28th May 2024
Providing growers with solutions that ensure the longevity of farm businesses, while helping to optimise production and deliver a sustainable profit, will be central to Frontier Agriculture’s 3D Thinking open days this year.
At 17 events in June and July across its UK-wide trials network, Frontier’s experts will share results, insights and recommendations across all areas of sustainable crop production, including variety selection, soil health, nutrition, crop protection, data capture and interpretation, environmental land management and farm-scale work on cultivation and rotations.
“Key to our trial open days is providing a forum for advisors, growers and industry partners to come together and assess the learnings from previous seasons in scenarios representative of those on farm.
"It’s a great opportunity to collaborate and explore the solutions available to help future-proof farm businesses and advance our industry,” explains Frontier knowledge exchange manager, Michelle Nuttall.
Variety comparisons and crop performance, as well as nutrition and crop protection trials, have always been a core component to Frontier’s open days, giving local farmers the ability to see first-hand what could work for their own businesses.
However, changing industry trends, policy and legislation mean a holistic approach to crop production is more important than ever.
With Defra recently increasing the number of actions on offer in the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) from 23 to 102, there’s even more for farmers to consider when it comes to balancing food production and environmental actions.
Michelle continues: “This is something our trials and technical teams are keen to reflect in any research undertaken. It’s vital we’re always challenging assumptions and typical approaches while evaluating the practical implementation of new solutions and schemes coming to market.
“This is even more important with the development of the Sustainable Farming Incentive and other such farm policy. Wide ranging opportunities through both public and privately funded environmental land management schemes in the era of reduced BPS provide a lot of potential benefits – but only if undertaken with sound advice and careful planning.”
Across many of the trial sites, designated plots are now in place specifically for environmental mixtures from Kings Crops that can deliver under the SFI, or more broadly meet wider environmental and biodiversity benefits. This coupled with activities specifically focused on soil health, such as sampling across the trials and carrying out VESS scores, will provide visitors with valuable information as they consider their own farm’s soil health analyses.
Michelle continues: “Every decision has a ripple effect, so our open days are a way to bring that ‘bigger picture’ thinking together so growers can effectively plan for the future.”
Practical solutions
On the theme of risk management, all of the events will shine a light on the role and value of technology and how tools such as MyFarm’s analytics platform and SOYL’s precision services can help growers build a true picture of business performance to aid long-term decision making. Frontier’s teams will share market opportunities too, as well as how services such as Oxbury Bank can support financial security.
Nutrition talks will cover recently issued regulations, the role of biostimulants, new products and work to trial more sustainable inputs, while crop protection sessions will look at trials performance, new chemistry and the benefits of Frontier’s closed transfer system.
Variety insights across a wide range of crops will be central to every event, but with a regional focus and some newer trials at select sites. At Frontier’s Bleasby site, for example, alongside a packed day covering all aspects of sustainable crop production, visitors will also be able to learn about effective oat management, as well as market demand and opportunities such as those with Navara Oat Milling.
There will also be the opportunity to learn more about Frontier’s nationwide storage network too, as well as grain sampling support and best practice, and moisture meter clinics will be held at the majority of events.
More information about Frontier’s open days and links to register can be found at frontierag.co.uk/events.
