Twelve regional Arable Connections events this summer offer growers the opportunity to view the latest arable trials and speak to specialists on variety selection, soils and crop protection.

Arable Connections will launch after Cereals 2019, where AHDB will lead on forming the industry’s opinion on our key themes of Integrated Pest Management (IPM), soils and benchmarking.

Arable Connections will feature demonstration plots and trial sites grown for local conditions and soil types. As well as recommended and candidate varieties, attendees will also be shown untreated plots which tell an important story about the underlying disease pressure in the surrounding area. Local experts from the milling and malting industries will be on hand to talk about different varieties and regional markets alongside AHDB experts sharing the latest research.

For the first time this year, Arable Connections will also appear at two events specifically for potato growers: Potatoes in Practice - jointly managed by SRUC (Scotland’s Rural College) and the James Hutton Institute. The event is the largest field-based potato event in the UK - and the Whole Crop Marketing Yorkshire Varieties Day in North Yorkshire.

Tim Isaac, AHDB’s Head of Arable Knowledge Exchange, said: “With Arable Connections, our aim is to work with partner organisations and open up our Recommended List trial sites for local growers to visit, alongside sharing our leading research in the field to enable improvements in yield and overall farm business performance.

“This year we’re bringing the programme to more arable farmers across the UK than ever before, with the inclusion of two events specifically for potato growers. We look forward to seeing you at your local event this summer.”

Growers will be able to view a range of crop varieties and tour Recommended List trial sites with several leading organisations throughout the UK:

• ADAS and AHDB Open Day* (Hereford, Herefordshire - Tuesday 18 June)
• NIAB TAG South Open Day (Sutton Scotney, Hampshire - Tuesday 18 June)
• Morley Innovation Day (Morley, Norfolk - Thursday 20 June)
• Elsoms and AHDB Open Day* (Spalding, Lincolnshire - Tuesday 25 June)
• AFBI and AHDB Open Day* (Belfast, Northern Ireland - Tuesday 25 June)
• Groundswell (North Hertfordshire - Wednesday 26 and Thursday 27 June)
• Pearce Seeds LLP and AHDB Open Day* (Sturminster Newton, Dorset - Thursday 27 June)
• NIAB TAG Croft Open Day* (Croft-on-Tees, County Durham - Thursday 27 June)
• Arable Scotland* (Dundee - Tuesday 2 July)
• Saaten Union and AHDB Open Day* (Cowlinge, Suffolk - Thursday 4 July)
• Whole Crop Marketing Yorkshire Varieties Day (Brough, East Yorkshire - Wednesday 31 July)
• Potatoes in Practice (Dundee - Thursday 8 August)

*Opportunity to speak to a member of the AHDB Recommended List team.