Field of. dreams. Grain Outlook. hgca.com/cereals. Your Cereals special edition. Look inside for:

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1 Grain Outlook Your Cereals special edition Keeping you up to date on HGCA activity Summer 2015 Look inside for: View from the chair Page 3 Export activity Page 5 Technical news Field of Page 6-7 Regional focus dreams Showcasing 50 years of arable innovation at Cereals 2015 Plan your day Your guide to Cereals All change Rebrand to be revealed as HGCA becomes AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Page 8-9 Special feature: Genetics Page 10 hgca.com/cereals

2 AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds at Cereals Stand 902 OSR plots RL Plot tour times Rapeseed Oil Benefits Pests Soil and Weeds Varieties Measure to Manage Oat plots Wednesday 10 June 09:00 Wheat 10:00 Barley 11:00 Wheat 12:00 Wheat 13:00 Barley 14:00 OSR 14:30 Wheat 15:30 Barley 16:30 Wheat Wheat plots Publications and Refreshments Disease CPD points Quality and nabim 50 years of innovation Red Tractor MAGB Feed and Straw Thursday 11 June 09:00 Wheat 10:00 Barley 11:00 Wheat 12:00 OSR 12:30 Wheat 13:30 Barley 14:30 Wheat A short market outlook will be given at the start of the tours. Barley plots Claim your free t-shirt Fill in your details below and hand to an AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds staff member at Cereals (Stand 902) Name County... Postcode... DATA PROTECTION: By completing this form you agree to your details being held electronically on the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board s database and utilised by us to keep you informed about HGCA events, activity and publications. Your data will not be passed on to any third parties. If you do not wish to receive further information, please advise us of this, either via subscriptions@hgca.ahdb.org.uk or in writing to Customer Information, HGCA, AHDB, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, Warwickshire CV8 2TL. hgca.com 2

3 A view from the Chair Welcome to Grain Outlook, which gives me the perfect opportunity to thank the HGCA s outgoing Chairman Jonathan Tipples. His leadership has proved invaluable for the organisation, as HGCA became part of AHDB. I d like to quickly introduce myself as the new AHDB Board member and Chair of the Board for cereals and oilseeds. I farm in East Yorkshire, growing wheat, barley, OSR and vegetables with a suckler beef herd utilising stewardship grasses and forage maize. This leads me on to the rebrand, to be launched at Cereals, of AHDB. This is part of our journey to become one organisation and working in new innovative ways across the divisions. Importantly we will retain all the key skills, service and specialisation the cereals sector demands and growers need but with real ambition to provide even better value for levy payers. The rebrand visually identifies the fact we are looking for smarter ways of working across the levy, as one. Finding new solutions, information and tools to grow farming, while at the same time becoming competitive and sustainable is an exciting challenge that lies firmly at the heart of AHDB. The cereals and oilseeds Board will continue to build on the fantastic 50 year legacy of HGCA. We have another packed stand at Cereals, showcasing just some of the work we do on levy payers behalf. On the back of a difficult year and with uncertain prospects, 50 years of HGCA has proven the need to invest for the long term. Your feedback is highly valued and used in shaping our plans, so please take time to talk to the members of staff or Board members on the stand. So I look forward to seeing you, in sunshine, at Cereals. Paul Temple HGCA Chair Get ready for our new brand HGCA will be rebranded as AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds on 10 June as part of the Agriculture & Horticulture Development Board s wider journey to deliver improved benefits for all its levy payers. As part of the move, AHDB s six divisions will each be rebranded with a new collective logo in existing division colours, reflecting AHDB s aim to look, feel and behave like one organisation. In addition to HGCA s rebrand as AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds, the move means BPEX will become AHDB Pork, EBLEX will become AHDB Beef & Lamb, DairyCo will become AHDB Dairy, HDC will become AHDB Horticulture and Potato Council will become AHDB Potatoes. AHDB Chief Executive Jane King said: Our role at AHDB is to help build a confident, competitive industry which is constantly learning and adapting, acquiring Out and about HGCA events 18 June Variety Open Day Stockbridge Technology Centre, Yorkshire 22 June Variety Open Day Duchy College, Cornwall 8 September AHDB Smart Agriculture Conference Birmingham 14 October Grain Market Outlook Conference London 21 October Agronomists Intake Day Eastern Region 8 December Agronomists Conference Peterborough hgca.com/events new skills, innovating and adopting new technologies. The new branding makes it clear division specialisms and division delivery will remain in the wider context of working as one organisation to benefit levy payers. It signals AHDB s aim of becoming more responsive and effective for farmers, growers and the supply chain. In order to ensure costs are kept to a minimum, existing stocks of legacy branded materials will be run down over the next few months before being replaced. ahdb.org.uk Third party events 17 June ADAS Rosemaund Open Day 2015 Herefordshire 17 June The Arable Event Shropshire 18 June NIAB TAG Open Day Norfolk 19 June Croft Varieties Day County Durham 25 June NIAB TAG Open Day Hampshire 30 June NIAB TAG Open Day Lincolnshire 02 July Cereals in Practice Aberdeenshire 07 July National Organic Combinable Crops 2015 Suffolk Keep in touch admin@hgca.ahdb.org.uk HGCA.AHDB HGCAuk 3 Grain Outlook

4 Indulge in a touch of nostalgia by visiting the 50 years exhibition in the main marquee at Cereals and find out about the work we re doing to meet the challenges ahead. As well as tracking the history of HGCA and the evolution of the industry over the last five decades, the exhibition will feature three special interactive displays looking at machinery and robotics, exports and skills. Explore the UK s role in the global marketplace and discover where new opportunities may lie at our interactive exports pod. Visitors can view videos on the themes of market access, market research and trade development as well as Exports for the Future, which will take a detailed look at the challenge of feeding the world s growing population. Take the Grower Challenge, an interactive quiz to test your knowledge on exports and what HGCA does to support growers access overseas markets. Get a glimpse of the farm of the future, talk to engineers from Harper Adams to Time for an oil change Rapeseed Oil Benefits is a marketing campaign run by HGCA that aims to raise awareness of the benefits of rapeseed oil and to inspire and motivate consumers to use it in their cooking. At the Cereals event this year HGCA has dedicated a zone for visitors to learn all about this healthy and versatile oil. There will be cooking demonstrations and tastings of products and campaign recipes. Visitors will also have the chance to make rapeseed oil themselves using a press, which is available for hire for educational events. The Consumer Marketing team will be on hand to talk about marketing activity, including HGCA s other campaigns: Breakfast Week, Grain Chain and Wholegrain Goodness and how this activity benefits levy payers. A range of resources such as educational posters and recipe booklets will be available to take away or to order on the day too. For more information on rapeseed oil visit RapeseedOilBenefits.com find out about the work being done to develop robotic solutions to agricultural challenges and see how innovation in the machinery sector has changed the face of farming. Have your say on what skills will be needed for farms to thrive and how you want to see these delivered. Visit the video booth to record your thoughts and help shape AHDB s skills and training offer aimed at securing a professional and adaptable workforce for the future. We will also be available to talk about the new Trailblazer apprenticeships currently being developed. Finally, see the new look AHDB and find out about how we are working as one organisation on activity of benefit to the whole industry. 10 reasons to visit the stand TOP? 1. Recommended Lists variety plot tours: taking place throughout the day for wheat, barley and oilseed rape 2. Latest research: talk to leading experts on developments to improve agronomic decision making, with exhibits on a range of topics including black-grass, genetics and grain quality 3. Pick up your points: visit the wheat fungicide performance plots to collect BASIS and NRoSO points 4. Measure to Manage: find out how to extract value from the market, maximise your profits and benefit from understanding your cost of production 5. Meet the Monitor Farmers: discuss how involvement in the programme has started to reap rewards for their and their neighbours arable enterprises 6. Rapeseed Oil Benefits: attend cooking demonstrations and sample recipes developed by HGCA to encourage people to use rapeseed oil in their everyday cooking 7. Information zone: pick up the latest publications and sign up to receive regular news 8. Have some facetime: chat with representatives from across the industry, including nabim, MAGB, Red Tractor Assurance and BSPB, as well as board and staff members 9. Talk tech: celebrate the greatest advances in machinery over the last five decades and get a glimpse of the technologies you could be using on your farm in the not too distant future 10. The big reveal: be the first to see the new look AHDB 4 Grain Outlook

5 Algeria experiences UK supply chain Cereal buyers from Algeria were invited to view first-hand the UK cereals exports supply chain from plant breeding to farm and storage, to strengthen existing relations. The inward mission, organised by HGCA Exports on March, attracted cereal buyers from large milling companies in Algeria. With Algeria importing 10 times more UK wheat than the last marketing year, strengthening this relationship through educating buyers on the supply chain is vital to uphold market share. This has become imperative now that the state-owned cereals office, OAIC has reduced the amount of wheat it will supply the mills to 50%, with the remaining 50% capacity to be sourced direct by the millers, without subsidy. For previous marketing years, Algeria imported 80% of wheat from France but due to poor quality supplies from France this year, it is looking at other reliable sources to meet its import requirements to the end of March it has imported a record 257,258t of UK wheat. The inward missions programme allowed representatives from Algeria to experience the processes involved in the UK s grain markets, and learn more about farm-assured grain. It s important for us to see the level of investment in the UK supply chain as this gives us confidence in a professional supply of quality wheat. The whole traceability in the chain from the farm to the store to the port and the laboratory is very good. Algerian cereal buyer Growers have opportunity to learn more about exports BCE Target Market: Algeria Population (July 2014 est) 38.8 million Population growth (2014 est) 1.88 % Total milling capacity 10 Mt (CIA World Factbook) 200 private sector mills Wheat imports (USDA) Meet the Exporter This year s HGCA Meet the Exporter series of events saw more than 120 growers take the opportunity to visit their local port in Bristol, Angus and Lincolnshire during February and March. Strong demand for milling wheat from EU and non-eu countries has helped the UK to establish itself back on the radar for cereal exports after two years largely absent. So far this marketing season (July March), the UK has exported over 1.5M tonnes of wheat, more than three and a half times the volume shipped in the whole of the previous season. In the global market, UK feed wheat is competing with maize and the large maize crops in 2013 and 2014 have pressured all feed grain prices. A representative for the exports industry said: Growers need to understand more about exporting and European and worldwide customer requirements, the scale of ships that are involved and particularly the control criteria that link back in with local farm markets. Sarah Mann, HGCA Exports Manager added: Growers shouldn t think in terms of milling wheat premiums above feed wheat prices, but in terms of feed discounts below milling. Growing quality wheat and aiming high gives more opportunities for UK wheat in a global market. hgca.com/exports OAIC Wheat tender specifications Moisture 14.5% max Protein 12-13% Hagberg Falling Number Specific Weight 6.6 Mt 220min 78Kg P/L Find out more on exports in the 50 year exhibition at Cereals hgca.com 5

6 Technical news Don t give fungi a sporting chance When it comes to crop diseases, the adage prevention is better than cure certainly holds true but identifying exactly when to spray is not easy. The window for impactful spraying is small and by the time disease symptoms appear, options for damage limitation can be few and far between. The key to protecting susceptible crops is to get the timing of fungicide applications spot on, said Research Manager Dr Jenna Watts. We are using research based approaches to detect early disease pressure before visible symptoms appear. Established methods such as air sampling can be used to get accurate pictures of disease pressures like spore loading, but such time sensitive data has tended to be devalued by long processing times in the laboratory. This work is set to take disease monitoring to a whole new level. Dr Jenna Watts, Research Manager 6 Grain Outlook Spore trap in oilseed rape Rothamsted Research Three new projects started this spring show genuine promise in overcoming such frustrations to provide rapid in season information on disease pressures: 1) Automated air sampling technology to detect fungal spore loads, using DNA based methods, to provide accurate results in minutes (led by Rothamsted Research) 2) Sclerotinia control using in season monitoring and reliable models to forecast infection events up to 48 hours ahead (led by ADAS) 3) Fusarium infection risk during flowering in over 30 counties to help growers time T3 sprays for maximum efficacy (led by ADAS) The latest investment adds further strength to HGCA s in season disease monitoring activities, which also includes the UK Cereal Pathogen Virulence Survey s (UKCPVS) valuable work tracking shifts in UK pathogen populations. hgca.com/monitoring Black grass battleground The weed management area at Cereals 2015 has been designed to bring our Black grass solutions publication to life. We have collated a team of black grass gurus to discuss how to combine cultural and chemical control methods to drive meaningful reductions in the black grass seed bank. The cultural control options will be illustrated via an avenue of black grass reduction plots, with several plots highlighting the power of balanced rotations including spring cereals, beans, fallow and cover crops. Weeds shown the red WRAG The herbicide glyphosate has been available commercially for 40 years and is one of the most frequently used herbicides in the UK. Although there are no known cases of glyphosate resistance in the UK it is an increasing problem worldwide, so AHDB has been working with the Weed Resistance Action Group to develop a set of guidelines to reduce the risk of resistance developing here in the UK. The guidelines will be launched at Cereals 2015 and will sit alongside all our weed management publications at hgca.com/weeds Neighbourhood watch Disease sampling in 2015 Play your part in monitoring the UK pathogen population The UKCPVS is looking for fresh leaf samples showing signs of wheat yellow rust, brown rust and powdery mildew, as well as barley powdery mildew. Sampling guidelines have been developed to ensure samples reach the FREEPOST UKCPVS address in the best possible condition. For complete information, visit hgca.com/ukcpvs

7 Getting to grips with fusarium Infection of wheat ears by Fusarium species can result in mycotoxin development, particularly when weather is warm and wet at flowering, and reduce both yield and quality of harvested grain. At Cereals 2015, we will be looking at how to assess in field mycotoxin risks, the practical on farm actions that can be taken to manage fusarium head blight (FHB) and how accurate grain sampling can reduce waste, minimise charges, claims and rejections. Visitors will also be given an insight into an impressive range of research projects looking at the management of mycotoxins, ranging from pre breeding activity to supply chain initiatives. Those unable to visit the exhibit need not feel they have missed out the best way to understand and manage mycotoxin risks is to follow the step by step approach detailed in the HGCA risk assessment (enclosed with this edition of Grain Outlook). KNOW YOUR MYCOTOXIN RISK Seven steps to good business practice Track your risk throughout the season: Step 1: Check the regional risk Step 2: Consider the previous crop Step 3: Record your cultivation method Step 4: Check variety resistance rating Going underground Many farmers have a strong understanding of the physical and chemical make-up of their soils but the biological is just as important and knowledge of how these interwoven ecosystems interact with your crops can be very beneficial to your business. The soil is teeming with organisms that are helpful or harmful to soil and crop health. Not all are disease-causing agents many microorganisms bring benefits, such as supporting soil stability, nutrient cycling, disease suppression, Step 5: Record T3 fungicide application Step 6: Measure rainfall at flowering (GS59-69) Step 7: Measure rainfall pre harvest (GS87-harvest) growth promotion and toxin breakdown. Microbial interactions in the soil and with plant roots can have a significant impact on crop growth and productivity, said HGCA s Dr Amanda Bennett. As 2015 is the International Year of Soils, raising awareness of soil biodiversity and improving soil health are definitely on the agenda. Turn towards the oats plots on our Cereals stand to find out more and to discuss how compaction affects soil ecology, water infiltration and root development. The impact of neonicotinoid restrictions in numbers* 11 % ha % The percentage of growers who would have planted more WOSR, if seed treatments had been available Mha The current WOSR area 5 % The increase in WOSR area, if seed treatments had been available** 1.5 % The amount of this lost area successfully replanted 38,000 The equivalent area not planted The drop in current WOSR area (compared to harvest 2014)** 5 % The WOSR area originally planted lost to adult cabbage stem flea beetle 3.5 % The remaining area lost 22,000ha The equivalent area lost For the bigger picture, including information on cabbage stem flea beetle larvae levels, visit our dedicated webpage hgca.com/neonics Caroline Nicholls, Research Manager *Information from the AHDB/HGCA Winter Planting Survey Results based on over 1,300 WOSR grower responses, with crops equivalent to 8% of the national area in England and Wales. Information is a snapshot estimated of the situation as at 1 December **Area changes compared with the total area of oilseed rape (both winter and spring varieties) harvested in For full methodology, download the special report at hgca.com/neonics hgca.com 7

8 The best farmers benchmark In the last twelve months, over 300 farmers have started using HGCA s CropBench+ to calculate and compare their harvest 2014 production costs, using the data to fine tune current decision taking and improve returns. This is a great development for the UK s arable industry. A recent report presented at the Oxford Farmers Conference showed that the nations with the highest farm productivity, such as Germany and New Zealand, also had the highest levels of benchmarking. Overheads Benchmarking is useful, because without comparing your business with others, you ve got no way of knowing how well you re doing. Using CropBench+ has shown me that our technical ability to grow crops, and our variable costs, are fine, but that our overheads are relatively high. Therefore, I ll be looking at our labour and machinery costs in the future, said Julian Gold, HGCA Wantage Monitor Farm. According to a survey carried out by HGCA two years ago, just over one in ten arable farmers in the UK knew their costs of production. To help farmers get on track and start understanding their costs, HGCA facilitates benchmarking through a network of Monitor Farms and Arable Business Groups, using support from a team of Regional Officers and the web-based CropBench+ software. Benchmarking is a powerful tool which starts with a standard analysis of the individual farm s costs, before comparing it confidentially with other farmers to help to understand where savings could be made. Resilience Philip Dolbear, HGCA Regional Manager, said: The potential impact on the resilience of individual farms and on the health of the industry as a whole is huge. Data from benchmarking can help with current year decision-making, as well as budgeting for the future. Measure to manage This year at Cereals the Regional Managers are teaming up with AHDB Market Analysts to provide an integrated exhibition all about price. Come and quiz the experts on anything price-related, from costs of production to honing your grain marketing plan. If you are interested in benchmarking but not sure where to start, stand 902 is the place to come and find out more. How do you compare? 135/t According to CropBench+ data, the UK national average cost of production for first feed wheat in 2014 was 135/t (not including rent and finance). I m a great believer in comparing what we ve learnt with others, and to learn from others too. In our group we definitely teach each other and we re all very open. Of course we don t always come away from meetings with the answers, but the discussions make us think, and that s how you fine-tune a business. Alistair Nelson, JK Senior Arable Business Group, Driffield 8 Grain Outlook Alan Grant, Aberdeenshire Monitor Farm benchmarking group The most important things I ve learned through benchmarking are: Don t scrimp on inputs Two key factors of profitability = final yield and average selling price Timeliness and attention to detail is paramount The benefits of rotation (greening) Watch cut-off sowing dates Huge variation in fixed costs of machinery and power Find out more: CropBench+ cropbenchplus.org.uk Arable Business Groups hgca.com/abg A video featuring progress on a major project exploring the feasibility of moving the current paper grain passport system online will be on show in the 50 years exhibition at Cereals. The HGCA-funded egrain passport pilot project is the result of discussions by the Cereals Liaison Group, which highlighted the need for the UK cereals industry to be able to meet future data requirements, to improve two-way flow of information and strengthen assurance checking. The pilot scheme with participants from the malting barley and milling wheat supply chains will run until September 2015 and will produce recommendations on whether the electronic passport should be rolled out nationally, and what modifications or enhancements might be needed to do so. The pilot is supported by the Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC), the Maltsters Association of Great Britain (MAGB), the National Association of British and Irish Millers (nabim), the National Farmers Union (NFU), the National Farmers Union of Scotland (NFUS) and the Road Haulage Association (RHA).

9 Challenge and be challenged All across the country, farmers this year have been discovering for themselves the very real value of HGCA s Monitor Farm programme. Running in Scotland since 2007, the Monitor Farm programme was launched south of the border last summer. In that time, over 2450 people have attended more than 73 meetings at 18 Monitor Farms, from Black Isle near Inverness to Crediton in Devon. HGCA s Head of Regional Development Richard Laverick said: The Monitor Farm programme will test your thinking, challenge your decision taking and give you unique access to the experience of others. This summer the Monitor Farms are opening up to visitors from across the industry, giving farmers the opportunity to tap into a fantastic network of knowledge and ideas. During their annual summer open days, local growers have the chance to learn about the Monitor Farm projects and the areas they have covered in the last year. For the Monitor Farms in England and Wales celebrating their first anniversary, this is their first chance to look back on the year s developments. The meetings have all been carefully planned by each of the Monitor Farm s steering groups, to focus on topics relevant to the local area and reflecting the interests of growers involved in the programme. Each of the open meetings is just that: open to visitors from across the industry. Growers who have not yet had the chance to participate in previous meetings will be particularly welcome. Oliver Pipe, who joined the Stowmarket Monitor Farm in the last year, has this message for farmers considering going along to their local Monitor Farm group for the first time: Just try it and see if you think it s for you. Most people want to try and learn, and do a better job. If you can learn from others mistakes or successes, you can at least avoid some of the common pitfalls that way. A hearty meal, BBQ or hog-roast will be provided during each of the meetings. I joined the Monitor Farm because it is local and relevant to my business. We can have open discussions of practical challenges to combinable cropping systems, which is valuable as my own farm business is going through a period of rapid change due to black-grass and volatile commodity values William Cooper, Monitor Farm member, Louth Open meetings dates for your diary North: Harry Henderson e: t: Louth, 4 June Berwick-upon-Tweed, 1 July Driffield, 3 July York, 8 July West and Wales: Richard Meredith e: t: Leamington Spa, 18 June Cardiff, 30 June Hereford, 2 July Newport, Shropshire, 14 October South: Philip Dolbear e: t: Bath, 16 June Wantage, 23 June Winchester, 1 July Crediton, 9 July Scotland: Gavin Dick e: gavin.dick@ahdb.org.uk t: Fife, 22 July Black Isle, 23 July East: Tim Isaac e: tim.isaac@ahdb.org.uk t: Royston, 2 June Huntingdon, 16 June Stowmarket, 19 June Colchester, 10 November Meet some of the monitor farmers at Cereals 2015 and find out more about the programme hgca.com/monitorfarms 93 % 85 % You tell us Monitor Farm programme in Scotland Participants reported: had improved productivity had reduced costs Data from a report commissioned by ScotGov which summarises the conduct and findings of an interim evaluation of the Scottish Monitor Farms programme ( ) delivered with QMS, DairyCo, HGCA, NFUS and SOPA Monitor Farm programme in England and Wales Out of participants surveyed: Over70 % said that the meetings helped them identify ways to improve their business Over75 % improved their technical knowledge The three most important aspects of the programme are: a farmerled agenda, locally relevant and the opportunity to share experience with other farmers HGCA survey completed on 30 April 2015 To provide more feedback on HGCA s Monitor Farm programme, please contact Richard Laverick, HGCA Head of Regional Development, richard.laverick@ahdb.org.uk hgca.com 9

10 Special feature: Genetics How to win the plant breeding lottery Visitors to Cereals 2015 will be able to journey back in time and discover how 50 years of plant breeding has shaped the varieties grown today and get a glimpse into the future too. Plant breeding experts, including representatives from the British Society of Plant Breeders (BSPB) and the Crop Improvement Research Club (CIRC), will be on Stand 902 to discuss the business and science of crop improvement. Funded to the tune of more than 7m from BBSRC, Scottish Government and 14 industry partners (including AHDB), CIRC has supported 15 basic science projects to address the industry-defined challenges of higher yields, healthier crops, better quality and improved roots in wheat, barley and oilseed rape. The exhibit will also look at the methods available to improve the odds of winning the plant breeding lottery helping to secure the next 50 years of cereals and oilseeds production. So, if you want to understand a variety of plant breeding terms such as pedigree, hybrid, doubled haploid, marker assisted selection, transformation and genome editing make sure you visit the Varieties: the spice of life area. Case study One project featured, led by the University of Warwick, hopes to show turnip yellows virus (TuYV) the red card. Image shows three distinct TuYV genetic groups (red, green/ blue, black as illustrated) found across Europe. The research is revealing the genetic diversity within the virus to help breeders combine the best mix of genes to make oilseed rape resistant to all forms of the virus. All in the genes In 1964, the Plant Varieties and Seeds Act provided a legal framework for the collection of royalties on protected crop varieties. The securing of breeders intellectual property helped fund half a century of varietal improvement. In the plots on the AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds stand, a genetics timeline and heritage variety plots will illustrate why wheat, barley and oat varieties fell out of favour, while their traits improved modern varieties. GM cereals and oilseeds have potential benefits to UK agriculture The adoption of genetically modified (GM) cereals and oilseeds crops could benefit farmers, consumers and the animal feed supply chain, while supporting UK competitiveness in the global marketplace. An evidence-based review on the likely economic and environmental impact of genetically modified (GM) cereals and oilseeds for UK agriculture examines the best available evidence on overseas experience of GM adoption, pulling together data from more than 170 publications, reports and studies to explore possible scenarios for the UK. HGCA s Dr Vicky Foster said: We felt it was important to develop an independent evidence-base, free from distortion and speculation, to better prepare the industry for the implications of GM crop production, should the technology become available in the UK. We recognise that GM is an emotive subject but this report is specifically focused on the science, rather than consumer acceptability of GM products. To read the full report and watch a video interview with HGCA s Drs Vicky Foster and Susannah Bolton, visit hgca.com/genetics Key findings: The technology premium for GM seed and the cost of co-existence measures depressed gross margins in comparison to conventional crops unless there were continued pest and weed pressures In very severe pest and weed pressure situations, gross margins could increase by up to 15.2% for continuous Insecticide Resistant (IR) maize, 16.6% for continuous Herbicide Tolerant (HT) OSR and 10.2% for HT OSR in a four crop rotation Other benefits included a cleaner crop (following a GM crop), better soil condition and reduced weed burden returned to the land 10 Grain Outlook Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board All rights reserved. HGCA is a division of the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board.