In this episode George Chalmers is joined by Edward Jones, who is a Sustainable Farming Advisor at Frontier Agriculture to discuss cover crops.

Welcome to CropCast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, George Chalmers will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field.

Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government.

Time codes

04:13 Definitions of green manure, cover crops & catch crops

09:14 Potential benefits

12:24 New species available

14:15 Different species for different areas

20:03 Considerations when choosing a crop

24:14 Greening 2026

28:40 Establishment

33:46 Potential uses with livestock

36:00 Seeds suitable for broadcasting

39:19 Three top tips

Linked FAS Resources

FAS Crops & Soils https://www.fas.scot/crops-soils/

EFA Greening 2026 https://www.fas.scot/preparing-for-the-future/

Other Linked Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ed-jones-931725133?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app

Clinkstone – Companion Crops & autumn cover crops in a min-till system https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw5xnHdsaEw

Cover Crop Guide: https://covercropsguide.co.uk/

Welcome to Cropcast Conversations hosted by Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by Julian South, Executive Director of The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain (MAGB). MAGB are the trade association of the UK malting industry and represent over 98% of UK malt production, buying around 2 million tonnes of UK malting barley, to make about 1.6 million tonnes of malt. Mark and Julian discuss harvest 2025, barley varieties, tariffs and trade deals and opportunities for the industry.

Episode Timestamps

01.38 Background and structure of MAGB

04.43 What is malt?

06.59 Distilling malts and brewing malts

07.50 Harvest 2025 round up

16.12 Evaluating and approving new barley varieties for malting

23.31 International Barley Hub

26.00 Biggest challenges for the malting barley industry

29.47 International trade

33.25 Tariffs and trade deals

35.04 Peat as a flavouring for malt

37.10 Finding out more: www.ukmalt.com

38.25 The malt industry in 10 years time

Resources

The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain

Malting Barley Committee - The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain

Contact: Julian South: 07967452838, julian@magb.org.uk

SRUC - Soils & plants - Recommended lists

SAC Recommended Lists for Cereals 2025-26

International Barley Hub - The James Hutton Institute

Mycotoxins - The Maltsters’ Association of Great Britain

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

In this episode George Chalmers is joined by SAC Senior Consultant and Chartered Accountant Andrew Coalter to discuss Arable Farm Finances, particularly cash flow challenges, investment and capital allowances for arable farms.

Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, George Chalmers will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field.

Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government.

Related FAS Resources

Cash Flow Forecasting: https://www.fas.scot/article/building-good-financial-habits-with-cash-flow-forecasting/

Budgeting & Financial Planning https://www.fas.scot/rural-business/business-tools/budgeting-and-financial-planning/

Finance & Funding https://www.fas.scot/whats-stopping-you-finance-funding/

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Robert Meadley to discuss some of the considerations which should be made when deciding to replace or invest in a piece of machinery.

Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field.

Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government.

Related FAS Resources

Getting Started In Arable Agriculture - Machinery Appraisal | Information helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

Other Related Resources

Robert Meadley LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/rob-meadley-85652223/?originalSubdomain=uk

Machinery costing calculator | AHDB

Welcome to CropCast Conversations hosted by Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by two guests. Grant James (Business Development Manager at Sea2Soil) discusses an organic soil improver product from Sea2Soil. Grant provides an explanation of the biological mechanisms at play in the product, how it works on-farm and what to expect from applications. Steve Townsend brings a wealth of knowledge and experience of Regenerative Agriculture. Steve advises farmers all over the UK and Europe on how No-Till can improve their business. Steve is passionate about helping farmers reduce their fixed costs, increase their crop yields and weed control whilst repairing their soils.

Episode Timestamps

00.55 Harvest 2025 feedback

03.03 Steve & Soil First Farming

04.04 Grant & Sea2Soil

06.01 What is fish hydrolysate?

06.46 Feeding the soil biology

11.04 Practices to build up soil biology

20.20 Measuring soil biology

27.47 How different crop sectors are responding to regenerative agriculture

32.04 Nitrogen use efficiency

34.56 Albrecht theory

38.40 Getting the magnesium ratio right

41.15 Grant’s take home message

42.00 Steve’s take home message

FAS Resources

Regenerative Agriculture | Helping farmers in Scotland

Other Resources

Organic Soil Improver - Make soil healthier & more productive | Sea2Soil

Grant James: grant.james@pelagia.com, 07976 879646

Soil First Farming

Steve Townsend: steve.townsend@soilfirstfarming.co.uk, 07989 402112

For more information, visit  www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Kristina Grenz, Senior Cereal Product Quality Scientist at AHDB, to discuss ergot, which proved to be a significant problem for many growers during harvest 2024. In this episode we discuss the ergot life cycle, symptoms as well as top management tips.

Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field.

Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government.

Related Resources

AHDB – Ergot management guidance for cereals - https://ahdb.org.uk/news/ergot-management-guidance-for-cereals-strengthened-by-review

AHDB – An introduction to Ergot & its management in cereals https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/an-introduction-to-ergot-and-its-management-in-cereals

FAS – Ergot – What is it and how to prevent it? https://www.fas.scot/article/ergot-what-it-is-and-how-to-prevent-it/

AHDB- Ergot in harvest 2024 https://ahdb.org.uk/news/ergot-in-harvest-2024-cereals-a-pathologist-s-paradise-a-supply-chain-challenge

AIC – Ergot in cereal crops https://www.agindustries.org.uk/resource/ergot-in-cereal-crops-contracts-legislation-and-effective-management-frequently-asked-questions-faqs.html

In this episode Tiffany Stephenson is joined by Donald Dunbar and Alan Bruce to discuss changes to EFA options under the Scottish Government’s enhanced greening measures for 2026, and how farmers might go about integrating some of these options into their own farming systems.

Welcome to Cropcast, your go to podcast for all the latest information on arable crops. Each month, SAC advisor, Tiffany Stephenson will be joined by a range of industry experts, bringing you timely updates to help you make decisions in the field.

Producer George Gauley, Editor Cameron Waugh, Executive Producer Kirstyn Blackwood, in association with the Scottish Government.

Related FAS Resources

Greening guidance (2026)

Preparing For The Future | Helping farmers in Scotland | Farm Advisory Service

Welcome to Cropcast Conversations hosted by Principal Consultant Mark Bowsher-Gibbs. On today’s episode Mark is joined by James Bolesworth (CRM AgriCommodities) to discuss how grain markets are looking for 2025 and in part 2 Mark is joined by George Chalmers (SAC Consulting) and Neil Havis (SRUC Professor, Crop Pathology) to update us on how crops are looking in Scotland.

Episode Timestamps

00.00 PART 1 – James Bolesworth (CRM AgriCommodities)

03.30 Wheat price movements over winter and early spring

06.14 Why has there been a steeper decline in grain price over the last few months?

09:20 Carryover stocks: current position and going into next season

12.58 Trump and tariffs: impact on food commodities and the grain market

16.33 Crop conditions and predicted reduction in production and output

19.55 Selling new crop: looking at opportunities to smooth the curve of volatility

23.00 PART 2 – George Chalmers (SAC Consulting) and Neil Havis (SRUC, Professor of Crop Pathology)

24.17 How crops are looking in Scotland

32.51 Yellow Rust and YR15

37.19 Choosing wheat varieties to grow this autumn

38.20 Spring barley update

42.30 Ramularia: the late season disease

FAS Resources

Yellow rust - FAS

New yellow rust strain confirmed - FAS

June Crop Update - FAS

FAS Newsletters - Crops & Soils Edition

Crop Trials Evening - Lothians

Crop Trials Evening - Aberdeenshire

Crop Trials Evening - Lanark

Other Resources

CRM AgriCommodities

jbolesworth@crm-group.co.uk

For more information, visit www.FAS.scot

Facebook: @FASScot

National Advice Hub

Phone: 0300 323 0161

Email: advice@fas.scot