CropTec 2026: Join us and explore the latest in arable technology

Favourable Drilling Conditions Continue into November 

In Brasted, north Kent, tenant farmer James Edgar has enjoyed some of the best autumn drilling conditions he’s seen in years. Farming more than 400 hectares in a mixed system of arable crops and 250 Jersey dairy cattle, he says the dry, manageable ground has made drilling straightforward, a welcome contrast to last year’s stop-start season. 

“We started drilling on 20 September as we were too scared it was going to rain like it did last year,” says Mr Edgar. “We were very cautious, drilling 100 acres at a time and then stopping to apply pre-em herbicides. It’s gone really well.” 

Mr Edgar has drilled over 150ha of winter wheat including SY Cheer, Crusoe, and a new Warburtons contract variety, DSV Loxton. With forage stocks low after the dry summer, he’s also rethought his break crops, shelving oilseed rape in favour of maize and grass leys to rebuild silage supplies. 

“It looks like we’ll have to start buying forage in February next year, so this additional grassland should really help,” he says. 

Innovation and Regenerative Thinking in North Yorkshire 

Further north in Thirsk, mixed farmer Mike Wilkinson of Eldmire Ings has been equally positive about progress. “We’ve had a very lucky and easy autumn so far, and the soils are in great condition,” he says. 

The farm’s rotation includes winter barley (KWS Inys and KWS Tardis), winter wheat (LG Beowulf, KWS Scope, Bamford), and both winter OSR and winter beans. This year, Mr Wilkinson has trialled direct drilling beans into a standing cover crop for the first time, a bold step toward a more regenerative system. 

“I’d been nervous about it, as I’d heard of people struggling with grass-weeds after,” he says, “but I’m trying to bring more regenerative practices into our mix of traditional and modern systems.” 

His cover crop mixture included fodder radish, berseem clover, phacelia, buckwheat, and linseed, an approach that’s likely to be discussed in detail at CropTec 2026, where innovation and knowledge-sharing are front and centre. 

Smooth Progress Across East Anglia 

For Darren Bickmore at Rix Farms on the Suffolk–Essex border, it’s been one of the most straightforward drilling seasons in recent memory. “It’s the first season I’ve gone from start to nearly finish using the same drill,” he says. 

The team drilled more than 400ha of cover and catch crops over summer, before moving on to wheat from early September. Milling varieties such as Crusoe, Skyfall, and KWS Vibe dominate the rotation, with SY Cheer given another try this season after mixed results last year. 

In Cambridgeshire, John Jeffries at Fullers Hill Farm has also wrapped up drilling, sowing 80ha of winter wheat, 24ha of oats, and 5ha of triticale. His approach blends Group 1 wheat varieties to maximise yield and boost disease resistance. “I find the blends to be cheaper to grow and they seem to increase the overall disease resistance of the crop,” he explains. 

Expert Insight: Agronomists Caution Against Complacency 

While drilling progress has been rapid, agronomists are advising growers to stay alert. Ceres Rural’s Louise Penn reports that many farms are “drilled up earlier this year” due to concerns about weather patterns and tight cashflows. 

She encourages close monitoring of post-emergence herbicide timing: 

“You should be planning around grass emergence and aphids,” she says. “If you’re walking out in your field and seeing black-grass, you should be getting those post-em applications on as soon as possible.” 

In the west, independent agronomist Chris Taylor echoes that it’s been “the nicest autumn for a few years,” but warns of pest activity, including aphids and gout flies, thanks to the mild conditions. 

Holding Nerve in Lincolnshire and Norfolk 

In Lincolnshire, Paul Barnes of the South Ormsby and Walmsgate Estates reports “near-perfect” October drilling conditions, describing the season as reminiscent of 1976, another famously dry and manageable autumn. 

Meanwhile, Jim Scarratt in Norfolk has been taking full advantage of the weather window, with 100ha drilled and more to follow. “Ground conditions have been great,” he says. “We leave our worst black-grass fields until last so the weeds can germinate, then apply Roundup and drill in November.” 

Looking Ahead to CropTec 2026 

As growers look to finish up drilling and prepare for winter, many are already turning their attention to CropTec 2026, which will take place at the NEC Birmingham on 14-15 January, the show’s first time co-located with LAMMA. 

With both events joining forces, it promises to be the UK’s biggest-ever showcase of arable innovation, technology, and practical advice, from crop genetics and agronomy to robotics, data-driven decision making, and sustainable rotations. Whether you’re fine-tuning your weed control strategy, exploring new break crops, or considering regenerative systems, CropTec 2026 will be the essential event to get ahead of the season. 

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