To understand how important research and development is to our sector, you only have to look at the progression of agriculture over the past century.
Machinery that would be unrecognisable to our great grandparents, developments in plant breeding that mean the limitations of the past are just that, and farm data that exists across online platforms rather than a map on the wall of the farm office.
All due to the drive and determination of a sector that is known for its ability to adapt, innovate and overcome. But there is still more to be done.
As one of the Combinable Crops Boards’ six priorities, we are establishing a set of core aims and asks for applied R&D within the arable sector, that embody the needs of growers across England and Wales which we will use for lobbying the government, AHDB, research bodies and funding providers to invest in solutions for the challenges of the future.
What are the challenges?
Issues such as nutrient use efficiency are a cornerstone of agricultural advancement and productivity improvement.
Vital nutrients such as phosphate are finite and the uptake, use and cycling of these nutrients is a key performance factor for any farming business.
As such, we are already working to identify and promote research projects that can play a part in supporting greater understanding of nutrient mobility in soils, delivering solutions that benefit farming and the environment by addressing key gaps in knowledge exchange.
“But it is vital that we strive to look to the future of our sector, to identify and understand the tools we will need.”
NFU Combinable Crops Board appointee Heather Oldfield
Our plant health priority encompasses the engagement of the government, research bodies and wider industry to ensure the continued authorisation and renewal of critical actives for crop production and the protection of plant health.
However, we must also review the available resources on the market for addressing particular challenges such as varieties with specific diseases resistance, tolerance to adverse growing conditions and yield capacity by working to understand how plant breeding can be accelerated to bring new varieties to market.
In addition to looking to new varieties, we are also looking for opportunities to be gained from the use of novel crops such as flax and hemp and addressing the barriers to entering the supply chain as well as the wider benefits to be gained from improved establishment of cover crops.
Importance of novel crops
Flax is set to become the fastest growing spring crop in terms of market share, an opportunity which must be underpinned by the development of the supply chain and growers understanding the management, machinery, and value chain.
While hemp, which has previously been out of reach to many growers, has seen changes to the authorisation process, allowing more growers to benefit from its use as part of the rotation. It is our ambition that in future, further changes are implemented to expand the opportunities for growers to benefit our sector.
Looking ahead
It would be easy to sit back and reflect on how far we have already come in the past decade let alone a century and think that the challenges of today should be our primary focus, especially following the year we have had.
But it is vital that we strive to look to the future of our sector, to identify and understand the tools we will need be they regulatory changes and schemes, technological advancements or even financial incentives.
The development and enhancement of these assets will be vital in supporting you as growers in continuing to produce sustainable food, fibre and energy for a rapidly increasing population.
As the NFU’s Combinable Crops Board, we will continue to strive to support the delivery of these opportunities, seek out new developments in research and lobby for positive change to benefit the future.
