Business Update - August 2025

As we move through 2025, Ceres Research continues to make significant strides in agricultural research and knowledge exchange. Since January, we have been actively involved in various projects, conferences, and initiatives aimed at enhancing the agricultural sector by bridging the gap between the latest scientific research and what happens on farm. Here’s an update on some of our recent activities.

Expanding Our Team and Capabilities

Since the addition of Dr Alex Setchfield and Dr Danni Robb in October 2024, Ceres Research has been able to meet the growing demand for independent agricultural research. Our skills and expertise, combined with those of Ceres Rural, have been instrumental in driving our projects (such as those mentioned below) forward and expanding our research capabilities.

Example Key Projects and Initiatives

• Independent Trial Validation and Reporting: We are independently validating Timac AGRO UK’s demonstration trials on various crops – including onions, sugar beet, winter wheat, maize, and potatoes – to showcase the effectiveness of their latest biostimulant products. Our work here has involved finding the right trials site from within our Ceres farm network, formulating an experimental design and trial protocol for the host farmer, collecting in-field data (with the help of Ceres Rural), analysing the data, and most recently, presenting the results back to the Timac AGRO team and various other attendees at a Farming Innovation and Technology Showcase day in July. The day was a great success, with Dr Danni Robb also sharing her PhD insights into the mechanistic science behind biostimulant impacts on soil health and crop performance. As we could only present mid-season results at the time, we’re looking forward to exploring the pre-harvest and yield data to finalise the findings!
• Industry Insights: We are providing a comprehensive biannual Farming Update to a large tenant farmer group on behalf of the landowner client, with the aim of enhancing collaboration between landlords and tenants across various farming sectors. The update, delivered in a printed and digital booklet, showcases tenant projects, outlines the latest updates on government funding and grant opportunities, and provides technical insights to improve productivity, significantly improving relationships and business resilience. If this is of interest, we can tailor Farming Updates to suit the needs of your business and your stakeholders. Get in touch with us today to discuss your ideas and requirements further.
• Early Disease Detection: To support OptiGene with their new venture into early pest and disease detection in the agricultural sector using COVID-like testing techniques, we recently provided technical insight to support them in developing a ‘Playbook’ for early disease detection in winter wheat, as part of their ‘Grow Smarter’ campaign. By combining OptiGene’s expertise in molecular diagnostics with our expertise in precision agriculture and agronomy, this playbook explores with the user the ‘why’, ‘what’, and ‘how’, when it comes to early disease detection with molecular diagnostics using the example of winter wheat. This includes what diseases to test for, when and why, immediate practical actions following early detection, and the outcomes and wider impacts of early disease detection in agriculture. This initiative may provide farmers with valuable tools for early pest and disease detection and management at the pre-symptomatic stage.
• Farming Innovation Programme: Our team has been actively involved in preparing multiple project proposals for the Defra / Innovate UK led Farming Innovation Programme, which includes the ADOPT grant for farmer-led projects, and the Low Emissions Farming fund. These projects cover several angles within agriculture, from food system integrity to oilseed rape establishment strategies. We are working collaboratively with farmers and other industry stakeholders to increase the probability of success and scalability, and hope to share positive outcomes soon. If you have an idea or would like to join a consortium application in the future, please contact us.
• Industry Collaboration: Through the ‘OSR Reboot’ campaign, we have endorsed the latest AHDB management strategies for cabbage stem flea beetle (CSFB) in oilseed rape, alongside other key industry players such as the NFU, AICC, Corteva, KWS, BASF, BASIS, and United Oilseeds. This document details the strongest set of CSFB management strategies to date to help preserve and improve OSR growth, an important break crop in the UK and domestic edible oil source. This strategy document provides farmers and growers with a general understanding of the current status quo, all in one place. As part of the consortium, Ceres Research will continue to support the AHDB in monitoring and reviewing OSR management strategies. We will also provide insights to adapt the strategies in response to new evidence and situations as they evolve.

Ceres Research Membership

A significant update since January is the launch of our new membership service. The Ceres Research Membership provides exclusive access to the latest technical, economic, and political insights from independent and practical experts. It provides an opportunity for members to enhance their agricultural practices with monthly agronomy club meetings, written digests, podcasts, technical and skill-based webinars, expert analyses of current topics and deep dives into the data, and an interactive zone for comparing key performance factors such as yields, labour, and machinery, as well as fuel prices and weather patterns to support evidence-based decisions and support long-term resilience planning on farm.

Looking Ahead

As we look forward to the rest of 2025, we are committed to advancing research and knowledge exchange in the agricultural and related sectors. Our skilled team, extensive industry partnerships and innovative project experience, position us well to continue making a positive impact on the industry.

We encourage you to stay connected with Ceres Research through our website and social media channels, where you’ll find the latest updates and insights from across the industry and related sectors. Do not hesitate to get in contact if we can be of any help, or collaborate to advance agricultural innovation together.