BASIS Agronomy Matters

For this month’s episode of the Agronomy Matters podcast, we are focussing on Regenerative Agriculture. We were joined by Joe Stanley, the author of Farm to Fork, which was chosen by our members as the first book for the BASIS Book Club. Joe gave us a great insight into the content of his book, a glimpse behind the scenes of what it’s like to be a published author and provided us with a fantastic...

For this month’s episode of the Agronomy Matters podcast, we are focussing on how new technology and innovative growing practices are being utilised within fruit production to develop more sustainable, productive and efficient farming systems. We were also joined by Tanya Kesterton, BASIS’s Head of Digital Learning, who explained how we are using technology at BASIS to offer new and improved produ...

On our first episode of 2022 we speak to four guests about mental health awareness in agriculture. Firstly, we speak to Sheena Horner, a chilli farmer from Scotland. Sheena founded Run1000 , a running event set up to increase awareness of rural mental health and raise money for mental health charities. Having raised over £51,500 for charities including RSABI, DPJ Foundation, Vetlife and YANA, Shee...

On our final episode of the year we have decided to do a 2021 in review episode, where we will be speaking to three guests about their experiences over the last 12 months, as well as what their predictions are for 2022. Firstly we spoke to independent agronomist Patrick Stephenson to get his view on the challenges farmers and agronomists have had to face in 2021, as well as looking at what changes...

This year we had the 26th annual summit of the United nations climate change conference; COP26. From the 31st October until the 12th November world leaders, government representatives, businesses and citizens will arrive in Scotland for twelve days of talks around how to tackle climate change. To coincide with this important event in this month’s Agronomy Matters Podcast we discuss all things net...

This month’s episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast has been produced in collaboration with the Kellogg’s Origins Project. This is a really exciting initiative which is looking at how the food supply chain can help support more sustainable farming practices through unique research projects. Our first speakers on this episode, Duncan Rawson and David Fitzgerald, explained what Origins projec...

In this month's episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast, our Business Development Executive, Jade Prince hones in on effective phosphorus management as an essential part of producing high quality profitable crops whilst also protecting the wider environment and as this year’s topic for the FACTS online assessment, phosphorus management is of particular interest to our FACTS Qualified Adviser...

In a first for the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast, this episode has been produced in collaboration with Championing the Farmed Environment (CFE), a partnership which supports farmers to deliver environmental benefits within a productive farming business. This episode was therefore co-hosted by Greg Hopkinson from BASIS and Ellenor Litobarski from CFE. The key topic for this podcast was water quali...

In the latest episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast we are discussing all things organic, following the launch of the BASIS Foundation Award in Organic Farming qualification. The demand for organic produce from the UK consumer continues to grow, and our three guests on this episode provide unique insights into how the industry works, what the principles of organic farming are, and explain...

In this month’s episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters podcast we are looking at a slightly different area of UK agriculture, livestock production. In particular we are focussing on how introducing livestock into an arable farming system can provide significant benefits, and also what potential risks and limitations need to be avoided. Our first guest is Liz Genever, independent consultant within t...

In this latest episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast, our Technical Manager, Greg Hopkinson hones in how to combine sustainable and profitable crop production with hosting a successful shoot on farms and estates with a focus on some of the unique challenges of combining these two parts of land management. Greg also announces that BASIS is now running a Certificate in Game Management qualif...

In this month’s episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast we are talking all things soil following an update to one of our most popular BASIS courses, the Soil & Water Management Certificate. Our first guest on this episode is David Felce, Regional Technical Adviser at Agrii, who spoke about the challenges of managing the physical properties of our soil, for example through cultivations an...

In this month's episode of the BASIS Agronomy Podcast Greg Hopkinson, Head of Business Development at BASIS, speaks to three recent winners of BASIS awards which are presented each year to outstanding candidates in a number of BASIS qualifications. Our first guest is Beth Duchesne, Senior Consultant on Agriculture & the Environment at Bidwells. Beth was awarded the Barrie Orme Shield in 2020 a...

In the first episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast in 2021 we are looking ahead to spring with a specific focus on seed and variety selection. Greg Hopkinson, Head of Business Development at BASIS, speaks to three guests about how to select the correct variety for a range of spring sown crops.  Our first guest was Sarah-Jane Osbourne from AHDB who explained how to get the most out of...

In the final episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast for 2020 we are focusing on field vegetable production as we look at how your Christmas dinner vegetables go from field to fork. Greg Hopkinson, head of business development and marketing at BASIS, speaks to two guests about the challenges 2020 has brought, the demands of retailers and how Brexit might impact the field vegetable industry....

The latest episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast is a special edition featuring our technical manager, Greg Hopkinson, who investigates how to build a successful career in agronomy. Whether you’re well established in the industry, or just starting out on the career ladder, our three guests provide a great insight into how to develop your career in the industry. First up, we hear from Tom W...

In this month’s episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast our technical manager, Greg Hopkinson, speaks to four expert guests about technology in agriculture, with a particular focus on how it can benefit crop production while reducing our environmental impact. First up, we have a double act of Rozzi Martin and Max Dafforn from Bayer Crop Science. Rozzi discusses a new rapid disease detection...

In this month’s episode of the BASIS Agronomy Matters Podcast, our technical manager, Greg Hopkinson hones in on integrated pest management in commercial fruit production and speaks to two expert guests. Firstly we hear from Alex Radu, Agrovista’s fruit team technical manager. Alex focuses on pest control in orchards and talks about new innovations including beneficial insect refuges and sex hormo...

The combines have already started rolling, so thoughts are turning to the next cropping season. In this episode, BASIS technical manager, Greg Hopkinson speaks to three expert guests who give valuable insight into what farmers should be growing in 2020/2021. First up, David Eudall, head of arable markets at AHDB, discusses prospects for key crop markets over the next 12 months and explains how the...

In our flagship episode, BASIS CEO, Stephen Jacob, introduces two guest speakers who give a technical insight into two different areas of spring cereal production.  Chris Bond, from FMC, talks around micronutrition, the most prevalent deficiencies in the UK, and how to counteract these.  While Paul Fogg, from Frontier, tells us about ramularia control and gives insight into the best curr...