Crops and Soils
Business and Policy May 2026 – Arable
Market overview Nearly eight weeks after the onset of conflict, markets are increasingly factoring in the possibility of a diplomatic resolution. This shift has eased some of the extreme risk premium, particularly in energy markets, with oil falling back towards $90/barrel from highs near $120. However, this still leaves oil values more than 30% above late-February levels,…
Funding to Support the Introduction of Legumes
Adding legumes to your crop rotation can bring significant advantages for your farm or croft’s production and the environment. These crops have the unique ability to draw nitrogen from the air and convert it into a form plants can use—eliminating the need for synthetic fertilisers. Even after harvest, legumes enrich the soil by leaving behind…
Positive Early Results In Sustainable Control Of Clubroot Using Chitinous Food Waste
In the UK, clubroot is a major problem for oilseed rape cultivation. It is one of the key factors contributing to the decline in oilseed rape cropping, as farmers struggle to manage its long-term effects. Around 52% of oilseed rape fields are estimated to be infected, highlighting how widespread the issue has become. The impact…
Using Biochar For Sustainable Waste Management and Barley Cropping – Support Further Research!
In Scotland, spring barley accounts for 66% of national cereals grown, however production is under threat; Increasing climate variabilities are projected to significantly alter establishment, anithesis, grain filling and yield as water stress and extreme short-term temperatures prevail through the next few decades. Figure 1: Estimated S.Barley yield versus baseline production at 1.5°C temperature…
Precision Farming in Practice – Spot Spraying And Variable Rate Nitrogen
Precision methods help farmers to reduce input waste while maintaining output, which are two priorities for Scottish agriculture as costs rise and environmental expectations tighten. This article focuses on Variable Rate Nitrogen (VRN) and green‑on‑green spot spraying as examples of technologies that help farmers apply inputs only where they deliver a return. You will learn…
Alternative Protein Crops – Overcoming Market Barriers
In the current era of geopolitical instability, we need to think about how to build resilience and security into our agriculture and food supply chains. Arable growers in Scotland may be considering a variety of options, as the markets for malting barley are being affected by rippling effects of the whisky industry getting caught up in trade spats overseas. Securing the…
Business and Policy March 2026 – Arable
Market overview Global grain market pricing remains influenced by heavy underlying fundamentals as over the last 12 months global production has increased by 120Mt, comfortably exceeding an increased consumption demand of 73Mt and leaving a 12Mt increase in holding stocks since June last year. These comfortable global supplies, particularly from large recent harvests, continue to weigh on old crop prices. However, tensions involving…
Spring Malting Barley Outlook 2026
Key Points Weak and uncertain export demand for whisky is feeding back down the supply chain Spring malting barley contract tonnage expected to be lower in 2026 Feed markets likely to remain important for spring barley again in 2026 Higher autumn sowings have cut the UK barley area to a 15 year low that may support feed…
Alternative Protein Crops Overview
There has been a significant amount of research conducted in recent years to explore the potential of home-grown protein crops which may be viable in the UK. This article gives an overview to the soya issue, where the UK feed system is most exposed, and highlights emerging evidence on a range of alternative protein crops that could be grown in a UK climate. Soyabean…
Business and Policy February 2026 – Arable
Heavy volumes weigh on markets Markets had incorrectly presumed that the latest USDA report would report on tighter maize and soya bean stocks and broadly stable wheat inventories. Instead, the report, which was issued on the 12th of January delivered a clear bearish shock. The USDA significantly raised U.S. yields and harvested area, and published very large production figures for Argentina, Brazil, Russia, and China, while leaving consumption largely unchanged. As a result, global ending…