STRATEGIC CEREAL Farm Results week hopes to bring together farmers, growers, agronomists and industry professionals to hear the latest trial results from across the network.

A week-long series of webinars will commence on Monday, November 15 and will take a look at the trials, results and key learning from host farms, finishing up on Friday, November 19. All webinars will take place between 12:30-2pm.

The programme kicks off on Monday with the topic 'can insecticide use be reduced with in-field flower strips?

Trials at Strategic Farm East in Suffolk and Strategic Farm West in Warwickshire have been investigating whether flower strips in the field or at the field edge can encourage beneficials, while Strategic Farm Scotland has been baselining the prevalence of pests and beneficials across the mixed farm.

Those tuning in will hear from Mark Ramsden (ADAS), Lorna Cole (SRUC), Aoife O’Driscoll (NIAB), Patrick Barker (Strategic Farm East) and David Aglen (Strategic Farm Scotland) as they discuss the results from this work.

On day two, the webinar will look at whether a managed approach to lower inputs creates a cost effective, productive arable enterprise?

With the loss of chemistry and fungicide resistance, farmers and growers will need new ways to manage cereal diseases.

Strategic Farm West, East and Scotland have looked at different management approaches to lowering inputs, such as variety choice, application timing and other ways to improve plant health.

This webinar will cover the results and findings from the three Strategic Farms and hear a first-hand account of the grower’s experience, what they learnt and what they will take forward into the coming season.

On Wednesday, November 17, discussions will turn to whether cover and catch crops help create a more profitable arable enterprise?

Catch or cover crops have been included in trials at Strategic Farm East and Strategic Farm West over the past two years. The effects of these on soil structure, nutrient capture, water quality, nutrient release and ease of establishment for the next crop have been assessed. Attendees will join Brian Barker (Strategic Farm East), Nathan Morris (NIAB) and Anne Bhogal (ADAS) for a conversation to discuss the results from this work, with commentary and personal experiences provided by David Miller, host of AHDB's new Strategic Farm South in Hampshire.

The penultimate webinar on Thursday, November 18, will focus on soil management practices and how they build resilient production systems by improving soil health.

Improving soil health is at the heart of future government incentives for arable farmers and attendees will learn what practical practical management steps they can take.

David Aglen (Strategic Farm Scotland), David Miller (Strategic Farm South) and research specialists will discuss how different approaches to soil management impact soil health and crop performance. It will be an interactive session looking at the benefits and drawbacks of management systems in different soil types and weather conditions.

The final webinar on Friday, November 19, will explore what makes land marginal and what to with it for a profitable business and a better environment?

With BPS to be phased out over the next seven years there is increasing pressure for farms to become more profitable and the webinar will discuss which parts of the farm contribute to profitability and viability, and which bits detract.

As well as rotational cropping, there are now ELMS scheme alternatives which may offer financial and environmental benefit. Over two years, physical and financial assessments at Strategic Farm East have been carried out to develop a methodology to help answer this question at a practical farm level.

Attendees will hear from Brian Barker (Strategic Farm East), David Clarke (NIAB), Robin Aird (Gloucestershire Farm Manager, Charlton Park Estate) and John Hawkins (Dorset farmer) as they discuss the results from this work, with commentary and personal experiences. It is set to be a practical session looking at making farms not only profitable but also viable and environmentally sustainable.

For more information and sign up for the webinars visit: www.ahdb.org.uk/sfweek2021