Crop Production

The Recommended List Trials Programme involves approx.17 sites, of which up to 13 are taken for yield assessments.

Reducing the amount of fertiliser used on the sugar beet crop is the first stage of reducing emissions. 

Nitrogen fertiliser is the one of the biggest sources of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions on farm from the sugar beet crop.

A multi-faceted project to investigate how to optimise practices to maximise soil health.

With an industry target to reach net zero in agriculture by 2040 it is imperative that emissions are quantified and addressed on farm.

On average 59% of the fields in which sugar beet is grown consist of soil which is classified as sand based (loamy sand, sand, sandy clay loam, sandy loam, sandy silty loam) (British sugar data) and at risk from water deficit and drought.

BBRO protocol for evaluating new seed treatments, priming technologies and/or pellet types for the UK

A number of approaches to ensure developing seedling receive optimum nutrition are practiced across a range of other crops.

This project is focusing on sugar beet radiation use efficiency (RUE) which is examining radiation (sunlight) interception by the canopy and measuring its resulting biomass across the season.

This project will show whether, by placing N, can we improve N uptake efficiency and improve the performance of crops and to what extent it may be possible to reduce nitrogen inputs. It will also show whether this is further influenced by placing P with N.

This project aims to maximise the potential economic, agronomic and ecological benefits from cover crops through a better understanding of species effects and crop management technologies.

Work on other arable crops such as OSR and cereals has shown that crops frequently respond to additional sulphur fertilisers, especially on lighter land where the risk of sulphur deficiency is greatest.