Don’t forget about Fodder Beet!
With feed costs continuing to rise, why not consider growing a crop of Fodder beet? Yielding between 80-100 tonnes of fresh feed per hectare, growing a crop can help reduce your winter feed purchases. It’s not too late to drill,...
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Under-sowing Maize Pays Dividends
Under-sowing maize with a hybrid ryegrass and red clover ley has delivered multiple benefits for Cornish dairy farmer Chris Sampson. With five years of the practice under his belt, and now owning his own inter-row drill, Chris is seeing consistent...
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Beef growth rates boosted by high value maize
Maintaining target growth rates in a beef finishing enterprise requires a year-round ration that is well-balanced, high in energy and easily digestible. For Yorkshire farmer Edward Liversidge, based at Primrose Hill Farm, High Catton, the key is to feed a...
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Crusoe tops YEN wheat quality awards
Limagrain UK’s benchmark milling wheat variety, Crusoe, has claimed the top three positions in the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Milling Wheat Quality awards. It is welcome recognition for the Group 1 variety that, in...
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Earlier maize suits rotational approach
Maximising the milk produced from homegrown feed is the overriding aim for Cornish dairy farmer Richard Martin, not least because it is his surest route to profit. With 1,000 high yielding cows on an autumn block calving system at Trethick...
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Introducing Kurtis Scarboro – Arable Development Officer
Kurtis started his career in the agricultural industry over 10 years ago, working on a mixed livestock and arable farm, before moving into a role within crop trials at NIAB. In 2022, Kurtis completed a BASIS certificate in crop protection,...
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Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
The launch of the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) in 2022 and the subsequent options added in 2023, allows farmers to adopt and maintain sustainable farming practices that will help improve our environment. You can apply for a 3-year SFI...
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Delivering success for growers
The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties, continues to offer a diverse range of varieties for consideration, on the new 2024 Recommended List. The portfolio offers a range of varieties suitable for the key demands of specific requirements or situations...
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Expanding the yellow pea market
Yellow peas have historically been only a small proportion of the UK pulses market but are grown much more widely in Canada and France. Originally, only grown as a niche product for animal feed, they now command a premium for...
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The benefits of oilseeds in your rotation
With the most recent AHDB early bird survey estimating that the UK winter oilseed rape area has declined by 16% for harvest 2024, partially due to the challenges around establishment, it is easy to overlook the benefits that OSR can...
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Early maturing maize proves pivotal in rotation
Increasing the acreage of maize in the arable rotation is proving highly successful for Warwickshire farmers Richard and Fred White at their 650ha mixed unit at Swan Farm, near Atherstone. Seen firstly as a good alternative break crop to oilseed...
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Modern fodder beet suits arable rotation and provides essential livestock feed
Brothers Richard and Fred White who run a 650-hectare mixed farm have grown fodder beet as part of their crop rotation for the past 23 years Brothers Richard and Fred White run a 650-hectare mixed farm, comprising beef, sheep and...
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LG Skyscraper delivers gold for Lincs grower
It’s second time lucky for Lincolnshire grower Mark Stubbs as he takes top prize in the ADAS Yield Enhancement Network Cereals competition for 2023, with his crop of LG Skyscraper winter wheat yielding an outstanding 16.6t/ha. His last win was...
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Creating carryover maize stocks helps maintain herd performance
A bumper 2023 maize crop looks set to eliminate any future risks of running short of a key forage for one high yielding Dorset dairy herd. According to Robert Symms, who farms with his wife Bryony and son Jake at...
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Limagrain Upgrades Malting Barley Laboratory at UK Head Quarters
Our malting barley laboratory at Rothwell in Lincolnshire has been upgraded to increase testing capability for the early screening of new varieties, from 1000 to 4000 samples a year, for both the UK and European markets. "This will allow us...
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Forage outlook and options for 2024
The climate is keeping us on our toes and this year (2023) has been no exception. It calls for flexibility and agility when it comes to growing forage crops. Limagrain’s forage crop manager John Spence sows some seeds of ideas...
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Limagrain varieties top the 2024/25 AHDB Recommended List
Plant breeder Limagrain’s winter wheat LG Beowulf and 2-row winter barley LG Caravelle, are the highest yielding varieties to join the 2024/25 AHDB Recommended List. LG Armada also takes lead position as the highest yielding oilseed rape variety on the...
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Five priorities when choosing a spring barley variety
Five priorities when choosing a spring barley variety Spring barley is an important rotational option on many farms, and more growers may be looking to the crop in 2024 as exceptionally wet autumn weather has disrupted winter cropping plans. But,...
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Reprieve for maize seed treatments confirmed
Limagrain UK is pleased to announce that the impending ban on maize seed treatments has been lifted following a successful lobbying campaign, with the granting of Emergency Authorisations allowing seed treated with three key seed treatments to be imported into...
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Pre-harvest tests indicate maize is on track to produce a promising crop
Pre-harvest crop analyses, carried out by Limagrain on behalf of local maize growers, indicate that most stands of maize are on track to produce a promising crop, with the majority predicted to be ready for harvest in the next week...
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King of the crop
LG Monarch grass seed mixtures come up trumps on North Yorkshire sheep farm Livestock farmer Andrew Hollings relies on good quality grass for his 1,000 hill ewes and small beef herd situated in Goathland, in the North Yorkshire National Park....
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Limagrain provides feed for endangered bird species
The campaign to increase numbers of turtle doves in the UK and stave off extinction of this endangered species is benefitting from feed supplies from seed company Limagrain UK. Donations of small seeds typically turnips and peas and oilseed rape...
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County Durham estate finds perfect variety fit for regen system
A large estate in the North east of England, has turned to wheat variety LG Typhoon as part of its drive to build a more sustainable regenerative cropping system. The in-house farming operation of County Durham-based Raby Estates began conversion...
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Maize breeder optimistic of a reprieve for seed treatments
Limagrain UK is optimistic that treated maize seed will still be available for the upcoming season as hope grows that the impending ban on seed treatments will be delayed following a successful lobbying campaign. The future viability of maize being...
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Three Limagrain varieties top new maize Descriptive List
Three new forage maize varieties from Limagrain have been added to the 2023-24 BSPB/NIAB Descriptive List, with two very early maturing varieties sitting atop the new list of first choice varieties for favourable sites, and the third, a later maturing...
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LG Caravelle proves its value
Two row winter barley, LG Caravelle, joined the AHDB RL last year as a contender to match hybrid barley yields, and early harvest reports confirm that it has lived up to its promise. Despite the challenging season, the variety has...
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Regenerative principles support more productive grassland
A longer growing season, better quality grass and improved pest control support overall forage production, and they are all advantages of following regenerative agriculture principles. “One key pillar of regenerative agriculture is greater plant diversity,” says Limagrain’s forage crop manager...
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How Later Drilling OSR can be successful
The oilseed rape drilling window is far wider than often thought. Although most crops are drilled in the first two weeks of August, it is possible to drill into September and still get a good crop established, says leading plant...
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Thriving in Ireland – How OSR has found its place in the Irish rotation
OSR hasn’t always been the break crop of choice in Ireland, but it’s gained popularity as a replacement for sugar beet since 2006, says farmer John Dunne and Goldcrop, arable trials & agronomy manager. “Growers quickly realised how good a...
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Ian Foot: a pioneer in bringing quality wheats to market
Quality wheat breeding is losing a renowned figure as Ian Foot retires from the world of flour functionality and baking at leading plant breeders Limagrain UK, where he has headed up the quality wheat programme for the last 30 years....
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Post harvest options – Food for thought
A post-harvest catch crop can be a win-win for sheep producers. Crops such as stubble turnips, forage rape, forage rye and brassica mixtures produce high quality autumn and winter feed cost-effectively. “Stubble turnips, forage rape and rape/ kale hybrids can be sown...
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Introducing ultipro seed treatment technology
Betaseed’s unique seed treatment Ultipro is designed to help sugar beet growers maximise their yields and profitability by improving the health and performance of their crops. By protecting the seed and promoting early plant development, Ultipro can help growers establish...
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LG Skyscraper is perfect fit for Fife growers
Consistent yield performance over several seasons, strong agronomics and suitability for later drilling, have seen soft wheat LG Skyscraper become a mainstay of the rotation for two Fife growers. Tenant farmer and contractor, Zander Hughes, who farms 320 ha (800...
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Regen Farmer Looks to LG Typhoon for Low-Input Approach
Regenerative practices that are less reliant on artificial inputs require farmers to select varieties with attributes that can help them thrive in such conditions. It is something East Yorkshire farmer, Jonathan Hodgson of I M Hodgson & son Ltd, recognises,...
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OSR: East Vs West
Meeting the challenges of growing oilseed rape has brought the value of both genetics and crop management practices into the limelight more than ever before. We look at how two growers on opposite sides of the country use these tools...
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Delivering success in sugar beet
The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties are proven to deliver successful performance, in trials and more importantly, on-farm. Even in the recent erratic, testing seasons of drought and virus, BTS varieties have shown consistently high performance – delivering growers...
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Clover is all the rage, but watch the caveats
Clover mixes have been in high demand in the past few years. In 2022, Limagrain reported a five-fold increase in demand for its CloverPlus blend. Forage crop manager John Spence considers this a wise choice, as long as growers adhere...
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Start your grass planning now!
Start your grass planning now! Autumn can be an excellent sowing period to establish a new reseed, especially if your existing paddocks look like they are running out of steam! A few simple steps before sowing can make a...
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Early sowing pays off for stubble turnips
We've taken a look back on this 2017 trial of stubble turnips to show the advantages of sowing early - ideal for after cereals! In a Limagrain field trial, on its innovation site in Lincolnshire, three crops of Samson...
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LG GatePost Newsletter – June 2023
The June 2023 issue of LG GatePost is now available to download. This edition features articles about our newest wheat addition to the 2023-24 AHDB Recommended List, LG Redwald, as well as LG Caravelle, our excellent 2-row winter feed barley....
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LG Redwald – Taming the Beast!
Limagrain’s newest wheat addition to the 2023-24 AHDB Recommended List, LG Redwald, follows in the footsteps of LG Skyscraper as the highest yielding feed wheat with a UK treated yield of 107% - sitting at 107% in the east and...
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LG Caravelle – The Easy Choice
Over the last 10 years, breeders have made great progress in improving 2-row feed winter barley varieties. Newer varieties offer superior yield potential with better disease resistance and good grain quality attributes – desirable characteristics recognised by all feed barley...
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LG Live Panel – Varieties, Soils & Policy
On 21st March, LG's Ron Granger and Tom Barker were joined by industry experts, Tim Parton (Farm Manager, Staffordshire) and Susan Twining (CLA Advisor) for a live Q&A round table discussion on Varieties, Soils & Policy. Key Questions raised... 1....
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LG Denmark Study Tour
In the spring, Limagrain took a group of UK growers to Denmark, to look at regenerative and conservation agricultural practices. After two full days of visiting farms, agronomy companies and a plant breeder, there was some very interesting and surprising...
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Consistency is key to sugar beet success
Sugar beet plays an important part in the rotation because it provides consistent yields and is a genuine break crop, according to fourth generation farmer Peter Mahony, of R&D Mahony. “We grow sugar beet because it is a spring-sown crop...
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Reasons to Establish a Legume Fallow
January 2023 saw six new Sustainable Farm Incentive (SFI) standards published, to add to the three existing standards introduced in 2022. These new standards add a further 19 “actions” that aim to encourage sustainable practices and importantly, increase the number...
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Candidate Corner – Oilseeds
Over the last 4 years, we have seen the LG Oilseed Rape portfolio dominate the Recommended List, and the consistency of on-farm performance for many growers has been witnessed, with Aurelia and Ambassador becoming dependable staple varieties. This strength in...
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Stack the Odds in Your Favour
Since the introduction of Aurelia and Ambassador, LG’s OSR portfolio has dominated the Recommended List. This not only shows the high yields that the breeders have been able to achieve, but also the consistency over regions and seasons. This consistency...
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Back your grassland
Grassland improvement is always a wise investment and despite some hikes in input prices there’s still no question on the payback from a reseed or repair. Early summer is a key time in the grassland calendar. It’s when ‘big’ decisions...
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Delivering success for growers
The Limagrain UK portfolio of Betaseed varieties continues to offer a diverse range of varieties for individual growers consideration on the new RL 2024. Betaseed varieties are proven both in trials and more importantly, with consistent on farm performance and...
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Forage Maize Seed Treatment Withdrawal
Information: Forage Maize Seed Treatments for Sowing Spring 2024 Please click to fill out this survey to help The Issue Forage maize seed used in the UK is produced and pre-treated in Europe, with an appropriate fungicide to safeguard it...
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Survey reveals variety decisions driven by regional trials information
Arable farmers favour local variety trials over national demonstrations when making crucial decisions about what varieties to grow next season, a survey by plant breeders Limagrain UK reveals. The online questionnaire shows the overwhelming majority (86%) regard the information they...
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Achieving High OSR Yields Despite the ‘Weather Gods’
For David Fuller-Shapcott who farms near Kelso in the Scottish borders, beating the weather is a constant challenge. “Autumn’s are very short and wet, which means we battle to get crops established and it can be difficult to travel in...
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Surprise Success for Scottish Oilseed Rape Crop
The Lawson brothers, Mark, Philip and Ben, farm in Newton Stewart in Dumfries and Galloway - tucked into the bay just before Stranraer – generally not an area renowned for producing award winning oilseed rape crops. However Mark’s crop of...
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New OSR Manager for Limagrain UK
Plant breeder Limagrain UK has strengthened its arable marketing team with the appointment of Liam Wilkinson to position of Oilseed rape product manager. In his new post, Mr Wilkinson takes on the responsibility for the marketing of Limagrain’s highly successful...
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Mind the Forage Gap!
After last year’s cold and dry spring resulted in some meagre first cut crops of silage, livestock farmers are looking for ways to ensure their silage clamps are fully filled this autumn. One option, according to Limagrain’s Tim Richmond, is...
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Choosing grass seed mixtures
Reseeding - or at least overseeding – every five years is essential for dairy farmers taking grassland productivity seriously. This costs between £550 a hectare and £850 a hectare, according to Limagrain UK’s forage crop manager John Spence. “Of this,...
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CONVISO® SMART sugar beet – all you need to know!
BTS SMART 9485 is the first ALS herbicide tolerance variety from Betaseed, offering the highest yield potential for SMART CONVISO varieties, combined with improved disease and bolting resistance. Here's all you need to know about BTS Smart varieties. Key...
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Weighing up grass mixtures
Are multispecies seed mixtures a silver bullet or are there other options to consider when reseeding grassland? Multispecies grass mixtures have grown in popularity in recent years, with sales at least doubling year on year since 2019. And for good...
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Limagrain Live is Back!
Join Ron Granger, LG Arable Technical Manager and Tom Barker, LG Cereals & Pulses Product Manager, for a round table discussion on Varieties, Soils and Policy, with our panel of industry experts; • Tim Parton - Farm Manager, Staffordshire •...
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Skyfall – forage of choice for Cornish sheep & cattle
Keen to try new crops, sheep and beef farmer Philip Sims was interested to see how Limagrain UK’s relatively new bounce back brassica Skyfall performed on the farm and what sort of feed it provided. Philip Sims, his wife Susan...
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Skyfall – the bounce back brassica that keeps on growing
Limagrain UK’s bounce back brassica Skyfall is the perfect answer to ensuring that a highly nutritious leafy forage crop is available for grazing sheep and cattle in summer through to autumn. Sown between May and July, it will be ready...
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Crusoe delivers for Gold award winning grower
After scooping top spot in the 2022 Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) Milling Quality Awards, Crusoe has once again proven its reliability for Norfolk farmer Chris Eglington. More than one-third (150 ha) of the 400...
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Prosper grass mixture adds value to grazing sward
Sinclair McGill’s medium term grass seed mixture, Prosper, is showing its colours as a high yielding and high value grass seed mixture. In Limagrain field trials, carried out from 2017 to 2020 at its UK Innovation site Prosper led the...
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Six Steps to Spring Barley Success
As spring barley drilling gets underway in some areas, Limagrain UK’s arable technical manager, Ron Granger, outlines six ways to get the most from the crop this season. 1. Understand end market/ contract requirements End user requirements will influence...
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New LG fodder beet varieties raise the benchmark
New LG fodder beet varieties raise the benchmark. And add more feed value from home grown forage New trial data from Limagrain UK, published in January 2023, shows that new fodder beet varieties are raising the benchmark for dry matter...
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Fuel from fodder beet supports cow performance
Pembrokeshire dairy farmer Roger James relies on a high energy diet in early lactation to keep his 300-cow cross bred dairy herd in good body condition and able to support milk production and high fertility levels in a trouble-free fashion....
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LG GatePost Newsletter – Feb 2023
The February 2023 issue of LG GatePost is now available to download. This edition features articles about our exciting new Wheat, Winter Barley and Oilseed Rape varieties that are taking leading positions across the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List. You can...
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Spring Barley agronomy series
Introducing our Spring Barley AgRONomy video series, with commentary and technical advice from Limagrain UK Arable Technical Manager, Ron Granger. The videos take you through how to identify the local market requirements, to variety choice, drilling dates and seed...
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2023 Open Days
With a tightly packed schedule of events to attend, our small but perfectly formed team of experts spend much of June and July travelling the length and breadth of the UK, bringing our learning, expertise and innovation to you, the...
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Direct drilled LG Diablo performs in one of the driest seasons on record
A move to direct drilling LG Diablo spring barley has proven successful for Berwickshire grower Neil White, as yields and quality impressed in a challenging season. Mr White has been direct drilling crops for the past seven years at the...
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In search of marginal gains
In my development work with the Limagrain UK oilseed rape portfolio, I’ve progressively seen marginal gains every year. Advances in trait stacking genetics have provided much greater yield stability, allowing us to get the best on farm performance out of...
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Clovers – reducing fertiliser use
The agricultural press has been full of articles covering the impact of fertiliser price rises over the last year, with headlines being focussed predominantly on methods of reducing Nitrogen application rates. What is less well reported is that growers have...
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Dominating the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List
It’s a grand slam as Limagrain UK’s exciting new wheat, winter barley and oilseed rape varieties, take leading positions across the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List. LG Redwald secures poll position as the highest yielding winter wheat. LG Caravelle is the...
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Peas perform in dry conditions
Lincolnshire grower Edward Knight of James Knight Farms near Folkingham, Sleaford, Lincolnshire, was very pleased with how well the large blue pea LG Aviator coped with the challenging dry conditions of 2022. “They stood up nicely to combine and yielded...
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Fodder beet helps farmer reduce his purchased feed whilst benefiting land
Growing fodder beet to feed cattle and sheep is helping Shropshire mixed farmer Gordon Tomley safeguard against high feed prices and benefit soil health as part of his cereal rotation. Mr Tomley grows 12ha of fodder beet a year to...
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Mitigating maize malaise
Last year’s testing weather conditions have brought into focus the challenges maize growers can face when trying to produce a high-yielding, nutritionally valuable crop. With last year’s dry and hot conditions causing many crops to underperform and in the worst...
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YEN Innovation Award winner
This year, to mark 10 years of the Yield Enhancement Network (YEN), a new Innovation Award has been commissioned which was presented at the YEN conference on 24th January. The award is for an outstanding contribution to on-farm innovation and...
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Free app cuts through the confusion of maize seed selection
Maize growers can boost the contribution their crops make to their farm’s bottom line by using the free Maize Manager App from LG Seeds to select the most appropriate varieties for their specific use and location. Suitable for Android...
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Winter beans provide crucial protein source for Northumberland farmer
For Northumberland farmer, Wayne Bean of T Bean & Sons, growing his own livestock feed is key to maintaining profitability from his cattle and sheep. Whole crop beans, maize, kale, forage rape, fodder beet and grain are grown for this...
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‘Phenomenal’ yields make LG Diablo top choice next spring
The third year of growing LG Diablo was certainly one to remember for Yorkshire farmer Paul Rogers, after the variety revealed its true yield potential on his 182 ha (450-acre) farm near Ripon. Some 25 ha (60 acres) averaged 10...
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Dominating the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List
It’s a grand slam for breeders Limagrain UK as their wheat, winter barley and oilseed rape varieties take leading positions across the 2023/24 AHDB Recommended List. LG Redwald secures poll position as the highest yielding winter wheat. LG Caravelle is...
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LG wheats scoop top spot in Suffolk awards
Limagrain varieties have picked up two prizes at the Suffolk Agricultural Association’s annual Farm Business Competition, presented at a special awards dinner in October. The competition aims to recognise the best farms in Suffolk, in three size categories - Class...
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Saskatchewan Pulse Growers and Limagrain Field Seeds forge a new path in plant breeding for pulses
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and Limagrain Field Seeds are excited to announce a new collaboration for pulse breeding in Saskatchewan, Canada. This new collaboration has a strong commercial focus and will bring new and additional investment into pea and lentil...
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LG Diablo is a perfect fit for mixed farm
The combination of LG Diablo’s high yield potential and consistent grain quality has made it a firm favourite within the rotation for East Fife farmer David Bell. The mixed arable and suckler beef farm near St Andrews extends across three...
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Direct drilled LG Diablo performs in one of the driest seasons on record
A move to direct drilling LG Diablo spring barley has proven successful for Berwickshire grower Neil White, as yields and quality impressed in a challenging season. Mr White has been direct drilling crops for the past seven years at the...
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Korit® Pro Safety Information
Essential safety information for Korit® PRO seed treatment Download the safety information for Korit® PRO, which contains details of active ingredients and safety warnings, as well as the safety equipment required for using, handling, storing and transporting seed treated with...
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Why Crusoe is top milling wheat for Northants farmer – again and again
Joe Adams farms over 800 hectares of wheat just outside Daventry in Northamptonshire. A decision to move to continuous wheat five years ago was made in response to struggling to establish oilseed rape. “We could no longer rely on oilseed...
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LG Anarion the only clubroot variety to offer TuYV and Pod Shatter resistance
LG Anarion is the first Clubroot resistant variety to offer high yields, which is secured by a range of valuable genetic traits including TuYV, pod shatter and RLM 7 resistance, and is available to UK growers for the coming season....
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Creating healthy soils pay dividends
Grown on heavy clay soil after vining peas, his seed crop of LG Skyscraper has yielded 13.4t/ha, with a specific weight of 80kg/hl, and and a germination between 97- 98 % David Cairns, Head of Agrochemical Division for Simpsons Malt...
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Top tips for late drilling of wheat
The season of 2020 has taught us that winter wheat pushed into the later than expected drilling scenario, produced both good yield results and the associated, better black-grass control, in many regions. Although earlier drilling of wheat has been completed...
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The benefits of beans
Winter beans offer a flexibility that other traditional winter sown species don’t, as they don’t have a vernalisation requirement (a period of cold that they must go through in order to produce seed). This means that growers can wait to...
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Sugar Beet genetics come to the fore
Responsible for the agronomy of 13,000 ha’s of arable cropping across three sites in Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire, Ben points out that on the Lincolnshire farms sugar beet remains a key break crop adding much needed diversity to the rotation....
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Consistent Crusoe stays at the top of the table
“Many growers are working to reduce their costs – this could be by moving to no-till operations, to keep labour and fuel costs down - but also by optimising inputs.” “Fertiliser is an important...
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COVID No Hold-up for LG Maize Trials
https://youtu.be/-BY1F3TyTng In total, LG will harvest in excess of 7,500 trial plots in six of their own locations across the country, as well as at one official BSPB/NIAB trial site, allowing approximately 600 new and commercial varieties to be assessed. ...
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Be in with a chance to win a weather station!
Do you know what spec millers look for when buying bread making wheat? Do you know how many million tonnes of wheat were produced in the UK in 2019 – fancy a guess? Here at LG, we are running a...
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Gold for Limagrain UK’s wheat breeding programme
The Technical Innovation Awards, which are usually presented every year at the Royal Highland Show in June, aim to acknowledge the individuals, or businesses that are striving towards improving efficiencies in the rural sectors. This year as the Royal Highland...
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Breeders Perspective Q&A
Why does Yellow Rust resistance ‘break down’? When the pathogen spores land on the wheat plant and begin to infect, it releases hundreds of compounds as part of the infection process. The plant ‘recognises’ this and deploys its defence response...
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Climbing the Highest Mountain
This can be attributed to the variety’s good agronomic characteristics of short straw, great disease resistance and good grain quality. LG Mountain offers a significant step forward in yield for 2-row barley varieties. It sits at the top of the...
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Take a Break
Give the arable crop rotation a break and sow a forage crop this autumn, to help achieve better weed control and boost home grown feed supplies. Mixed cereal and livestock units are encouraged...
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Grain quality for the most consistent flour power
“We have the right climate here for top quality wheats; the temperatures are warm, and the crops mature more quickly. On these chalky soils, the variety yields around 9-10t/ha,” he says. Steve emphasises that...
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Aspire is a roaring success
When making decisions on what OSR variety to grow, gross output figures are key for Mr McLean but this must be backed up with strong agronomic characteristics that suit...
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LG Spotlight stands out from the crowd
This will be Craig’s third entry into YEN; last year his Zulu crop recorded a total yield of 13.1t/ha, achieving 77% of the grain’s potential yield. Participants into the YEN receive...
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Multi-Species leys give lambs a boost
Added feed value, improved lamb performance and lower running costs are driving the popularity of multi-species leys. Lambs reared on these carefully formulated mixtures of grass, legume and herb species have been shown to reach finishing weights significantly earlier than...
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High aphid numbers raise TuYV risk
Turnips yellows virus (TuYV) is transmitted by aphids and it is believed that 70% of the most common aphid, peach potato aphids (Myzus persicae) carry it. Work carried out at Brooms Barn a decade ago, showed a 30% yield penalty...
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Ascending results for LG Mountain
LG Mountain has performed particularly well, at 107% of control, 6% above last season’s most popular variety KWS Orwell and 7% above the new recommended variety KWS Hawking. LG Mountain has consistently produced these excellent yields across regions - even...
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Better Opportunity for OSR this autumn
One of the key drivers in the decision to drill OSR for rapid and consistent emergence in order to avoid adult CSFB grazing is adequate moisture in the seedbed. With the recent and forecasted unsettled weather into early August, bringing...
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First rape crop in 7 years sees highest yields ever for AHDB Monitor Farm
“These are the highest oilseed rape yields we have ever achieved, and that’s taking into account some bare headland areas,” he says. Having dropped oilseed rape from the rotation at the AHDB Monitor Farm seven years ago as it was...
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Plan Ahead for Maize Success
2019 proved to be a divided growing season for many farmers looking for maize to provide a quality foundation to winter diets. For the most part, crops got off to a good start and grew strongly, offering the prospects of...
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Sam Horner joins Limagrain UK
Sam has been involved in the sports turf industry for over twenty years and brings with him a wealth of experience. It all started at his beloved Gloucester Rugby Club where he first became familiar with sports turf maintenance. He then...
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Limagrain appoints new oilseed rape breeder
Dr. Mitrousia takes on the mantle of heading up Limagrain’s highly successful oilseed rape breeding programme from Dr. Vasilis Gegas, who is now overseeing the whole of Limagrain’s European oilseed rape portfolio. As the only UK-focussed oilseed rape breeding programme,...
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Quacking the case!
Unsure of what they were, we asked our resident bird expert and Grass Seed Manager, Ian Misselbrook, if he could try to identify them? Ian came back in no time… “I can’t be sure as little chicks like that tend...
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Now’s the time to take a break
Sowing a high feed value forage crop and taking a ‘cereal break’ is a win-win for mixed arable and livestock units. Give the arable crop rotation a break and sow a forage crop this autumn. This is the advice from...
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BYDV tolerance proves its worth
One of the first crops of the six row BYDV tolerant winter barley, Rafaela, has been harvested in Cornwall with very pleasing results. The 6 ha field, that followed spring oats, was harvested on the 9th July at 4.50pm at...
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Time harvest for optimum maize quality
“Maize should be harvested when the crop combines maximum starch content with only limited leaf die back so maintaining high digestibility in the vegetative part of the plant,” he comments. “At the same time the crop must have sufficient moisture...
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Limagrain the front runner at York Racecourse
Adrian, the man in charge of keeping York Racecourse ahead of the pack, has been the head groundsman for twelve years. He joined York from Aintree Racecourse in 2006 and two years later was instrumental in a huge £2.6 million...
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Growing beans for a protein premium
Launched at the end of January, Frontier is offering an attractive price of £40/tonne* for beans above November wheat futures, with an additional £10/t premium for growers who opt for Frontier’s specialist bean agronomy package and achieve the required 29%...
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New maize varieties deliver the goods
“Most farmers appreciate the improvement in dairy cow genetics and the gains to be made in terms of milk yield, milk quality and management traits such as fertility and longevity and invest in the latest genetics available,” comments Richard Camplin...
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Don’t delay choosing your maize variety
The benefits of variety selection were put into clear focus when Devon dairy farmer, Peter Johns grew two different varieties in 2018. “Maize is a vital part of our system", Peter comments. “We look to feed it 365 days a...
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Keeping Limagrain in the family
Keith Exton has enjoyed a long and prosperous career in the turf industry and Alex, long inspired by his dad, is now carving his own successful path in the industry. However, he admits that he would be foolish to not...
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Early Germinating Fodder Beet Gives Crop a Head Start
Limited quantities of Robbos, Brick and Tarine fodder beet seed have been primed using the Germ’activ system that encourages faster germination thereby reducing the opportunity for pest and disease damage in the early establishment stages when the seedlings are at...
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New Bounce Back Hybrid Brassica offers summer relief
Limagrain UK has launched Skyfall this spring; a new hybrid brassica for dairy and beef cattle that can provide two crops in a season. Sown between May and July, it will provide a highly nutritious leafy forage crop for grazing...
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How breeders are bundling traits to tackle OSR variability
The definition of that variability is the gap between a variety’s genetic yield potential and the yield observed on-farm at harvest, which can be influenced by a considerable number of factors. Environmental influence The environment is the first...
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New feed wheats prompt re-evaluation of variety selection
Five years ago, barn-filling hard Group 4 wheat's dominated cropping plans, but weak disease resistance, late maturity, and unflattering grain quality saw disillusioned growers move away from the likes of KWS Santiago, KWS Kielder, and Evolution. There was a swing...
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Perfect time to sow Conservation seed mixtures
Introducing conservation seed mixtures onto your farm brings many benefits, as well as providing an excellent source of nectar for bees and butterflies, or winter food for farmland birds. Countryside stewardship These crops can be gown within the...