Event is a great chance for arable farmers to get together

Now in its sixth year, it’s become a firm fixture for many, not least as a chance to get together with peers in an informative and convivial setting – organised and hosted by Wynnstay and GrainLink.

That aside, one of the other big draws are the extensive demonstration plots, which give everyone a really good look at the varieties of a whole range of crops which they might be sowing next and how they are performing in every way. There’s no substitute for having a close look and a chat to the experts who will talk them through what’s been discovered.

What we have learned so far from the plots is that in winter wheat we have varieties which are this year raising the bar in terms of yield and disease resistance, including LG Skyscraper, which has been recommended as the new highest yielding wheat variety! We also have a variety with the highest septoria tritici rating ever seen in KWS Extase.

Many people will also be keen to see how some of the most popular varieties are performing this year, such as the “three G’s” - Graham, Gleam and RGT Gravity.

The dry weather has kept disease in the plots to a minimum so far, but as we get closer to the day of The Arable Event we are experiencing more variable weather, so will hopefully see clear differences in varieties, allowing growers to make more informed choices for drilling this autumn.

Also on display are six new barley varieties, a new conventional six-row variety with barley yellow dwarf virus tolerance as well as a range of oilseed rape varieties and catch and cover crop displays.

All of this is combined with a focus on precision farming machinery, some of the newest of which will be on practical display in the hands of some of the region’s biggest dealers, a moisture meter clinic and trade stands from suppliers across the industry. This year there will also be one-to-one advisory sessions with a range of experts and attendees can even earn BASIS and NRoSO points for attending.

As still one of the most important topics on everyone’s radar, Brexit will be up for discussion, with essential advice and guidance from two experts in the form of the man who coined the word ‘Brexit’, specialist lawyer Peter Wilding, and Graham Redman of The Andersons Centre.

It’s all set to be fascinating once again. And did I mention it’s entirely free to attend? You can secure your free tickets now at www.thearableevent.co.uk, which gets you fast entry and includes the chance to win a Barbour jacket.

Jonathan Baxendale, Combinable Seed Product Manager at Wynnstay Group