A firm favourite in the agricultural calendar, the Croft Arable Event, hosted by Croft Farms in partnership with NIAB and Argrain, returns on Tuesday.

This well-attended open day is where NIAB conducts Recommended List trials on-farm and champions the role of independent variety and agronomic research. They will also be displaying the full range of their services – from research to agronomy advice membership – to farmers.

Croft Farms comprises 1,000ha of fertile medium clay loams.

Three quarters of the land is in a combinable crops rotation of wheat, barley, oilseed, oats and beans. Croft Farms also manages land nearby, on a number of contract or share farming agreements, bringing economies of scale that benefit all of the businesses involved.

Euan Fraser, farm manager at Croft Farms, says: “Aiming for maximum crop performance and efficiency, we strive to be at the forefront of agronomy through our partnership with NIAB.

“Hosting NIAB’s recommended List Trials and demonstration plots provides us with valuable locality-specific information on variety choice, disease management and weed control. We can utilise this information along with our well-equipped and highly skilled workforce to produce top crops for ourselves and our partner farms.”

Two New Holland CR9.90 combines ensure that Croft Farms has the capacity to make the best use of any opportunities provided by the weather.

“At Grange Farm we have 20,000 tonnes of TASCC assured grain storage with a 50 t/hour grain dryer. Managed in conjunction with a local grain merchant we intake grain from a number of local farmers who make use of our fast tip and long opening hours during harvest,” says Euan.

This is Euan’s second cropping season since joining Croft Farms and he has seen the weather swing from drought to unprecedented levels of rainfall. Growing crops profitably is becoming more challenging than ever before he says, so it is vital that farmers and land managers take advantage of the latest information and advice on offer at local events like the one at Croft.

As well as the NIAB trials, the Croft Arable Event also features a programme of topical seminars covering Grain Marketing, SFI planning and Alternative Cropping.

In the farmyard, a range of agricultural businesses including local machinery dealerships, business advice providers, farm commodity suppliers and, of course, Argrain will be on show displaying their latest services and innovations.

To register please visit www.niab.com or simply turn up on the day. The event is at Croft Farms, Grange Farm, Jolby Lane, Croft on Tees, North Yorkshire (DL2 2TF) on Tuesday, July 2, from 10am-4pm.

The timetable is:

9.45am, registration, coffee and farmyard exhibits open; 10am, NIAB field demonstration tours start; noon-1.30pm, free hog roast lunch; 3pm, NIAB final field tour starts; 4pm, event closes. Seminars will be held at 11am, noon and 1.30pm. Tour groups start from the farmyard at regular intervals from 10am to 3pm.

  • For more details call Euan Fraser on 07841 919210 or email euan@croftestate.co.uk