Shows / The Direct Driller Podcast
The Direct Driller Podcast
Every article from Direct Driller Magazine, read out in full, so you can catch up on no-till, soil health, cover crops, machinery and farm tech in the tractor, the truck or the yard. Each season is one issue of the magazine, with real results from real farms, Farmer Focus diaries and our Tech Farmer section. Episodes are read by AI voices. Farmer Focus and Agronomist in Focus pieces use a digital version of the writer's own voice, created with their permission. Text as published in Direct…
Episodes
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Beyond Yield: Who Pays for a Better Crop?
At World Agri-Tech in London, Direct Driller's own Tom Allen-Stevens joined KWS, KPMG and the University of Warwick to ask whether nutrition and quality, not…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Agtech on the Farm: Start With the Farmer, Finish With the Money
At World Agri-Tech in London, a growers' panel including Dyson Farming, Branston and Tesco got down to what actually pays on farm, and why so much clever kit…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Optimising Protein Within an Integrated Arable and Poultry System
At Woodend Farm in the Scottish Borders, arable cropping, poultry production, nutrient recycling and renewable energy are managed as a single integrated…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
AI Agents Are Coming to Farming, Ready or Not
At World Agri-Tech in London, former Google X agtech lead Elliott Grant explained how AI agents differ from the chatbots most of us are only just getting used…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
SPS Agreement Risks Faster Precision-Bred Crop Delivery
Precision breeding is fast moving beyond being a theoretical science, with some promising traits entering on-farm field trials (see panel), but regulatory…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
On-Farm Lamb Trial Puts Individualised Parasite Control to the Test
A new trial in South West England is testing whether technology could help farmers reduce wormer use, tackle anthelmintic resistance and maintain flock…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Awareness or Acceptance? What Consumers Really Think About Precision Breeding
Consumer resistance is often seen as a potential barrier to the adoption of precision-bred crops, but new research suggests low awareness may not necessarily…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Biologicals: “Growers Have Choices”
At World Agri-Tech in London, Corteva's Tom Greene told the main stage that biologicals will only go mainstream if they beat chemistry on the two things…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Can Farming Get Stronger Under Stress? Not If Nobody Pays for the Risk
At World Agri-Tech in London, a panel including former Defra Secretary of State George Eustice asked whether agriculture can do more than just survive the next…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
What's Your Kit Actually Worth? Help Us Find Out
Farmers and contractors wanted to trial a free online tool that values your machinery for insurance, ideally if your renewal falls between January and April…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Micronutrient Boost to OSR Canopies May Unlock Spring Nitrogen Savings
Growers are being urged not to overlook the importance of micronutrients in oilseed rape (OSR) this autumn, to give crops the strongest possible start next…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Drills on the Farm: What Makers Have Been Up To
We've been through the launches and the show stands of the drill makers in this issue to see what's new for autumn 2026. Here's what we found, from show…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Drill Manufacturers in Focus - Claydon: Now Is a Good Time to Plan Your Future Farming Strategy
The question most farming businesses are asking right now is how they can remain viable in an extremely challenging environment. Written by Jeff Claydon. Read…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Drill Manufacturers in Focus - Amazone: Matching Your Drill to the Season
Dry growing seasons put the relationship between soil movement, seed placement and reconsolidation under scrutiny. Choosing a drill that makes good use of…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The Benefits of Intercropping
Jerry Alford reports on the many encouraging results from the three-year LEGUMINOSE trials that explored the value of intercropping cereals and pulses Written…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Double the Infiltration, 63% More Hay: One Humic Pass in a Record Drought
A single application on a 60-acre organic meadow in the North East has turned in some numbers worth a closer look. This case study from High Hill Farm is…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Philip Bradshaw: Retiring After 37 Farming Years
After thirty-seven years of farming, Philip and Jayne Bradshaw have retired from their Cambridgeshire farm. Watching the machinery go under the hammer took…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Harvest Without the Desiccant
In the last issue, I looked at the EU reset and what it could mean for glyphosate. Since then, an American regen group has told its own regulator, in some…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
What's Your Linseed Straw Really Worth?
Winter crops were drilled into ideal conditions, and seedbeds were generally very good. OSR had very little CSFB pressure and got away well, with slugs and…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Spring Pulses: A Profitable Rotation Choice in a Changing Policy Landscape
The Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) changes announced in September 2026 have left many growers reassessing their cropping plans. With growers looking for…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Phil Rowbottom: A Dry Year and a Necessary Reset
As we come to the back end of 2026, I can sum the season up in a few words: exceptional farming and growing conditions, exceptionally dry and exceptionally…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Agronomist in Focus - Louise Penn: Looking Ahead After a Season of Extremes
Louise Penn of Ceres Rural on a disappointing harvest, why some costs can't be cut, drilling into dry seedbeds and rethinking BYDV risk going into 2027…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Heather Oldfield: The Farming Year That Never Went to Plan
Drought, three heatwaves and a May frost on an arable and beef farm, and why talking about food security isn't the same as supporting it. Written by Heather…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Why Now Is the Time to Establish Your Soil Carbon Baseline
There is plenty of discussion about carbon markets in farming, and understandably, farmers have questions about how the market works, whether it will last and…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Be Part of the BASE-UK Community
We are the premier organisation, dedicated to promoting independent, farmer-led, regenerative agricultural knowledge across the UK. Read the full article with…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Tim Parton: Planning Ahead for Tough Times
With another challenging year behind us and the threat of a super El Niño on everyone's lips, Tim Parton looks at how to plan for tough times, from soil carbon…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Why the UK's New Framework Demands a New Approach to Nature Data
The UK government's Land Use Framework (LUF), published in 2026, is the most significant reshaping of land management policy in a generation. Written by Pippa…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Agronomist in Focus - Lisa Hambly: Drought Lessons for Forage Resilience
What the 2026 season taught us about ley longevity, soil health and making every nutrient count, plus five priorities for spring 2027. Written by Lisa Hambly…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The Power of Balanced Nutrition: Why POLY4 Is Getting Harder to Ignore
A major global meta-analysis suggests that combining sulphur, potassium, magnesium and calcium can deliver consistent improvements in crop performance across…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Anna Jackson: Lambing in January
I’ve started this article three times already because I’m at a slight loss for words as to how to summarise the last harvest year. Mainly because it’s been a…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
How Leafhoppers Spread WDV
Jason Pole explains how Wheat dwarf virus (WDV) spreads in cereals, the main symptoms and management options. Written by Jason Pole, AHDB. Read the full…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Tom Martin
There are years when farming feels like a carefully choreographed partnership between man, soil and weather. And then there are years when the weather appears…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Confusion Over Regenerative Agriculture
Few topics in agriculture generate as much confusion today as regenerative agriculture. Speak to 10 people, and you'll likely get 10 different definitions…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Clive Bailye: The Haves and the Have-Nots
As his SFI 2023 agreement ends, Clive Bailye looks at what the scheme did for his light land, how the SFI 2026 rush split farming into the haves and the…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Regenerative Agriculture: Who Pays for the Transition?
Farmers may be increasingly lacking in harvestable yield, but one commodity we aren’t short of is shiny reports proclaiming the unmitigated benefits of…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Tom Sewell: It's Raining!
At last, rain in Kent. Tom Sewell on drilling oilseed rape with companion crops, why a farmer now needs a dozen job titles, old-but-reliable tractors, solar on…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The Mechanics of Soil: Water
In my previous article on the mechanics of soil, we explored how cultivation dismantles the extraordinary structural engineering that a living soil builds for…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Direct Driller Print Is Moving to a Paid Subscription
The question we hear from farmers at this time of year is some version of "Where is this all heading?" This autumn it feels louder than usual. Written by Chris…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Issue 38: What's in This Issue
Chris Fellows introduces issue 38 of Direct Driller Magazine, October 2026: what's in the issue, and how the podcast is made. Articles in this series are read…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer-Led Innovation Comes of Age
Written by ffinlo Costain – Chief Editor of www.8point9.com. This article first appeared on 8point9.com. Read the full article with pictures…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The Smart Connected Farm: Making Sense of Agritech at Cereals 2026
At Cereals 2026, held this year at Diddly Squat Farm, Agrii presented their vision for the future of agronomy. The press launch of their Smart Connected Farm…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Bridging the Gap: Will the Recommended List Adapt to a Lower-Input Future?
The direction of travel for English agriculture has been clearly mapped out, but is the industry’s primary variety selection tool keeping pace? Written by…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Tim Parton
It is with a sad heart that I feel I must share with you that I am no longer a farm manager at Brewood Park Farm. Since my accident, it feels like I have been…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Lightening the load on glyphosate
Mat Hutchings is FMC’s Senior Commercial Technical Manager for the East Midlands and Ireland. Previous to his role at FMC, he was an agronomist covering farms…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Somerset Farm Trial Explores Innovative Water Management Solution for Peat Soils
A pioneering on-farm trial in Pawlett, Somerset is exploring whether biochar-based underground drainage systems could help protect peat soils, improve water…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The 5% That Works
In the last issue, I wrote about where agtech is really headed. The short version: not towards autonomous farms, not towards replacing farmers, but towards…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
World Agri-Tech San Francisco 2026: Has the Cycle Finally Turned?
Last week, I attended the World Agri-Tech summit in San Francisco, one of my favourite conferences of the year. Read the full article with pictures…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Are the Recommended Lists Still Fit for Real Farming?
This is the first of a four-part series examining how the UK’s variety selection system is responding to a changing agricultural landscape. Read the full…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Breaking the Mould: Why Lamport AgX Is Rewriting the Rulebook on Variety Selection
If the recent Limagrain demonstration day in Staffordshire highlighted a growing frustration with the rigid confines of the Recommended List (RL), Agrovista’s…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Soil, Data & Profit: Who Really Benefits from Farm Data?
Data is the new frontier in agriculture, but the battle lines are already being drawn over who gets to extract its value. Written by Chris Fellows. Read the…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The Price of Change: Who Pays for the Regenerative Transition?
The stark reality of UK farming economics was laid bare in the Soil Tent at Groundswell 2026. Written by Chris Fellows. Read the full article with pictures…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
The Shrinking Toolbox: Chemistry, Genetics and the Search for Security
Following the Limagrain and Agrovista demonstration days, which highlighted a growing industry frustration with the Recommended List (RL) and a shift towards…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Baselining and Environmental Data: What Is It and Why Should You Care?
Data is rapidly becoming as critical a commodity in agriculture as the crops and livestock we produce. Yet, for many farmers, the push to collect and share…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Field to Fork: Unlocking the UK's Pulse Potential
A session at Groundswell exploring the agricultural, nutritional and economic case for growing and eating more beans and pulses in the UK. Written by Chris…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Groundswell 2026: Where the Future of Farming Was Argued, Not Just Discussed
There is a moment, somewhere around the third conversation of the day at Groundswell, when you stop thinking of it as a farming event and start thinking of it…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
One Health Nutrition: From Soil to Human Health
For decades, the agricultural conversation has been dominated by yield, inputs, and the relentless pursuit of volume. But at Groundswell 2026, a different…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Seeing Is Believing: The Rainfall Simulator and Slake Test Demonstration
There are few things more powerful in agriculture than a practical demonstration. While charts and graphs can illustrate the benefits of soil health, seeing…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Can the UK's Market-Leading Winter Wheat Continue Its Positive Trajectory?
Following its arrival on the 2024 Recommended List (RL) just two and a half years ago, Group 3 soft wheat Bamford became the UK’s market-leading winter wheat…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Andy Cato
“We’re gonna groove on something else instead. We’re gonna groove on biodiversity and bread.” Written by Andy Cato. Read the full article with pictures…
- The Direct Driller Podcast
Farmer Focus - Gent Family
The Gent family has been farming in South Lincolnshire for four generations, but while the mission of growing food remains the same, the world around it has…