Welcome to our Insights
Each month, we bring you the latest updates on agricultural policy and regulation, industry news, science and innovation, and relevant publications for useful insights. Stay up to date with changes in policy, catch up on significant industry news, discover cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs, and access valuable publications to help you make informed decisions.
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Dr Dannielle Robb
Aug, 29 2025As growers prepare for drilling, we share key strategies to optimise establishment this season from cultivations, drilling timings and varieties. Ceres Research Members get full access to our strategic insights and recommendations, led by the latest scientific data.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Aug, 29 2025With flufenacet facing withdrawal in the EU and rising herbicide costs, growers are urged to explore alternatives while rethinking weed control strategies for autumn 2025. We offer some alternative herbicide options to flufenacet with a cost comparison in this article.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Aug, 29 2025Home-saving seed can cut costs, but testing and treatment are key—especially with diseases like bunt and fusarium still a risk. Guidance on adjusting seed rates for dry soils and late drilling is discussed in this article, along with a quick guide on diseases and suitable products to manage them.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Aug, 13 2025Thinking about benchmarking your business? Start with clarity and consistency.
From choosing what matters most to your farm, to ensuring fair comparisons and understanding the full context behind the numbers—benchmarking is more than just data. Our top ten takeaways show how a focused approach and the right tools (like those in your Ceres Research Membership) can turn performance tracking into strategic progress.
Ceres Research
Aug, 11 2025Each month, we update you on fuel prices which relate to our industry in order to help you benchmark and forecast your costs. This information is part of our endeavour to ensure we support you, our members, in the effective day-to-day running of your rural businesses.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Aug, 01 2025This month's digest includes:
• Updates on Straw Prices, APR & BPR, and the CSHT scheme
• Industry news covering herbicide resistance tests, ongoing ADOPT funding, ammunition & abstraction bans
• Latest science on soil organic carbon increases from SLM, non-invasive detection of drought stress in potatoes, catch crop diversity importance for carbon stocks and cover crop decision support tool insights
• Key reports on Sustainable Farming Scheme for Wales and Farming Profitability Review
• Ceres Research Updates - including July's Agronomy Club recording, Fields of the Future podcast episode and the Farming Update Plus
Dr Dannielle Robb
Aug, 01 2025Crops are looking shorter than before this harvest season, combine this with high demand from livestock farmers, and straw prices are likely to be high. This article provides the latest insight on straw prices we’ve been seeing across the country to date in 2025.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Jul, 22 2025As harvest continues under warming conditions, safeguarding grain quality becomes increasingly urgent. Timely cooling and moisture control are essential to minimise losses and maintain marketability throughout storage. Read this article for cooling and moisture control recommendations.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Jul, 22 2025Timely cultivation is key to managing weed pressure and improving crop establishment, especially in dry soils. Shallow cultivation can help retain moisture, but overworking the soil risks damaging structure. Experience and field-specific decisions are essential for success. With the dry soils this year, read on to hear more about cultivations this season.
Dr Dannielle Robb
Jul, 22 2025As harvest progresses under warm and dry conditions, straw management is becoming a critical consideration for growers. With shorter crops and reduced straw volumes, nutrient dynamics, particularly potassium (K) behaviour, are shifting in response to the weather. Read more to find out about the potential offtake of potassium this year under dry conditions, the research behind the uptake of potassium in straw, the pros and cons of baling straw and our practical recommendations.