Industry Intelligence

This month's Agronomy Club covered El Nino, slug pressure, autumn OSR, grassweed/brome control, BYDV & new calculator tool and updates to the imminent SFI Window 2.

This month’s digest covers The Big Chalk, Farmers Aid App, Multiple Water Funds & the third 2026 AHDB harvest report. It also includes key updates on SFI Windows, the Drought Package & Capital Grants, latest innovations including the Beneficial Insects Guide & Phosphate Stewardship Hub, and monthly crop watch and market snapshots.

Each 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.

As part of the Ceres Innovation Group, we’re sharing monthly reflections on the innovations, technologies and ideas shaping agriculture. The aim isn’t simply to highlight new products or alternative approaches, but to explore where they may add value in practical farming systems, and where further evidence is needed before widespread adoption. This month, we are reflecting on the discussion and networking session held by […]

Will oilseed rape establish this autumn? With many growers still waiting for meaningful rainfall after a prolonged dry summer, drilling decisions are becoming increasingly difficult. In this article, we explore why soil moisture matters more than drilling date, how much rain may be needed to trigger successful establishment, and what realistic growth targets look like if drilling is delayed. We also cover variety choice, seedbed preparation, fertiliser placement in dry conditions, and the practical considerations that could influence establishment success this autumn.

The potential loss of flufenacet continues to dominate conversations around autumn weed control. While UK approvals currently remain in place, the industry's direction of travel is clear: growers need to start understanding what life after flufenacet could look like. We discuss not only alternative products, but also a fundamental question: are current herbicide strategies always delivering the best balance between grassweed control and crop performance?

This month's Agronomy Club covered cultivation strategies, blackgrass strategy, OSR in dry conditions, new seed treatment options, pre-emergence considerations and SFI updates.

As harvest challenges continue to highlight the impact of weather extremes on crop performance, Ceres Research’s Dr Danni Robb recently shared her expertise in a Farmers Weekly article. In her article, Did drought or heat have greater effect on crop yields this harvest?, Danni explores how heat stress can often cause greater and more permanent damage […]

The first half of 2026 has been a tale of two quarters. Supply was slow to emerge early in the year, with prolonged wet weather during January and February delaying planned launches. The outbreak of war in the Middle East (28th February) then added to an already uncertain geopolitical backdrop, encouraging both buyers and vendors […]