A buzzing Cereals for the OFC - here are the highlights

Three panel sessions and eight technical seminars were run at the 2015 Cereals Event, partnered by The Oxford Farming Conference. Topics ranged from GM, to soils, big data and whether the recommended lists will deliver the varietal resistance farmers will need in the future. Below are some highlights from the sessions.

GM – UK and international views
The timing of our four panelists debating GM couldn’t have been better, following BBC Panorama’s coverage of the topic on Monday of this week. Jack Bobo, Senior Advisor for Biotechnology at USDA, made some very compelling points – he said that the debate for GM needs to be held in the context of farming as a whole. “We need to produce more food in the next 40 years than we have in the last 10,000 years.” But he added that, without trust in the technology, the GM science is worthless. Listen to the interview with Mr Bobo on BBC Radio 4’s Farming Today. The other panelists were farmer Paul Temple, Professor Johnathan Napier from Rothamsted and Mark Buckingham from Monsanto and EuropaBio. Twitter: @Jack_A_Bobo @Paul_WoldFarm @markbuckingham1 @Rothamsted

Big data will revolutionise agriculture
This was the cry from two speakers in different sessions. Michael Horsch of Horsch and Nick Tapp from Craigmore Farming. Mr Tapp said that the technologically obsessive farmers, of which there are many, can easily embrace big data, BUT that farmers must learn to share, share, share, and become more like the Facebook generation. He said that the difference between the best and the rest is being significantly influenced by big data, adding that the transparency created by its application will lead to substantial changes between capital markets and agriculture.

No-till suits all soils said Nuffield Scholar
Tom Sewell is a 2013 HGCA Nuffield Scholar. He gave a forthright view, suggesting that only three stands at the Cereals Event were dedicated to the most important asset that farmers have – their soil. The Sewells, who farm near Maidstone in Kent, have long-been soil ambassadors, despite only shifting from 0-100% no-till last year. Mr Sewell said that they haven’t applied any bagged P&K for 17 years, no lime for 15 years and have an earthworm population of 12 million/hectare. He added that profit has been another ‘good soil’ benefit – last season he used just 7 litres of diesel per hectare to establish his autumn crops.
@tandssewell @nuffieldfarming. Click here to see Tom’s Nuffield Report.