Tramlines

In this episode of Tramlines, our host Tony Smith sits down with the team behind Sparsholt Manor Farm to explore their ongoing journey towards sustainable arable farming. Faced with severe black-grass pressure and rising input costs, farm manager Piers Cowling and Agrii experts Iain Richards and Ian Davy share how a long-term, integrated approach - combining direct drilling, soil health improvements, and smarter crop management - is transforming both productivity and profitability.
Integrated black-grass control is essential
High resistance levels mean success relies on a full system approach - delayed drilling, consistent cultivations, precise seed placement, and stacked residual chemistry.
Direct drilling is driving efficiency gains
Moving from multi-pass cultivations to predominantly direct drilling has reduced fuel use dramatically (from ~45L/ha to under 10L/ha) while maintaining crop performance.
Soil health improvements are delivering real results
Organic matter has increased from under 4% to nearly 7%, improving nutrient cycling, water retention, and enabling reduced fertiliser inputs.
Input reduction is both economic and environmental
Lower nitrogen, fewer pesticides, and reduced fungicide use are cutting costs while supporting more resilient crops and beneficial ecosystems.
Variety choice and system thinking are critical
Selecting varieties for vigour and disease resistance - rather than maximum yield alone - helps optimise performance in later drilling windows and challenging conditions.
To find out more on how Agrii can support your farm business, visit agrii.co.uk/sustainable-farming

You've got the data, so what?
Today we’re recording live from Cereals 2026 at Diddly Squat Farm. Agrii has just unveiled its vision for the Smart Connected Farm - a system designed to help farmers harness data, technology, and expert insight to improve decision-making and drive performance.
In this episode, Rachel Watling National Marketing Manager at Agrii takes you on a tour of the concept, exploring how people, research, seed, nutrition, and digital tools all connect to create a more profitable and resilient farming business.
Stations:
Agronomy - Kathryn Styan
R&D - Ruth Mann & Jonathan Trotter
Seed - John Miles & Rob Stuart 
Nutrition - Tom Land
Digital - Ben Foster & Jonny Kerley 
Podcast summary:
The Smart Connected Farm is a system designed to help farmers improve profitability, and navigate the digital tools available - from sensors to satellite imagery 
People remain central: agronomists use data and AI to enhance (not replace) expert, on-the-ground decision-making.
Significant R&D investment (450+ trials annually) enables Agrii to reduce risk and provide proven, field-scale insights to growers.
A joined-up approach across seed, nutrition, and agronomy allows more precise, early-stage decision-making to improve crop performance.
Digital platforms like Contour bring complex data together into simple, actionable insights to drive profitability and compliance.
Download insight report: www.agrii.co.uk/insights/smart-connected-farms/

Oilseed rape is showing signs of a comeback, with planted area rising significantly last autumn and renewed confidence building across the industry. But with ongoing challenges and changing conditions, is it really back as a profitable option for UK farms?
In this episode, we’re joined by Agrii’s oilseed rape specialists Ian Davey and Will Sanderson.
to explore the latest insights on varieties, establishment, and risk management - you decide whether OSR has a place in your rotation this autumn.
Confidence is returning: improved establishment, reduced pest pressure, and stronger prices are driving renewed interest in OSR.
Profitability goes beyond the crop: OSR remains a valuable break crop, boosting the performance of following cereals.
Establishment is everything: success hinges on moisture, timing, and strong early growth in the first 4–6 weeks.
Success comes from marginal gains: integrated strategies like Agrii’s eight-point plan help manage risk layer by layer.
Variety choice is about risk, not just yield: traits like vigour, disease resilience, and stem health are critical for consistent performance.

In this episode of Tramlines, we head to Emery Soft Fruits Ltd in Hampshire to explore how growers are producing high-quality strawberries and raspberries in an increasingly challenging environment. As reliance on synthetic chemistry declines, integrated pest management (IPM) is taking centre stage. Joined by expert Matt Greep, Horticultural Agronomist at Agrii and Simon Beasley UK Sales Manager, at Bioline, we uncover how biological controls, pollinators and proactive strategies are helping growers stay ahead of pests, improve sustainability, and deliver consistent, premium fruit to UK consumers.
IPM is now central to modern soft fruit production
Consistent quality and flavour drive every decision
Proactive monitoring keeps pest pressure under control
Pollinators improve fruit shape, yield and uniformity
Building beneficial insect populations lowers costs long term

From rising machinery costs to variable rate technology and connected farm platforms, this episode of Tramlines explores how growers can improve machinery performance, reduce waste, and make more informed investment decisions.
In this episode of Tramlines, host Tony Smith is joined by farm business consultant Paul Pickford, Jonny Kerley from Origin Digital, and Ben Foster from RHIZA to discuss one of the biggest financial pressures facing UK farming businesses: machinery investment.
With farms in England spending £2.3 billion on machinery in 2023/24, according to DEFRA, the discussion focuses on how growers can improve returns from machinery through better data, improved connectivity, more efficient operations, and a clearer understanding of true operating costs.
Podcast Summary:
Why UK farm machinery investment has slowed despite increasing operational pressures
The true cost of machinery ownership and why many businesses still underestimate it
How telematics and connected platforms are improving machinery efficiency on farm
Why idle time and machine utilisation matter more than ever in tight-margin farming
The growing role of data and connectivity in future machinery purchasing decisions