Artificial intelligence (AI) is changing our world, the way we live, work and perhaps even the way we think.

How artificial intelligence is paving the way to a sustainable farming future

Piece by piece, researchers are assembling a toolkit of approaches aimed at delivering an integrated pest management (IPM) solution for cabbage stem flea beetle control in oilseed rape. 

Tools to help tackle CSFB 

Two years on from the launch of the first UK varieties by Bayer’s world-leading Dekalb platform, the potential its precision maize silage breeding programme offers is proving increasingly apparent across the country.

Strong performance from newest maize breeding platform

As daylight hours lengthen, it is time to start assessing oilseed rape crops’ potential for a strong spring restart.

3 things to consider at OSR restart

With oil contents in from all four of Agrii’s northern iFarm trials comparing at least eight current and up-and-coming varieties, DK Exsteel has matched one of the newest TuYV resistant hybrids

DK Exsteel stands out in Agrii northern iFarm variety trials

September-sown winter oilseed rape can be just as productive as earlier plantings.

Top Establishment Tips for Successful September Sowing

Richard Prankerd discusses some tricky agronomic issues in September

Five tips around drilling, BYDV and weed control for growers in the south

For the sixth year in a row DK Exsteel is confirming its pre-eminent consistency by performing well within the top 10 of the 40-plus varieties tested annually in Agrii’s industry leading national variety trials.

King of consistency adds to its reputation

Yields analysed from the bulk of the field-scale Dekalb grower trials now harvested across the country are underlining the clear relationship between hybrid performance and establishment success at a standard 50 seeds/m2 sowing rate.

Strip Trials Underline Overall Establishment Importance

DK Exbury and DK Immortal CL have joined the long list of Dekalb hybrids demonstrating a clear ability to resist Verticillium leaf strip in the latest annual ADAS trials on a Cambridge site

Latest hybrids show Verticillium strength

Dekalb hybrid has gone head-to-head with the top-performing clubroot variety on the Recommended List has shown a considerable yield advantage for the newcomer.

Raising the bar in clubroot resistance

Despite not being drilled until near the end of September and going into far from the best ground the business manages, it averaged fully 4.2t/ha.

Late-Drilled OSR Delivers in Dorset

Replicated NIAB trials at Callow in Herefordshire and Sutton Scotney in Hampshire are clearly demonstrating the performance and key agronomic advantages of new mainstream hybrid, DK Exbury

NIAB trials highlight new all-round hybrid strengths

Dekalb’s extensive series of field-scale strip trials run with up to 15  growers across the country confirm that yields are noticeably back on last season.

Early farm trial results show solid hybrid performance in a challenging season

High reliability hybrid, DK Excited has underlined the value of its great management flexibility in Bayer’s OSR Innovation plot trials at Callow near Hereford this season.

Innovation plot trials underline high reliability hybrid value

New clubroot resistant hybrid, DK Pledge is echoing its performance in European trials by substantially outyielding the highest output clubroot variety on the 2023/24 Recommended List in its first UK farm trialling.

First UK Farm Trialling Confirms New Clubroot Variety Strength

Early August drilling needs to be undertaken with particular care if its benefits in reducing adult cabbage stem flea beetle grazing are not to be offset by subsequent management problems, insist leading industry specialists in a definitive grower guide

Take special care with early drilling

The lack of winter wheat varietal performance data in minimal  tillage situations has prompted a novel trial between no-till pioneer Russell McKenzie, Agrii and Bayer.

No-till trial puts varieties to the test

Oilseed rape provides an ideal opportunity to get soil into good  condition for a following first wheat. Crop Focus talks to a leading expert about how to make the most of the benefits.

Forward thinking on OSR establishment

Taking poor performing headlands out of production should improve profitability – as long as you’re not just migrating the problem further into the field.

How to avoid headland headaches

Growers across the UK have everything to gain and absolutely nothing to lose from taking advantage of ‘the best OSR establishment scheme in the business’.

Make the most of establishment assurance

Have you ever been disappointed by the performance of your  oilseed rape at harvest? Crops look great all season, but once the combine starts rolling, the yield monitor gives that sinking feeling.

Stem health drives OSR yield

Many arable farms reaped the rewards of record grain prices in 2022. But, as prices return to ‘normal’ despite increased costs, good business planning is vital.

Tailor rotations to ride the highs and lows

At the end of another unpredictable season of volatile prices and impactful weather, reviewing what has, and has not, worked on farm, and planning changes for the coming season, continues to be an important summer activity.

Five priorities for the autumn agenda

Good soil management is the foundation of good crops of oilseed rape, but there are some basics on which Jonny Rutherford refuses to compromise.

Hybrid oilseed rape varieties just more reliable

Many winter OSR crops flowering up to two weeks later than normal this season makes it vital to hold-off on harvesting them for as long as possible to avoid knocking output badly, insists Bayer commercial technical manager, Tom Sowerby.

Holding-off on OSR harvesting crucial this season

Good crops come from good establishment, says Philip Vickers, farm manager at the in-hand farming operation of Raby Estate, County Durham. It is a simple mantra but delivering it has involved a detailed consideration of the risks to performance that exi...

New era for OSR as robust varieties come to the fore

The 2023 winter oilseed rape crop is shaping-up to be very decent in most parts of the country, according to the fourth in Bayer’s annual Dekalb benchmarking studies.

Latest OSR Benchmarking Suggests ‘Very Decent’ National Crop

Field-scale strip trials are giving south Shropshire farmer, Rob Morgan an invaluable, risk-free insight into new genetics that could work well for him.

Strip trials are ideal variety test-bed for Shropshire grower

A determined focus on achieving the most productive winter OSR architecture from establishment onwards is paying dividends in improving the consistency of the crop at Leckford Estate in the Test Valley near Stockbridge in Hampshire

Determined focus on crop architecture delivers Hampshire OSR consistency boost

A new system for automatically assessing cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) pressure under evaluation in the UK is showing great promise.

Digital CSFB Monitoring Shows Great IPM Promise

Poor stem health in the final month of the season is one of the main reasons for disappointing performance from otherwise promising winter OSR crops, believes Agrii oilseed rape specialist, David Leaper.

Improve OSR consistency with greater stem health attention

Despite plant losses averaging 21% over the winter, most oilseed rape crops in this season’s extensive Dekalb field scale trials on farms across the country went into flowering with populations nicely within the 25-40 plants/m2 target, reveals Bayer mon...

Farm Trials Show Most OSR Populations Nicely on Target

Tom Sowerby takes a look at latest crop progress and gives some thoughts on remaining agronomy tasks for June and July

Six insights into June and July agronomy tasks

DK Exsteel has performed near the top of Agrii’s extensive national variety trials, earning it the accolade of the most consistent modern-day variety seed technical specialist, David Leaper and his team have ever seen.

All-round strength earns variety consistency crown

The Precision Breeding Act has been welcomed as a positive watershed for the English food and farming industry and a valuable contribution to addressing the urgent global challenges of food security, climate change and sustainable development.

Precision Breeding Act welcomed as positive watershed

All five Dekalb varieties included in the latest ADAS trials have shown good resistance or tolerance to verticillium in a season in which infection levels on the Cambridge site chosen for its history of problems from the disease have been relatively high.

ADAS Trials underline DK hybrids' verticillium strengths

Plant breeding is evolving substantially to keep pace with the sheer pace of change in farming practices, the environment and growers needs these days, reveals a leading UK breeder.

Digital revolution allows designer breeding

Nitrogen prices are still squarely in the spotlight, so an ongoing trials programme with a number of FieldView users is timely to say the least.

Trials Show Possible Penalty With N Rates Reductions

Are you overlooking the benefits of a more prescriptive approach to PGRs? That’s the question posed by FieldView activation specialist Ellie Borthwick-North.

Big Gains From PGR Trials

Precision breeding techniques are driving the development of new oilseed rape varieties with greater resilience and better yield stability for growers. We take an exclusive look at Europe’s leading oilseed rape improvement programme.

Driving OSR resilience with precision breeding

With increasing extremes of weather and pest pressures, vigorous oilseed rape development is becoming as important in spring as it is in autumn. But what does this mean in practice?

Springing Ahead

The latest Bayer Crop Science study undertaken in late October/early November involved over 290 growers across the country planting more than 30,000ha of winter OSR for 2023

National Winter Oilseed Rape Establishment Poll

Early winter assessments of Dekalb’s national series of field-scale oilseed rape trials with nine current and emerging hybrids across the country confirm the remarkably favourable condition of this season’s crop establishment revealed in Bayer’s nationa...

National Farm Trials Confirm Favourable OSR Crop Condition

Despite a bone-dry August, later sowing than many planned and the highest levels of flea beetle pressure since 2019, British winter oilseed rape establishment this season has been remarkably good, according to the fourth year of Dekalb national grower p...

Good Establishment Means Substantially Increased 2023 OSR Crop

Unusual both for the area and enterprise, oilseed rape is proving valuable in more ways than one in the Laird family’s Peeblesshire dairy business.

Double OSR Benefits for Borders Dairy Business

Despite a much more challenging autumn and later sowing that many planned, winter oilseed rape establishment across the country is remarkably good, reveal initial results from the fourth year of the Dekalb national establishment poll.

Substantially Increased OSR Crop Confirmed in Annual Grower Poll

Richard Cross has set himself the target of getting every wheat hectare delivering 10 tonnes. Phase one is the move to variable rate nutrition – which last season delivered a £100/ha margin gain.

A variable rate N trial has delivered a £105/ha winter wheat margin gain for a Notts estate.

Spring vigour is a key criterion scored in the field-scale oilseed rape studies Agrii trials manager, Jim Carswell runs each year with up to 20 of the most popular and promising varieties on iFarms across northern England and Scotland.

Making the Most of Spring Development Differences

The superior nitrogen stress tolerance of two current Dekalb TuYV-resistant hybrids has stood out in restricted spring fertilisation trials for the second year in a row, both showing valuable improvements on a leading N-Flex hybrid control as well as th...

DEKALB Hybrids stand out against nitrogen stress tolerance

Bone dry soils across much of the eastern and southern counties pose a huge dilemma for growers keen to sow OSR early in their battle against cabbage stem flea beetle.

Dry Autumn Dilemma

Cabbage stem flea beetle were notable for their absence at Springfield Farms in Worcestershire last autumn but the 30ha of oilseed rape came under the worst pigeon pressure seen for at least five years.

Worcestershire crop fights-off intense pigeon pressure

Serious 2021 harvesting delays meant Tim Barrell couldn’t get his oilseed rape drilled until September 14 at Elm Farm, Shipdham last autumn. Despite this and being in the driest part of Norfolk this season, his 36ha of DK Expectation averaged a really s...

Late-sown Norfolk OSR shows its strength

With OSR yields across his north Lincolnshire coastal and Wolds farms up a good 20% on last season, award-winning grower, Mark Stubbs is well-pleased as he comes to the end of a trouble-free harvest.

Award-winning grower sees substantial improvements

DK Excited stands out as the top performing of the hybrid varieties James Price has been evaluating at scale alongside his main TuYV-resistant conventional OSR crop at Perdsiwell Farm, Woodstock on the edge of the Cotswolds.

Farm trialling helps hybrid choice in Oxfordshire

OSR drilling has really ramped-up across large parts of the country at the start of September as growers take as much advantage as they can of some timely rain with the return of a more Atlantic weather flow.

Drilling Ramps up with September Rain

Average ‘Ex’ hybrid seed yields ranging from 4.8t/ha to 5.1t/ha across the 14 large-scale strip trials run with growers from Hampshire to the Scottish borders this season underline the strength-in-depth of all the main Dekalb varieties.

Robust farm Oilseed Rape trialling demonstrates strength-in-depth

Companion cropping oilseed rape is just one part of a multi-pronged approach to beating cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) attacks during establishment for a grower in one of the original pest hotspots.

Companion advantage for oilseed rape

Field-scale Agrii trials with 14 leading and up-and-coming winter OSRs across four late-sown iFarms from Yorkshire to Angus have highlighted DK Exsteel as one of only two varieties delivering gross outputs of over 6t/ha.

Oilseed Rape Trials highlight varieties for later drilling

Grazing forward crops with sheep is part of the extra flexibility Staffordshire grower, Rob Atkin, is building into his oilseed rape growing strategy to cope with the increasing and variable environmental uncertainties at Field Hall Farm just outside Ut...

Grazing forward OSR helps Staffs farm manage risk

Dry weather has meant harvest is progressing rapidly, with many farms already finished. Looking ahead to autumn, continued dry conditions could cause some difficulties and opportunities for drilling crops this autumn.

Dealing with dry conditions for cereal establishment

Creating variable seed rate plans and evaluating their effectiveness is just one of many functions Bayer’s digital platform FieldView can perform.

Digital solution to seed rate planning

DEKALB growers across the country are reporting farm yields substantially higher than last season in a remarkably smooth harvest, confirming the improvements seen in both plot and large scale trials with high-reliability DK hybrids.

Oilseed Rape Nationwide Performance Gains

At Breamore Estate in Hampshire, manager David Northway has seen his oilseed rape performance improve still further from the welcome bounce back of 2021; and this, despite not drilling his crops until early September.

Hampshire OSR improves still further

There is much growers can do to reduce oilseed rape growing risks, from planning and management well before establishment, right through to harvest strategy.

Practical steps to de-risk oilseed rape

The first seven large scale farm strip trials to be harvested this season across southern and eastern England are confirming the strong performance promise of leading DEKALB hybrids in no uncertain terms.

Excellent early farm trial performance

The busy harvest and cultivation period is when arable fields suffer most trafficking pressure. Crop Focus examines how to reduce the risks.

Mitigating soil compaction threats

A comprehensive direct drilling trial hopes to provide pointers for growers on winter wheat varietal performance and management with this establishment method.

Delving into direct-drilled variety performance

Ben Frost advises on oilseed rape and cover crop establishment, stubble management and root crop disease control for Midlands growers

Six agronomic tips for growers in the Midlands this August

The superior nitrogen stress tolerance of two of the latest high reliability Dekalb hybrids has been confirmed in the company’s most recent restricted-fertilisation trials.

New studies confirm superior OSR nitrogen stress tolerance

Winter oilseed rape margins look set to rival those of second wheats once again in 2023 even at decidedly modest yield levels, according to Andersons’ Loam Farm budgets for the coming season.

Winter OSR Margins Again Set to Rival Second Wheat in 2023

Robust hybrids have dealt with the past season’s more challenging winter OSR conditions better than other varieties, reveals Bayer’s latest annual Dekalb benchmarking with over 150 UK growers almost 20,000ha of 2022/23 plantings.

Key OSR growing advantages highlighted in benchmarking study

The encouraging number of growers deliberately avoiding the use of insecticides to support winter oilseed rape establishment do not seem to be suffering from doing so, according to the latest annual Dekalb benchmarking study from Bayer.

Growers Not Suffering from Avoiding Autumn Insecticide Spraying

Ten of the most widely-used techniques to reduce winter OSR risk are rated particularly highly for their effectiveness by growers in the latest annual Dekalb benchmarking study, providing a valuable focus for those looking to make the most of the coming...

Key OSR Risk Management Techniques Highlighted in Grower Study

Robust trialling of emerging new varieties at scale alongside current favourites and involvement in the ADAS YEN network are important parts of the extra layer of care going into McGregor Farms’

Extra Scottish Borders Care Delivers OSR Rewards and Awards

The highest rapeseed prices in living memory, British winter OSR plantings are set to grow by nearly 17% this autumn, reveals Bayer’s annual Dekalb benchmarking study.

Benchmark Grower Study Shows Major OSR Turnaround

Leading Aberdeenshire grower, Jim Reid finds late-drilled oilseed rape fits well into his seed potato and spring barley-based rotation, providing the canopy is set-up well enough to soak-up the mid-summer sun.

Late OSR drilling works a treat in Aberdeenshire

Bayer’s market-leading Dekalb Establishment Scheme has been extended to every variety in its OSR portfolio this autumn.

Double Dekalb OSR Assurance for 2022 Plantings

Bayer’s annual series of Dekalb benchmarking studies shows a further improvement in crop condition and performance expectations this season; identifies the key management techniques being employed to reduce overall OSR risk

The National Winter OSR Management Study - 2022

Using pod shatter resistance in oilseed rape to positively manage its harvesting could add as much to the crop’s bottom line as the best disease control this season.

Use pod shatter resistance to make the most of this season's OSR, growers advised

Outstanding tolerance to key environmental stresses as well as the ideal characteristics for early sowing and the flexibility to drill well into September

Latest hybrid sets new benchmark in OSR stress tolerance

Value-added High Oleic Low Linolenic (HOLL) oilseed rape has been a part of the Ross family’s north Norfolk arable rotation at Canister Hall Farm near Walsingham for the past 16 years.

Value-added Oilseed Rape gives extra flexibility in Norfolk

Most oilseed rape crops went into this winter noticeably better developed than they have done for the past three seasons, reveal comprehensive Dekalb strip trials grown under commercial conditions on farms across the country. However, some were too well...

National farm trials highlight OSR development differences

Digital farming technology and tools like FieldView are changing the way we farm. Find out more about early successes in the US and positive trials in the UK.

FieldView instant data system is farming game-changer

Potato yields have stagnated, so what can growers do to improve performance? We look at what can be done to easily increase yields by 10% or more.

Overcoming the barriers to better potato yields: 6 steps to better performance

How well we manage our stubbles is increasingly the difference between success and failure in the battle against problem grass-weeds. It can also make all the difference to the health
and resilience of our soils.

Make stubble management count this autumn

Better establishment and much improved crop development this season, lower CSFB larval levels and good summer soil moisture levels in most areas – not to mention very encouraging harvest values – are renewing interest in OSR growing across the country.

Encouraging Prospects for OSR in 2022

Five UK farmers join Bayer’s decarbonisation programme for agriculture in Europe

Bayer Carbon Initiative

Spraying off oilseed ripe with Roundup aids harvest planning and management, controls weeds and sets things up for establishment of the next crop.

7 steps for effective harvest management of oilseed rape

Bringing together the latest intelligence from across the industry to help oilseed rape growers make the most of early August drilling is an authoritative 20-page guide.

Authoritative new early drilling guide published

The overall aim of improving soil health is to reduce agronomic problems and have better performing crops. Farmers, agronomists and researchers at a Farmers Weekly / Bayer Soil Roundtable identified these five cropping tips when improving soil health.

Five cropping tips when improving soil health

To manage the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, building soil resilience is vital. Crop Focus looks at five areas to consider to repair recent soil damage and minimise the impact of future wet winters.

How to Build Soil Resilience on Your Farm: A Guide

There is little doubt the exceptionally wet autumn and winter in 2019/20 will be remembered for years to come. Some farmers may drill wheat early after last autumn but there are big potential risks for black-grass control.

Weighing up the pros and cons of drilling early

Following the challenges of autumn 2019, some farmers may consider drilling wheat earlier this autumn. But with black-grass continuing to be a problem, here are 7 seven benefits that farmers could lose by going early rather than delaying until mid-Octob...

Seven benefits of persisting with delayed drilling

The first farm strip trials harvested this season have underlined the value of robust hybrid  genetics in dealing with one of the most challenging seasons on record.

Farm trials underline robust variety value

It is easy with everything going on at the moment to forget that UK agriculture is committed to a net-zero carbon future by 2040.  A while back Bayer's Julian Little was invited to present in a session on perspectives on net-zero carbon agriculture by 2...

Net Zero Carbon agriculture: 3 options to develop in arable farming this year

Pioneering Agrovista trials in the early days of the neonicotinoid ban showed a reduction in flea beetle larval burdens from berseem clover as a companion plant.

Why companion cropping could help improve OSR establishment

While much of the focus of CSFB management is on early crop survival, minimising the damage from larvae is at least as important an imperative – both to ensure a profitable crop and to reduce future pest problems.

How OSR drilling date will influence cabbage stem flea beetle attack

Extensive Agrii research across the country over the past 11 years shows that, like black-grass, a jigsaw of cultural controls can really help beat the beetle. Find out more.

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