the Yara N tester amd one treatment with additional Poly N Plus. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

A project run by ADAS and HMC Peas, under a programme of and funded by the European Space Agency. The project aims to use satellite imagery to estimate final yield of vining peas, to maximise the efficiency and profitability of harvest and processing. The feasibility project ran from September 2023 to September 2024.

Shared lessons about yields and water

Written By James Clarke - ADAS Research Director

Perhaps due to lower cropping area, resources for fundamental research of peas in the UK has lagged behind that of the major crops. This means that whilst we have fantastic agronomy guides from PGRO, some of the things we take for granted for the major crops such as crop development growth benchmarks don’t exist for pulses. In 2016 an enthusiastic group of growers and industry sponsors, steered by ADAS and PGRO, stepped in to help bridge this gap for combining peas with a participatory network approach.

The ADAS soils and nutrients team will share and discuss results from our recent cover crop research with Affinity Water, Anglian Water, and Portsmouth Water.

At Groundswell, join us at the Innovative Farmers stand from 12-1 on Thursday 29th June for a clinic on Farm trials: how to make the most of them. A chance to share experiences and have your questions answered by ADAS and IF experts

ADAS slides developed to share with educators who lead agriculture degree courses at the Agricultural Universities Council (AUC) Educators Retreat 2023. 

Farmers working with scientists to achieve the best from pulse crops and reduce their carbon emissions.

The study measured the N available after spring-sown peas, field beans or autumn sown cereals in eastern England and the subsequent response of winter wheat to fertiliser nitrogen.  

Measurements of N2O were made using static flux chambers for a 24 month period from sowing to 12 months after harvest.

We are establishing a network of farms to share knowledge and data on the application and impact of IPM strategies with the aim to better understand the effectiveness of IPM approaches on farm yield and profitability, and support sustainable, productive systems with no pesticide inputs wasted. We’ve had some initial funding from Defra to design the network, and now we are moving into a pilot phase.   

A new paper published by ADAS summarises evolving black-grass herbicide resistance over the last 35 years, including the effectiveness of the dwindling actives left, and the vital role of routine resistance testing.

The Straits committee is a voluntary partnership between Kent County Council and neighbouring local authorities in France (Département du Pas-de-Calais, Département du Nord), Belgium (Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen, Provincie West-Vlaanderen) and the Netherlands (Provincie Zuid-Holland, Provincie Zeeland). This partnership helps to support organisations on either side of the channel to work together where it is useful to do so.  As part of the The Straits Committee Small Project Initiative, ADAS have teamed up with agricultural organisations in France (Chambre d'agriculture), Belgium (Inagro & UGent/HOGENT) and the Netherlands (AIKC Rusthoeve) following discussions that grassweeds and herbicide resistance were common problems in all of these regions. An escalating issue across arable farming in  Europe is herbicide resistance. This is defined as 'the inherited ability of a weed to survive a rate of herbicide that would normally kill it’. It impacts crop yield, increases costs for farmers, and limits crop rotation options. In particular, Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides) and other grassweeds are highly problematic in the South-East UK and cereal growing coastal regions of Belgium, France, and the Netherlands. The project aims to Assess resistance to determine the extent of the problem in the Straits regions Foster ongoing collaboration among agricultural organisations working in these areas to help support growers Provide joint and cohesive guidelines to help growers manage resistance effectively, reduce ineffective use of herbicides and promote best use of non-chemical control as part of an integrated weed management (IWM) approach. Updates will be made to this page as the project progresses, including survey links and results, guidelines, advice sheets, fact-files and more, so please do follow, like and comment on this page to keep updated!  une page en français est disponible ici een pagina in het Nederlands is hier beschikbaar   This is the Grassweeds project, co-funded under the Straits Committee small project initiative by Kent County Council (UK), Provincie West-Vlaanderen (BE), Provincie-Oost-Vlaanderen (BE), Provincie Zeeland (NL), & Département du Pas-de-Calais (FR).

How can we improve resilience? Whose job is it to do what – from supporting farmers, to meeting consumer demand?

The bean YEN (Yield Enhancement Network) was started in 2019 as a partnership between ADAS and PGRO, and a group of enthusiastic growers and the support of sponsors including key developmental finding from NPZ UK (formerly known as LSPB). Perhaps due to lower cropping area, resources for fundamental research of beans in the UK has lagged behind that of the major crops. This means that whilst we have fantastic agronomy guides from PGRO, some of the things we take for granted for the major crops such as crop development growth benchmarks don’t exist for pulses. The bean YEN exists to help bridge this gap and connect growers, industry and research in a participatory network approach to help enhance yields on farm. 

ADAS, the Met Office, and farming guests explore the barriers and challenges that farmers face from a changing climate.

On-farm trials can be a very effective way to explore ideas and test practices! Read along to find out 10 tips to make the most of this practical research method  in real life conditions.

 The Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) has launched a simplified, online crop YEN network for linseed growers called Linseed YEN Lite.

SCI invites you to join leading experts and change-makers to explore the potential of regenerative agriculture, a revolutionary approach to farming that goes beyond sustainability.

Join us to explore the pros and cons of facilitating farm trials.

Curious about Xero accounting software and how it could help make farm business admin easier?

Quality Meat Scotland’s (QMS) new report is set to unlock greater productivity, profitability and sustainability for a wealth of individuals and businesses.

Dr Mark Ramsden (ADAS) talks about the EU IPM Decisions and IPMWORKS projects, which together are supporting reduction of pesticide use across Europe

BREAKTHRU is A BBSRC funded project led by the University of Nottingham in collaboration with Rothamsted Research, Lancaster University and ADAS aimed at developing compaction resistant wheat. 

Help us to understand attitudes towards SFI schemes and IPM uptake by completing this survey. Anyone completing the survey is entitled to claim a £10 voucher.

Join ADAS and AHDB to see the plot demonstrations and discuss pests, weeds and diseases with technical updates and experts on hand.

Rainwater harvesting is the on-site collection and storage of rainfall from impermeable surfaces and storage for later use.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2023, this on-farm winter wheat trial tested the benefits of clover living mulches in winter wheat. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

This webinar introduces the work of YEN Zero with the ADAS Climate Change and Sustainability team and Will Oliver, an arable farmer from Lincolnshire and YEN Zero member.

Opportunities and constraints for conventional farming systems on rewetted peat soils

This guidance documents provides advice on IPM measures for pulses insect pests and diseases.

In October 2023 on behalf of AgriSearch, ADAS soil scientists conducted a full review of Nutrient Management Planning Tools (NMPTs) available for forage crops in Northern Ireland.

ADAS and the Met Office will explore what mechanisms there are to support an agriculture and food sector that is resilient to climate change.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2023, this on-farm winter wheat trial compared the effects of using two different drills, a Väderstad Rapid and Horsch Sprinter. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

This landmark conference (January 22, 2025) will explore innovative strategies to increase pulse production and use in livestock diets. Register HERE

Following the success of ADAS’s Agronomics service for delivering on-farm line trials in combinable crops, a new project with funding from the European Space Agency (ESA) is expanding the service to the grassland sector using satellite data as a proxy for grass yield.

Pre-registration sign up: https://forms.office.com/e/D3gRpBrpFg BASIS and NRoSO points have been applied for.  

To help growers calculate the carbon footprint of their crops and identify mitigation measures, the Yield Enhancement Network created a new farmer network called YEN Zero.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2023, this on-farm spring barley trial compared the effects of using two different drills, a Kverneland TS Evo and Horsch Sprinter. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2023, this on-farm winter wheat trial tested the effects of applying Nutrino Pro foliar N at T2 and T3. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

Interested in on-farm trials? Find our more about the benefits of implementing this methodology; and find our how to address some common challenges.

Today we’re going to be talking with Lucy Cottingham, Agrii UK digital agronomy development manager, Steve Portas agronomist and Northern technical advisor and Josh Murphy, RHIZA product manager.  Agriculture is a very significant emitter of CO2 and today we are going to be talking about an innovative project called Nitrogen Climate Smart, which aims to bring about a reduction of 1.5mt of CO2 emissions per annum. The aim is to increase pulse and legume crops in arable cropping to 20%, the benefits of which to both arable and livestock enterprises could lead to cost savings over £1m per year. Let’s learn more about this innovative project and what it could mean for your farm business.

Discover more about how the YEN works in this webinar and how it could help your agricultural suppliers become more resilient, more productive, and even more environmentally friendly.

As part of the AICC Crop Nutrition Club 2023, this on-farm winter wheat trial tested the effects of applying L-CBF Boost liquid carbon fertiliser. The trial was facilitated by a local AICC advisor, with support and Agronomics yield map analysis from ADAS.

This event will focus on how satellite earth observation data can be used to support agricultural services.

With soil cultivation expert Philip Wright Join ADAS as we discuss how to maintain good soil structure and best cultivation practices.

This project was carried out in order to increase understanding of the risks to British agricultural and amenity sectors from existing and future cases of herbicide resistant broad leaved weeds. Prior to this project, little was known about the mechanisms of herbicide resistance in these species, and work detailing the prevalence, mechanisms, and cross resistance characteristics of several agronomically important broad leaved species formed a major part of the experimental work. A secondary objective was to raise awareness of the threat posed by herbicide resistant broad leaved weed species in several sectors through various knowledge transfer initiatives.

In 2024, Linseed YEN Lite made its debut with Andrew Burton from Derbyshire scooping the gold award with a yield of 3.1 t/ha for winter linseed, and Chris Byass of Yorkshire achieving the best percentage of potential yield with 46% of potential yield. These linseed entries were grown with the winter varieties Attila and Alpaga respectively, and were supported by Premium Crops.

ADAS is running a short training course for those wishing to obtain a BASIS Certificate in Greenhouse Gases, Carbon, and Climate Change Mitigation. This training course covers how carbon and greenhouse gases (GHGs) relate to climate change in agriculture. ADAS experts will present practical on farm tools to measure the impact of GHGs, as well as share options for removal.

If you farm or are an agronomist in Kent, you are invited to take part in a grassweed survey being conducted by ADAS and others. The survey will take ~10-15 minutes to complete  Answers should relate specifically to the arable areas of farms located in Kent (even if the farm includes other types of land). For agronomists, each survey response should correspond to one holding only but multiple surveys can be completed.    We are currently working on a cross-border project to understand the extent of arable grassweed resistance in Kent (UK), Flanders (Belgium), Zeeland (The Netherlands) and Pas-de-Calais (France). Your responses will help us to coordinate resistance testing and develop resistance management guidelines to help growers in these regions.    As part of filling out this questionnaire you could win free grassweed resistance testing in the Summer/Autumn of 2025. There is a section on the survey to provide your preferred form of contact if you wish to be entered into the draw. All contact details will be kept confidential.   In this survey, we will collect your location data by asking for the region of Kent in which your holding is. We do not collect any personal information, and the location data will be used only for general mapping purposes.   If you are unsure of any questions or for general weed advice and ID queries, you can contact weeds@adas.co.uk . An arable grassweed ID guide has been attached below. This survey is part of the Grassweeds project co-funded under the Straits Committee small project initiative by Kent County Council, Provincie West-Vlaanderen, Provincie-Oost-Vlaanderen, Provincie Zeeland, & Département du Pas-de-Calais.      Survey: https://forms.office.com/e/vFyS6QZgqN

Technical guide publshed by BASF in collaboration with ADAS, NIAB, SRUC and Teagasc on how to grow barley

As part of the development of the IPM Decisions platform, we carried out additional research and development both on the technical and social aspects relating to improving access to and uptake of decision support systems for IPM.   The results of this work have been published, and links are provided below.  

The IPMWORK network connects farmers and advisors across Europe.  Developed based on LEAF and other existing networks, a series of IPM Hubs have supported farmers advancing their IPM programmes.  Below are a series of summaries of progress made, and the facilitation approaches used, to help others find the IPM approaches that work for them.  Follow the links to further information about each Hubs progress in the IPMWORKS Toolbox. There is a summary booklet availalbe for each Hub: Scottish Hub Booklet attached as an example. 

Join us for this free webinar to hear about the latest research from Affinity Water conducted by ADAS on cover crop nitrogen release.

Pea growers have a new, free resource at their fingertips, thanks to a collaboration between ADAS, BASF, and the Processors and Growers Research Organisation (PGRO).

The Sustainable Arable Farming For an Improved Environment (SAFFIE) project started in 2002 and experimental work continued until the end of 2006. When the project was conceived, arable farmers needed to optimise inputs and improve efficiency, and the UK was committed to increase biodiversity, especially for farmland birds. The SAFFIE project aimed to reconcile these pressures by developing new crop and margin management techniques for winter cereals and quantifying the associated costs and environmental benefits. The SAFFIE project developed Skylark Plots, confirmed the benefits of adding wildflowers to grass margins, evaluated a range of in crop weed control programmes and tested two margin management techniques (graminicides and scarification) that had potential to create new habitats. The studies quantified: (a) the impact of these techniques on key species of grasses and flowering plants, beetles, bugs, flies, grasshoppers, soil invertebrates, spiders, bees, butterflies and birds; and (b) the costs of the techniques.

Project Objectives To quantify the impact of contrasting cover crop destruction techniques and timings on nitrate leaching, soil nitrogen supply (and hence crop nitrogen fertiliser requirements) and performance of the following cash crop. In particular to determine the: o            effect of cover crop destruction method e.g., glyphosate vs mechanical destruction o            effect of cover crop destruction timing e.g., early vs late on the nitrogen supplied to, and performance of, the following spring sown cash crop the weed burden in the following spring sown cash crop gross margins   To assess the impact of a ‘reduced’ fertiliser nitrogen application rate on the performance of the spring cash crop following an over winter cover crop  

The IPMWORKS resoure toolbox connected farmers, advisors, researchers and policy actors with information and training on diseases, weeds and invertebrate pests of agricultural crops

This forum was organised by the British Crop Protection Council with financial support from the Crop Protection Association and the Department of the Environment Food and Rural Affairs. The objective of the meeting was to explore ways in which arable farmers facing real financial hardship can incorporate even more biodiversity into their planning, so that the farm business becomes more sustainable and a range of plants and animals continue to flourish. In the last thirty years arable farming has seen big declines in profitability. At the same time there has been a significant decline in the populations of several species of farmland birds and increased pressure from the Government and the public to manage biodiversity in the agricultural landscape. Invited speakers reviewed why biodiversity is important and the ways in which biodiversity on arable farms can be managed effectively. The presentation topics included farming methods, ecological research and policy implications. The audience was encouraged to discuss each paper and to take part in a discussion session at the end of the conference. This paper is a summary of a Discussion Forum chaired by Bob Froud-Williams and organised by the British Crop Protection Council. The Forum was held at IACR-Rothamsted, Harpenden, Hertfordshire on Tuesday January 29th 2002..

Positivity in Farming

Biochar is a solid material produced by thermochemical treatment of organic material in an oxygen free atmosphere. Biochar is recognized as a greenhouse gas removal technology that could contribute to UK targets for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions (CCC, 2019) and it has been suggested that application of biochar to agricultural soils may provide agronomic benefits alongside carbon sequestration

As part of the Horizon 2020 project IPMWORKS,  growers across Europe were supported in carrying out two or more strategies within the same/comparable field, comparing a conventional strategy with an IPM based strategy as part of demonstration activities.

Het Straits Comité is een vrijwillig partnerschap tussen Kent County Council en aangrenzende lokale overheden in Frankrijk (Département du Pas-de-Calais, Département du Nord), België (Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen, Provincie West-Vlaanderen) en Nederland (Provincie Zuid-Holland, Provincie Zeeland). Dit partnerschap ondersteunt organisaties aan weerszijden van het Kanaal om samen te werken wanneer dat nuttig is. Als onderdeel van het Straits Committee Small Project Initiative heeft ADAS de krachten gebundeld met landbouworganisaties in Frankrijk (Chambre d'agriculture), België (Inagro & UGent/HOGENT) en Nederland (AIKC Rusthoeve), na gesprekken waarin bleek dat grasachtige onkruiden en herbicidenresistentie veelvoorkomende problemen zijn in al deze regio’s. Een groeiend probleem in de akkerbouw in Europa is herbicidenresistentie. Dit wordt gedefinieerd als 'het erfelijke vermogen van een onkruid om een dosis herbicide te overleven die normaal gesproken dodelijk zou zijn'. Het heeft invloed op de gewasopbrengst, verhoogt de kosten voor boeren en beperkt de mogelijkheden voor vruchtwisseling. Vooral Duist (Alopecurus myosuroides) en andere grasachtige onkruiden zijn zeer problematisch in Zuidoost-Engeland en in de graanproducerende kustregio’s van België, Frankrijk en Nederland. Het project heeft als doel om: Resistentie te beoordelen om de omvang van het probleem in de Straits-regio’s vast te stellen Voortdurende samenwerking te bevorderen tussen landbouworganisaties in deze gebieden om telers te ondersteunen Gezamenlijke en samenhangende richtlijnen aan te bieden om telers te helpen resistentie effectief te beheersen, het ineffectief gebruik van herbiciden te verminderen en het optimale gebruik van niet-chemische bestrijdingsmethoden te promoten als onderdeel van een geïntegreerde onkruidbeheersingsaanpak (Integrated Weed Management – IWM) Er zullen regelmatig updates op deze pagina verschijnen naarmate het project vordert, inclusief enquêtes en resultaten, richtlijnen, adviesbladen, infobladen en meer. Volg, like en reageer op deze pagina om op de hoogte te blijven! Dit is het Grassweeds-project, medegefinancierd onder het Small Project Initiative van het Straits Comité door Kent County Council (VK), Provincie West-Vlaanderen (BE), Provincie Oost-Vlaanderen (BE), Provincie Zeeland (NL) en Département du Pas-de-Calais (FR).

As part of the ForestAgriGreenNudge project, we’ve launched a European-wide survey to better understand what really drives sustainable choices in agriculture and forestry. 

Ben Hague (Crop Physiologist) Ben.Hague@adas.co.uk Charlotte White (Crop Physiologist) Charlotte.White@adas.co.uk Christina Baxter (Crop Physiologist) Christina.Baxter@adas.co.uk Roger Sylvester-Bradley (Crop Physiologist) Roger.Sylvester-Bradley@adas.co.uk

Supporting the UK IPM Planning Tool, a series of IPM specific crop guides have been produced and are availalbe on the IPMWORKS Toolbox.   

The IPMWORKS e-learning modules have been prepared based on successful experiences within the project network, including technical aspects of IPM strategies, farm performance or co-innovation and method for farm hub coaching, targeting both farmers and advisers. Modules on agroecosystem approach, on holistic pest management examples and on the key topic of policies are also included to frame the technical ones.

Ben Hague, Charlotte White & Thomas Wilkinson

Have your say – and enter our prize draw for a £100 British Fine Food voucher

Le Comité des Détroits est un partenariat volontaire entre le Kent County Council et les autorités locales voisines en France (Département du Pas-de-Calais, Département du Nord), en Belgique (Province de Flandre-Orientale, Province de Flandre-Occidentale) et aux Pays-Bas (Province de Hollande-Méridionale, Province de Zélande). Ce partenariat vise à soutenir les organisations des deux côtés de la Manche afin de favoriser une collaboration utile et efficace. Dans le cadre de l’Initiative Petits Projets du Comité des Détroits, ADAS s’est associé à des organisations agricoles en France (Chambre d’agriculture), en Belgique (Inagro et UGent/HOGENT) et aux Pays-Bas (AIKC Rusthoeve), à la suite de discussions révélant que les mauvaises herbes graminées et la résistance aux herbicides constituent des problèmes communs à toutes ces régions. Un problème croissant dans l’agriculture céréalière en Europe est la résistance aux herbicides. Celle-ci est définie comme « la capacité héréditaire d’une mauvaise herbe à survivre à une dose d’herbicide qui la tuerait normalement ». Elle impacte le rendement des cultures, augmente les coûts pour les agriculteurs et limite les options de rotation des cultures. En particulier, le vulpin des champs (Alopecurus myosuroides) et d'autres graminées indésirables posent de sérieux problèmes dans le Sud-Est du Royaume-Uni ainsi que dans les régions côtières productrices de céréales en Belgique, en France et aux Pays-Bas. Le projet a pour objectifs de : Évaluer la résistance afin de déterminer l’ampleur du problème dans les régions des Détroits ; Encourager la collaboration continue entre les organisations agricoles de ces zones afin de soutenir les agriculteurs ; Fournir des lignes directrices communes et cohérentes pour aider les agriculteurs à gérer efficacement la résistance, à réduire l’usage inefficace des herbicides et à promouvoir les bonnes pratiques de lutte non chimique dans le cadre d’une gestion intégrée des mauvaises herbes (GIM). Des mises à jour seront publiées sur cette page au fur et à mesure de l’avancement du projet, notamment des liens vers des enquêtes et leurs résultats, des lignes directrices, des fiches conseils, des documents d'information, et plus encore. N’hésitez pas à suivre, aimer et commenter cette page pour rester informé ! Il s’agit du projet Grassweeds, cofinancé dans le cadre de l’Initiative Petits Projets du Comité des Détroits par le Kent County Council (Royaume-Uni), la Province de Flandre-Occidentale (Belgique), la Province de Flandre-Orientale (Belgique), la Province de Zélande (Pays-Bas) et le Département du Pas-de-Calais (France). een pagina in the Nederlands is hier beschikbaar a page English is available here

This project converts the information we have on PGR applications in the YEN into analysable data, and then explores associations between PGR use and crop yield, height, ears per m2 and other physiological traits related to yield.

While low rainfall has helped to keep septoria disease pressure low, 2025 also saw changes in the yellow rust population, with AHDB reporting unusual early observations on several winter wheat varieties in Recommended Lists (RL) trials. This has presented significant challenges in managing winter wheat crops, says ADAS Senior Research Scientist Chloe Francis.

Garnstone Farms, Ledgemoor, Weobley, Hereford HR4 8PZ 12:00 – 15:00, 17 June 2025

Agri-Tech Week celebrates its 12th year in 2025 – featuring eleven events across the country from Newcastle to Norfolk, Essex to Earth satellites (and lots online!).

Want access to independent, technical advice to improve your crop and farm productivity? Try out the ADAS Farming Association for free this winter. The ADAS Farming Association provides independent strategic technical support to agronomists and farmers. ADAS crop scientists put current research into perspective and provide clear, unbiased guidance on upcoming agronomic decisions. Members of the ADAS Farming Association receive: Timely action recommendations on soils, weeds, crop nutrition, pests, and disease (weekly during the main growing season) A bi-annual round-up of research findings from recent crop projects Monthly webinars from October to February with ADAS technical specialists An invitation to an annual in-person conference Invitations to farm/trial walks Access to key experts, by phone and e-mail BASIS and NRoSO points are available with all our updates and events.

This project evaluates ten candidate soil health indicators for their suitability, evidence base and practical application to monitor soil health changes in UK farming systems. An interpretation framework for the top ranked indicators will be created. ORC are leading the management, knowledge exchange, and delivery of the shortlist of early indicators of soil health in the project, while SRUC are leading on the interpretation framework.

Ben Hague (Crop Physiologist) Ben.hague@adas.co.uk Thomas Wilkinson (Crop Physiologist) Thomas.wilkinson@adas.co.uk Pete Berry (Crop Physiologist) Pete.berry@adas.co.uk   Key Points: • New analysis of YEN data shows that pulse pre-crops increase wheat yields by 0.9 t/ha compared to wheat pre-crops, termed the “break crop effect”. • Break crop effects can be due to a range mechanisms, broadly split into nitrogen and non-nitrogen related benefits. The magnitude of the break crop effect of pulses is similar in size to that of oilseed rape. • Pulse residues contain on average 20 kg N/ha more than residues from cereal crops when cereal straw is baled. • N recommendations should consider the yield of the previous break crop as this affects the quantity of N residues left for the following crop • Each additional tonne of yield of a bean crop is estimated to increase the N residues by 10 kg N/ha.

The potential yield of UK oilseed rape crops is 6.5t/ha but until 2011 average farm yields had remained static since the mid 1980s at around 3.0 t/ha. 

Speaker: Christina Baxter, ADAS. This is a summary of the YEN Conference 2026 session: Impact of high yields on profitability and sustainability. The resource discusses the debate between land sparing and land sharing, highlighting the importance of nuanced, place-based approaches to optimal land use. It presents the Three Compartment Model, noting that different species benefit from varying habitat intensities. Current strategies, such as the 30:50:50 Mission, aim to boost UK agricultural productivity while significantly reducing environmental impact. Government support and planning tools are available to help farmers adopt sustainable practices and make informed decisions about land allocation for high yield farming, natural habitats, and low intensity agriculture. Key Messages: High yields have lower C footprints per tonne of output High yields make economic sense for farm businesses Moving beyond land sharing vs land sparing. An integrated place-based approach. Yield is king... in the right contexts

Speaker: Pete Berry, ADAS. This is a summary of the YEN Conference 2026 session: Impacts of warm, dry and wet conditions on crop performance The session began with a poll asking which factors most frequently reduce crop yields, with drought and lack of sunshine emerging as the top concerns. Definitions were provided to distinguish between climate (long-term weather patterns) and weather (day-to-day atmospheric conditions). The text outlines recent changes to the UK climate, noting increased warming, wetter winters, sunnier springs, and projections for hotter, drier summers. The challenges faced by farmers include both long-term climate trends, such as warming and altered rainfall patterns, and short-term weather difficulties like extended dry or wet spells, making it hard to predict conditions at the start of the season. Strategies for managing crops in warmer and drier conditions focus on earlier flowering, deeper rooting, adequate water supply, and sufficient nutrient application, particularly phosphorus. Dry conditions emphasise the importance of root depth and early drilling, while wet conditions bring risks such as waterlogging, nutrient leaching, disease, and lodging. Management recommendations include choosing resilient crop varieties, adjusting sowing times, using urea to reduce nitrate leaching, and maintaining robust fungicide and growth regulator programmes. Key Messages: We need a crop husbandry strategy that deals with the long-term climate trends for warmer conditions and the greater likelihood of very high temperatures, whilst also being resilient to seasonal challenges of long dry or wet periods. We do not know the weather conditions of the growing season before it happens, so we need to grow crops that are resilient to both dry and wet conditions A few key factors to get right include: maximising rooting depth, ensure sufficient N and P for canopy longevity and achieving well drained fields

This guide from the TRUTH Project covers rooting, how to assess rooting systems, and practical guidance on optimising root growth.

Using beans to rebuild rotational performance after stewardship.

Can home-grown faba beans substitute soya in the broiler ration?

How is broiler performance affected when soya is partially replaced by faba beans?

Speakers:  Todd Jex, Agrii Dmitry Feoktistov, NFU Pete Berry, ADAS This is a summary of the YEN Conference 2026 Session: Best Practices for Climate Resilience (Panel Discussion) Key Messages: Business resilience must exist to enable climate resilience - "Resilience starts with the bottom line" Establishment is key Good soil condition will enable long-term resilience

Speaker: Thomas Wilkinson, ADAS This is a summary of the YEN Conference 2026 Session: YEN lessons: Oilseeds.   Key Messages: The ideal Oilseed Rape (OSR) crop ideotype - Larger, but not just thicker canopies (more efficient and effective light capture) and higher harvest index. Higher number of seeds /m2 and better seed filling. High yielding crops tend to be sown and develop 5-10 days later. Useful associations with high yielding OSR crops:  Higher manuring frequency Deep non-inversion establishment most common strategy (move soil when needed) Use of autumn nitrogen Combine Canopy Management Principles with IPM strategies

The presentation slides from YEN Conference 2026 are now available. Browse and download the sessions below.