The challenges of food security, climate change and sustainable development present exciting opportunities for agricultural research and innovation.
The NIAB Group is the UK’s fastest growing crop science organisation, having trebled in size over the past decade through a strategic programme of investment, merger and acquisition.

Founded in 1919, and with a longstanding international reputation for expertise in plant varieties and seeds, today NIAB’s scientific capabilities span the crop improvement pipeline; from underpinning research required to develop higher yielding more climate resilient crops through to the extensive trials data, agronomy expertise and advice needed to ensure these advances are transferred effectively onto farm.

NIAB is at the forefront of the application of genetics, physiology, soil science, precision agronomy and data science to improve the yield, efficiency and resilience of crop production across the arable, forage and horticulture sectors. 

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YEN

The Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) was launched in 2012 to support and energise on-farm learning-by-sharing and thus to enhance farming progress.

We help farmers improve their soil health by enabling them to benchmark their existing soil data.

Soil health has been broken down into measurable parts to help farmers optimise crop and grassland productivity. As part of the Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership, a project in the AHDB & BBRO GREAT Soils programme, guidance and protocols have been issued to help practitioners benchmark their soils

Crop protection refers to practices and measures employed in agriculture to safeguard crops from both biotic (pests, diseases and weeds) and abiotic (environmental factors) stresses. They key goal of crop production is to maintain crop productivity, health and quality whilst minimising yield losses.

The agri-tech sector is vibrant and growing, with many exciting companies, organisations and networks are working to develop agri-tech solutions.

Helping you protect your soil and improve its productivity.  AHDB's GREATSoils inititiative brings together practical information on soil management as well as links to soils research and knowledge exchange. Whether you need an introduction to soil biology or a detailed guide to improving field drainage, AHDB has information and guidance to support you. 

The Cereal YEN was established in 2012, and is the longest-running Yield Enhancement Network.

Ahead of COP27 in Egypt, Countryside COP will once again be held in October to allow the rural community to come together and showcase the opportunities available and the contribution already being made to reach Net Zero. 

Roger Sylvester-Bradley      Tuesday 31st January 2023   It’s news across the world – the biggest wheat crop ever grown, yielding 18 tonnes of grain per hectare! This is fantastic, and laudable in all respects, but it’s no accident.    

Guidance from AHDB GREATSoils giving four easy-to-follow steps for assessing soil structure. 

Soil Benchmark hosted a workshop at the World Congress of Soil Science in Glasgow August 2022 to

Plant breeding is the science of adapting the genetics of plants to produce more desirable characteristics, in agriculture these typically include improved yield, in-field performance and end use quality.

Established in 1971, Cambridge based Delta-T Devices specialises in measurement sensors and monitoring systems for agriculture and horticulture.

The Agriculture and Land Use Alliance brings together all interested organisations/individuals across the UK pre-farm gate sector to drive change to a net zero economy through results-driven collaboration.

Agri-Tech Week features a mix of in-person and virtual events that are designed to showcase exciting developments in agri-tech. It is coordinated by Agri-TechE working closely with partners across the innovation ecosystem and aims to provide opportunities to attract new customers and partners and to broker collaborations and international connections.

Series of articles in CPM reporting results from research projects by AHDB & others

Calling all agronomists! Sign up for the last few places at Soil Benchmark's event at NIAB on 7th December - hear from Dr Elizabeth Stockdale and join some of the UK's leading agronomists in the discussion on Farm Data and the Future of Agronomy

Antobot is an award-winning start-up providing affordable robotics for sustainable agriculture. Combining cutting-edge hardware and software with a world-first embedded AI and controls system for agri-robots, we make fully digitised precision farming available for all.  

Farmers, growers, innovators and stakeholders coming together to maximise the potential of Agri-tech.  In person event at NIAB, Histon, Cambridge on 1 December

For a chance to win a free ticket to Groundswell 2023, please fill out the full survey here: 

The Morley Agricultural Foundation is a charity that supports farming in the East of England by funding agricultural research, student studies, professional development of farmers and others and a variety of educational projects for school age children.

Funded by AHDB and BBRO, this five-year Soil Biology and Soil Health Partnership is a cross-sector programme of research and knowledge exchange. The programme is designed to help farmers and growers maintain and improve the productivity of UK agricultural and horticultural systems, through better understanding of soil biology and soil health. See https://ahdb.org.uk/soil-biology-and-soil-health-partnership

AHDB project from 2014-2018 working with farmers to monitor and optimise their nitrogen fertiliser rates on-farm.  

How do you conduct and manage robust research and development at scale on your farm? What are the best methods for data collection and analysis? What are the best approaches to collaborative projects with researchers? Join us on April 28th as we explore the scientific approaches to on-farm trials and how to work more effectively with researchers.

Healthy, well-managed soils are the foundation for productive farming systems. Taking steps to improve soil health is a vital part of future-proofing all farms against the challenges of climate change and changing government support, by supporting good yields and reducing environmental impacts.   Every farm and field is different and there is no single approach for creating healthy soils. These printable guides give targeted guidance for a range of farming systems. They have been developed by a wide-ranging partnership across the farming industry brought together by the UK Soil Health Initiative, the WWF-Tesco Partnership and CFE to help you to identify the actions you can take to better manage soils for a sustainable future. https://www.cfeonline.org.uk/environmental-management/soils/uk-soil-health-initiative-guides/

Measuring crops

An innovative mixed farm in Oxfordshire is working with applied researchers at NIAB and ADAS to explore whether precision planting of wheat can increase yield, compared to conventional seed drilling in rows. The project is supported by Defra through the Farming Innovation Programme, delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.

Warwick Crop Centre is a national centre of excellence for research on fresh produce. We provide post-graduate training and specialise in research projects promoting sustainable agriculture, horticulture and food security.

YEN      Friday 3rd January 2023   Russ McKenzie awarded YEN's Innovator of the Year in 2022 at the 10th Anniversary YEN Conference.

Co-ordinating Global Wheat Research

The Oat Growth Guide outlines growth and development benchmarks for spring and winter oats crops.

Sarah Clarke      Friday 3rd January 2023   Excellent grain quality as well as high yields were celebrated at the YEN 10th Anniversary Conference, with the Milling Quality Awards sponsored by UK Flour Millers. All UK Group 1 milling wheat entries were eligible for this competition, a total of 20 for 2022.

A joint AFCP and NIAB event exploring what research is needed by farmers and stakeholders.  Hear from researchers looking at cover crops for soil structure and health; fungus and plant nutrient exchange; alleviating subsoil compaction; and more.

Harvest Weed Seed Control (HWSC) A project to explore harvest weed seed control (HWSC) under UK conditions as a method to control grassweeds and reduce the dependence on chemical control, particularly glyphosate.

Join us at NIAB East Malling to learn from industry experts about the importance of water management, precision irrigation and managing on-farm habitats for nature.

A practical guide to soil and system improvement

Exploring how cover crops can be incorporated into rotations 

  Whole-farm spatial appraisals are rare and often without yield data validation.

Report and guidance from the AHDB's Maxi-Cover Crop project 2016-2020 -  M

Ahead of the imminent RB209 update, AHDB has invested in several projects on nutrient management

AHDB Research Review No 94. 2020.  By Elizabeth Stockdale and Vera Eory This high-