24/04/26: Cover crop scheme proposal, sourcing thatching materials, gene-edited Barley

Whilst the cost of producing a crop is up, particularly the cost of fuel and fertiliser, the price paid for it hasn't risen by anything like as much. If the situation stays the same by the autumn some farmers may decide not to grow loss-making crops, leaving fields lying fallow. There are calls for the Government to fund a one-off a scheme to protect this land from soil erosion by planting cover crops, and these could also reduce the use of fertiliser. The idea comes from the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, the professional body for farm valuers and advisors. Thatching is becoming more of a challenge due to issues with some of the materials. Supplies of the right sort of wheat straw can be unpredictable. And, Hazel spars used to attach the thatch to the roof now have to be imported from Eastern Europe. To kick start interest in growing more locally a ‘summit’ of thatchers, farmers and plant scientists was held this week in Suffolk. We visit a field trial of a gene edited Barley which contains higher levels of fat. Scientists believe this will make it a more efficient livestock feed, and could also reduce methane emissions by making it more digestible. Presenter: Charlotte Smith Producer: Sarah Swadling

You can listen to 24/04/26: Cover crop scheme proposal, sourcing thatching materials, gene-edited Barley online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

24/04/26: Cover crop scheme proposal, sourcing thatching materials, gene-edited Barley is an episode from Farming Today by BBC.

This episode is 13:54 long.

This episode was published on Apr 24, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Farming Today when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.