The Source

On-site diagnostics can be used alongside decision support systems and agronomic expertise by providing direct evidence of pathogen presence or absence. Used alongside existing decision support tools, or where DSS information is unavailable or insufficient, these diagnostics could support more informed, targeted and timely disease management decisions.

The trials found that risk was strongly influenced by stock condition and environment, and that natural treatments were generally effective at treating active strike.

A new study suggests that while some principles of conservation agriculture consistently reduce emissions, others can increase them depending on environmental conditions and managementdecisions.

Pea and bean growers are encouraged to sign up to the newly launched Pulse Performance Network (PPN) ahead of autumn drilling.

Two newly published studies from Trinity College Dublin scientists show fungicides can rapidly drive soil microbes to evolve multidrug resistance to clinically important drugs and, when combined with warmer temperatures, disrupt soil microbes in ways that negatively affect plant growth.

During National Rural Crime Action Week 2026, FCN’s Joint Helpline Coordinator Mark Thomas reflects on the impact of rural crime on farmers and farm businesses.

How we generate, store and use energy has always affected land. Now renewables are bringing energy back closer to home, and along with it, new opportunities for positive land use change.

The answer is rarely straightforward. Every farm, estate and rural business has different operational requirements, budgets and long-term objectives. What represents excellent value for one enterprise may be the wrong investment for another.

Taking hemp from niche to mainstream requires coordinated effort: farmers, processors, researchers, and government acting together. With the right support, hemp could emerge as a cornerstone of sustainable industry, reducing reliance on petrochemical products and living up to its promise as the ‘new oil’.

For industry, the infrastructure and market signals needed to support stacked farms are mostly missing. The report explores this through three practical focus areas - rotation and soil health, agrivoltaics, and the commercial case for nutrient dense food - before setting out what each audience needs to do differently.

The Sustainable Dairy Pathways report sets out a practical plan to accelerate environmental progress while safeguarding food security, nutrition and rural economies.

September sees the opening of the second application window for SFI26, the fifth iteration of England’s post-Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) scheme intended to provide environmental benefits alongside supporting food production and productivity.