Ten new maize varieties for the 2027 Descriptive List
The British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) has added ten new maize varieties to its Forage Maize Descriptive List (DL) for 2027. At the same time, it has revised its classification of varieties for the new season, to make it easier...
Frontier expands OSR risk management support for growers
Frontier Agriculture is to expand its oilseed rape (OSR) risk management portfolio for harvest 2027, with a new OSR establishment risk share scheme to add to its existing OSR de-risking partnership, first launched in 2024. The...
Award for N-fixing research
Plant scientist Dr Manuel Frank has been awarded a fellowship by the Royal Society for a research programme at the University of Nottingham that explores the biological nitrogen fixing process in legumes. Dr Frank has received £1.9m...
Average UK 2026 OSR yield set to break 4 tonnes/ha
United Oilseeds predicts that the average UK oilseed rape (OSR) yield from harvest 2026 will exceed 4 tonnes/ha for the first time. The previous record UK yield was 3.9/tonnes ha, achieved in both 2011 and 2017. AHDB data shows the...
Regen programme to refresh the parts others can’t reach
Brewer Heineken UK has launched a new regenerative malting barley programme, in partnership with maltsters Muntons and Boortmalt, grain merchants Cefetra and Openfield, and independent regen verifier Soil Capital. The company says...
FI Seeds bought by gene-editing specialist
Independent plant breeder F1 Seeds, established by renowned wheat breeder Bill Angus in 2014, has been acquired by University of Oxford spinout Wild Bioscience. Financial details have not been disclosed. The move combines F1...