The Cereals Event is pleased to confirm it has two new features at the showground this year. Following market research with both visitors, non-visitors and exhibitors, Haymarket have established the Drone Zone and Soil Pit to provide hands on knowledge transfer to arable farmers.

Drone Zone:

Visitors will have the chance to see the drones in action at the new AgHawk Drone Demonstration Zone. By pre-registering or collecting a voucher on the day visitors can have-a-go at programming and flying the drone.

Keith Geary of G2Way drones explained; ”After the trial flights we will take visitors through the information and data that they have gathered and explain how this can support business decisions around weed control, reducing input costs and drainage decisions, for example.”

Soil Pit – NIAB

NIAB TAG’s Head of Farming Systems Research Ron Stobart introduces the Soil Pit: “Our 8m long, 4m wide and 1.2m deep walk-through soil pit is a unique and exciting opportunity for visitors to check out the local soil profile at eye level and study the rooting of a range of cover crops and cereal crops. We hope to show how a well-structured soil can help water infiltration and aid moisture retention, demonstrate how to increase soil aeration for root growth and biological function and help growers improve the workability of their soil”

There will be four mixes of cover crops to be shown in the pit this year. They have been selected for their strong root growth to give visitors clear ideas of the impact that these crops have on soil. There will also be Winter Wheat, Winter Rye, Spring Wheat and Spring Rye sown on the other side of the 1.2m trench for comparison. A subsoiler will also be pulled through the soil providing a backdrop to advice on cultivations and rotations.

Cover Crop mixes to see:

• Crimson clover, black medic and vetch

• Spring oat, radish, vetch and phacillia

• Radish and spring oat

• Radish

CPD

There will be many chances for visitors to collect their BASIS and NRoSO points, which are vital for their annual CPD requirements. Companies providing the stamps will be announced shortly, but visitors are encouraged to sign up online to the Cereals e-newsletters to get the latest information.

Supporting the formal CPD points trail are five knowledge trails. Each trail focuses on a subject that challenges arable businesses and highlight where visitors can find information on them. This year's topics are black-grass, fungicide resistance, cover crops and soil structure, coping with low grain prices: grain marketing , and coping with low grain prices: farming efficiency. The knowledge trails will be published on the Cereals website with printable maps. Visitors are encouraged to visit the Cereals website to learn more and plan their day.