²ÝÁñÉçÇø

A physiotherapy career is not a natural precursor to farming, but Hannah Darby has brought insights from outside agriculture back to the family farm. Chloe Dunne reports.

At the beginning of the month a wise farmer told me if there is no rain in the first week of May then there will be none for the rest of the month. After a brief interlude of 8mm rain last Sunday he has not been far wrong.

In response to withdrawal of the multisite fungicide, chlorothalonil on May 20, the Fungicide Resistance Action Group (FRAG) has updated its fungicide resistance stewardship advice.

Targeting oilseed rape crops on more fertile fields and more extensive use of manures could help crops better cope with the challenges of cabbage stem flea beetle, says Suffolk farm manager, Simon Eddell.

Spring barley crop progress is very variable across the country, however, no-one is disagreeing that total production will be up significantly and this will be combined with tricky marketing conditions.

The EU’s anti-innovation approach to policy making has stopped UK farmers benefitting from the latest scientific developments – but now there is an opportunity to change that, says Mark Buckingham, chair of the Agricultural Biotechnology Council.

The weather market is still in play and more dry weather is forecast for the EU in the coming weeks.

A particularly short flowering period is being seen in some crops of oilseed rape this season, presenting questions over what this could mean for yield come harvest.

Recent dry weather has led to sugar beet crops emerging unevenly, making herbicide applications tricky to time.