Arable business risk, resilience and reward will be at the heart of the AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds exhibit at Cereals 2016.
The event, taking place on June 15–16 at Chrishall Grange in Cambridgeshire, sees AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds continue its 2016 ‘risk’ communication theme on its stand (no 1112).
Unveiled at the 2015 Agronomists’ Conference, risk, resilience, reward explores the three ‘Rs’ from an agronomic, business and market perspective.
Dr Martin Grantley-Smith, AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Strategy Director, said: “Grain price squeezes are putting many arable businesses under significant cost pressures.
“This test on business strength means growers are looking at innovative ways to control costs and build resilient businesses, better able to ride the wave of low prices.”
The stand will feature established favourites – such as Recommended Lists plot tours and independent crop management, market intelligence and business improvement experts – all designed to help improve business rewards for growers.
Following AHDB’s unveiling of its simplified family of levy-payer brands at Cereals 2015, the main area of the stand features activity that strikes common ground across many of the AHDB sectors.
Recommend Lists tours
The popular Recommended List plot tours are back and bigger than ever, with over 150 variety plots.
The established wheat and barley tours will be supplemented with an oilseed rape tour each day, following the introduction of these tours at last year’s event. For 2016, the ‘Recommended’ line up will be completed with the inclusion of daily oats’ tour.
Dr Grantley-Smith said: “The long-term trends show an increase in both oat production and consumption in the UK.
“With incentives for growers to diversify rotations, the oats tour and exhibit will help clarify the opportunity to grow for the oats market as part of a resilient arable business.”
The oats area will allow visitors to discuss variety selection, plant breeding, markets and agronomy with experts.
Variety selection
At the heart of the RL area, a team of experts will be on hand to help you make sense of the RL in your unique growing/market situation.
The variety selection feature will also allow visitors to discuss how ‘relative risk’ can be used to select resilient varieties that perform well under variable conditions.
Such varieties can help take some of the risks out of growing crops but can lead to growers needing to make tough decisions – such as the decision to do nothing and skip a spray and bank the associated costs.
To help explain the concept of relative risk, the winter wheat plots have been opened up to expose the treated and untreated crops, to reveal the crop’s inbuilt defences against disease and lodging.
Experts will also be on hand to discuss how disease risks can be managed before drilling and during the season, with disease ratings at the heart of the debate.
Exciting plans for developing a solution to verticillium wilt, based on varietal resistance, will also be showcased.
Soil, steel and successful crops
Our ‘soil, steel and successful crops’ exhibit unites innovations across our Monitor Farm and research programmes.
The exhibit will include a Monitor Farm network debate on crop establishment methods from 11:45–12:30 on day 1.
Staff from our Regional Team and Monitor Farmers will be around to discuss lessons from the initiative. Visitors should also look out for AHDB’s machinery man, Harry Henderson, to talk tillage.
The area also features AHDB activity on soil health, where visitors can get to grips with the array of soil indicators for physical, chemical or biological properties in view of exploiting them to measure soil health and guide soil management decisions.
The area also includes:
• Cover crop case studies – to help you establish if cover crops can provide the necessary fix to a whole raft of rotational challenges
• The Yield Enhancement Network – for discussions on how yields can be improved through enhancing light and water capture.
Fungicide performance
With fungicide plots for wheat, barley and oilseed rape, visitors to the event will also be able to discuss our independent trials results with leading experts.
Earlier this year, we announced that a new mutation in UK septoria populations, which could have implications for SDHI efficacy, has been detected at a field site in southern England.
In response, we will illustrate the key resistance developments over the last few decades, via our chemistry and disease resistance walkway timelines.
Some of the UK’s top resistance management experts will also be on hand to discuss fungicide stewardship and the trials to make resistance management more resilient.
Beetle battles
An update on AHDB’s programme of research to understand the impacts arising from the restriction on the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments will be provided.
So far, the research has revealed that complex interactions exist between winter oilseed rape and cabbage stem adults and larvae. The pest exhibit will also provide information on research looking to refine thresholds for treating pollen beetle, which play an essential role in pyrethroid resistance management. Following the announcement to withdraw products containing chlorpyrifos in the UK, experts will also explain how we are reviewing guidance to help growers and farmers reassess pest control options.
Other highlights
• Hear about the latest research-led developments for the management of broad-leaved and grass weeds. Experts will also be on-hand to discuss the future of key active ingredients to the arable sector, such as glyphosate
• Discover more about the activity that AHDB funds to help its sectors grow to become more competitive and sustainable
• Visit the AHDB Market Intelligence gazebo to find out how to get the very latest grain market information, analysis and details on AHDB’s volatility management work
• Find out more about our export team’s activities and see how they are promoting ukp and uks to overseas buyers
• Meet the UK Maltsters (MAGB) and discuss current and new barley varieties. A brewer will be present to talk about beer flavours, while you try a sample
• Meet the UK millers (nabim) who will assist with the AHDB plot tours and talk about the industry’s requirements
• Red Tractor staff will also be available to explain their marketing toolkit, ‘Win a Tractor’ competition, answer questions and give out free farm signs
• Browse our publications in our comfortable refreshments area and sign up to receive regular news on our activity
• Nutrient management feature – for the latest on AHDB’s update to the Fertiliser Manual and information on our field experiments that reveal the quality and yield benefits of sulphur fertilisation, including the value of organic material
