It was the Cereals Event Crop Plot Day yesterday, so the team headed to the Cotswolds to discuss Niab's plots, the soil and all about what you'll find on Niab's stand come June. For more info see https://ow.ly/TRKF50YLbEH

Some aerials of our Variety List Oilseed Rape trials from Deal in Kent...

Sandra, Tom and Aoife from Niab's Pathology Team were busy delivering training on oilseed rape disease scoring today, with plenty of light leaf spot, phoma and even some TYV on display! For more Niab training courses see https://ow.ly/KWQR50YCkgI

The Cambridge Trials Team were busy drilling Sugar Beet at Hinxton, Cambridgeshire last week. Despite the cold and blustery conditions, the team pulled together and got the sugar beet drilling finished - well done to everyone involved.

And so it begins... #Monogram26 For the second year, the ECR workshop organised by @nikkiwalter.bsky.social was very well attended... Lovely to host so many Monogram researchers at @niab-uk.bsky.social for a day. #plantsciences #crops

BAPL, Growing Kent & Medway and BBSRC funding has allowed Niab to investigate a range of novel approaches to improving management of apple canker. At the BAPL/Niab apple and pear technical day, Matevz Papp-Rupar presented current best practice and recent results ➡️ https://ow.ly/oxIT50YxB7q

With funding from British Apples and Pears Ltd, Niab is investigating biocontrol options for apple blossom weevil. @sejarnold.bsky.social presented the findings of approaches using parasitoids, nematodes and fungi at the BAPL/Niab apple and pear technical day ➡️ youtu.be/BmBCV8wzK2M?...

Lorenzo, Abdul and Talha from Niab's Trials Team in Kent have been out in the sunshine today drilling and rolling the Recommended List spring barley trials at Adisham.

New #Blog: Niab CEO Mario Caccamo discusses the recent Farm Profitability Report and explains more about Niab's work ➡️ https://ow.ly/XqXT50YuG9p

Join the #CHCX3 team for a Biomass open day. You'll hear about agronomy, carbon storage benefits, crop harvesting and uses of willow and miscanthus uses. Plus you'll see other biomass crops during a field tour. More info and book ➡️ https://ow.ly/Mf6X50YuBZR

Niab has developed mathematical models to calculate the exact nitrogen requirement of a strawberry or raspberry crop. At the Niab soft fruit day, Mark Else outlined a new project using this model to maximise strawberry yield and quality. Watch presentation➡️https://ow.ly/rmRx50YraB5

Signs of spring at Park Farm just outside Cambridge - we've also seen birds checking out our nestboxes...

Dr Tom Passey has been awarded Niab’s annual Bentley Nelstrop Award for Enterprise and Innovation. Tom was nominated by his colleagues for providing exceptional leadership with sustained contributions to innovation, operational excellence, and project delivery, ➡️ https://ow.ly/cebn50Yso06

Here are some photos taken today of a Variety List Winter Oilseed Rape trials from Kent that are looking good. The trials team were out checking up on the trials progress.

Niab has demonstrated that the average commercial yield of an everbearer strawberry plant can be at least doubled when grown in an optimum environment for 12 months. Katia Zacharaki explained our latest work to maximise yield potential at the Niab soft fruit day ➡️ https://ow.ly/JHVX50Yrait

Are you involved in scoring and assessing cereal diseases in variety and agrochemical field trials? Then our new course is for you! More info and book ➡️https://ow.ly/YCHP50Yp1T0

Here are Oleksii and George from Niab's trials team assessing a commercial herbicide effectiveness trial near Cambridge. The team were looking for different weed species and assessing the herbicide's effectiveness against these. See how we can help your trials➡️www.niab.com/commercial-trial-services

After ten years with the organisation, Niab Chief Executive Professor Mario Caccamo will leave this summer to pursue a global opportunity ➡️https://ow.ly/8TMl50YmSjb

Niab staff took part in the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust #BigFarmlandBirdCount this lunchtime on our trial grounds between Cambridge and Histon. We saw 12 species in total, the highlights being plenty of singing skylarks enjoying the spring sunshine and four stonechats.

Niab’s Mat Papp-Rupar has been working with industry partner Overland to test the quality and benefits of using recycled coir instead of importing virgin coir to the UK. You can see the presentation, and others, at https://ow.ly/gOiq50Yl7xs

Niab's Joe Martlew is speaking at some breakfast meetings with Soil Benchmark. Part of an Innovate UK project, you will work through how to get the most out of Soil Benchmark's brand new nutrient management offering. Event 1: https://ow.ly/MyXh50Yl61M Event 2: https://ow.ly/ccog50Yl61L

Involved in disease assessments for oilseed variety and product efficacy trials? Then Niab's Scoring and Assessing Oilseed Rape Diseases in Variety and Agrochemical Field Trials course is for you! Book now ➡️ https://ow.ly/lK9i50YiTHb

Niab is part of an international research team, led by CSIRO that's created a detailed map of avirulence genes in wheat stem rust. The study shows how changes in these pathogen genes can allow new strains to infect varieties previously protected by resistance genes ➡️ https://ow.ly/Law050YiGPB

We've got two half-day courses coming up soon which will help you improve the performance of your potato crops ➡️https://ow.ly/TGjT50Yic4h

Niab has played an important role in an international pathogenomics study including providing a uniquely preserved oat crown rust sample collected in the UK back in 1984 ➡️ https://ow.ly/EX2950YhwaY

The brown marmorated stink bug has spread from Asia causing damage to fruit crops and leaving a pungent odour in buildings. At the Niab soft fruit day, Francis Wamonje explained how Niab is using Defra funding to survey the UK for its presence and alert the public ➡️ https://ow.ly/QrQO50YgGpv

Niab's Cambridge Trials Team have been busy sowing peas and beans in the polytunnels, as part of pathology trials on downy mildew.

The UK’s wheat is under threat from a newly identified strain of the yellow rust pathogen, prompting an urgent mobilisation of research institutes to protect harvests. The new strain, identified in 2025, has overcome the YR15 gene that was protecting many wheat varieties ➡️https://ow.ly/pJWI50YcJPi

Today is the International Day of Women and Girls in Science. To celebrate, Niab's Asia Roberts-Yalland explores the hugely important role women have played in the Official Seed Testing Station: https://www.niab.com/news-views/blogs/role-women-official-seed-testing-station #Womeninscience

Today was the BAPL/Niab Apple and Pear Technical Day at East Malling. Lots of Niab speakers, pictured here are Adam Walker explaining how to use earwigs to for control of wooly apple aphid and Sarah Arnold presenting novel approaches to control of apple blossom weevil.

Spotted wing drosophila (SWD) can cause 90% crop loss in soft and stone fruit crops and the industry needs reliable forms of natural control. At Niab's soft fruit day, Michelle Fountain explained how naturally-occurring parasitoid insects might be deployed for SWD control ➡️ https://ow.ly/An1250Ya6Ao

Learn how to evaluate new practices or technologies and make informed, evidence-based decisions on #Niab's Designing and Conducting On-farm Trials course. It's a valuable course for anyone interested in designing applied on-farm trials, or developing an ADOPT project ➡️https://ow.ly/8msz50Y4Uob

Niab has been developing bespoke native hoverfly species blends to control key aphid pests of soft fruit crops under protection. Sarah Arnold presented the latest results at the Niab soft fruit day on 3rd December, which can be viewed at ow.ly/Kc6s50Y4mEa

Niab's Rob Jackson explains all about the brand new Introduction to AI in agriculture course... More info and book➡️https://ow.ly/F0Tb50Y1NCG

Looking to gain an understanding of the precision technologies available and how digital farming techniques can maximise business profitability? Book your spot on #Niab's brand new 'Basics of Precision Agriculture' course, held at Ripon Farm Services ➡️ https://ow.ly/efL550XJHWQ

If you enjoy practical, hands-on work and want to learn new skills this seasonal role is for you! You don't need a background in agriculture - what matters most is attention to detail, reliability, and a willingness to learn. Full info and apply➡️https://ow.ly/9kIV50Y0vOZ #Vacancy

Book your spot on one of #Niab's upcoming vegetable and soil courses. And until 18th Jan you can get 10% off using the code TRAIN10. Book at https://ow.ly/PyFp50XWMJW

Niab's Charlotte Nellist, Kostya Kanyuka and Nichola Hawkins presenting at yesterday's AHDB UKCPVS stakeholder meeting. Charlotte and Kostya introduced updates from 2025, before Nichola discussed fungicide resistance status in cereals. For more on the UKCPVS see https://ow.ly/JMjN50XWabj

Book your spot at a free webinar and hear from Dr Ian Clarke, Rothamsted Research about the findings from a #CHCx3 cover crop trial. Niab's Dr Lydia Smith and Dr Nathan Morris will then talk discuss the results from the seed rate, drill date and inputs trials. Book now➡️https://ow.ly/hpMF50XU1VT

Niab's Francis Wamonje has been leading a Growing Kent & Medway funded project to develop new biocontrol options for large raspberry aphid in protected raspberry crops. He presented his findings at the Niab soft fruit day on 3rd December ➡️ https://ow.ly/a2xE50XTUWT

Niab Training Courses focus on boosting the technical skills needed by farmers, growers, agronomists and the supply chain to improve crop production. Book one today ➡️ https://ow.ly/3xuL50XS181

All former #Niab CEOs have a portrait, and Prof Tina Barsby's was unveiled in July. #NiabHighlights2025

Happy New Year from all at Niab.

In a landmark moment for UK crop science, the Genetic Technology (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 finally came into force in November. #NiabHighlights2025

Niab's continues to be at the forefront of soft fruit research with delegates hearing about our latest research findings at the 2025 Soft Fruit Day. #NiabHighlights2025

Niab welcomed over 1000 visitors to its various arable open days and specialist events in May and June, from Norfolk to Hampshire, Herefordshire to Co Durham. #NiabHighlights2025

Perhaps not a #NiabHighlight as such, but some good Niab teaam work with the discovery of the YR15 breakdown in northern England by the Niab trials team, confirmed by the UKCPVS.

Niab welcomed Belinda Clarke and Richard Taylor to the Niab Board. #NiabHighlights2025

At Cereals in June, we awarded Mascani winter oats the Niab Variety Cup. After 21 years on the AHDB Recommended List it is a worthy winner. #NiabHighlights2025

Niab welcomed 55 fruit agronomists to East Malling in September to demonstrate the results of our latest fruit research. They discussed topics such as pest control, commercial trials and vineyard cover cropping ➡️https://ow.ly/c1gg50XNBCQ #NiabHighlights2025