Cereals 2026 visitors will be able to compare high input, low input and untreated crop plots side-by-side at Diddly Squat Farm this June, as Ceres Rural sets out to show the real-world impact of crop management decisions on varieties farmers are growing now.
The Diddly Squat Farm trials at Cereals 2026 will take a new approach this year, with Ceres Rural running three treatment strategies across each crop plot to help farmers assess input spend, crop performance and potential return on investment.
Instead of comparing one fully treated plot against one untreated plot, each wheat variety will be grown under high input, low input and untreated programmes, giving visitors a clearer view of how different levels of spend and intervention perform under the same conditions.
The trials are designed to reflect commercial decision-making on farm, using varieties that growers are already buying, drilling and managing in the field.
Winter wheat varieties and blends in the trial plan include Skyfall, Crusoe, Vibe, Arnie, Extase, Dawsum, Bamford, Scope and Champion, alongside group blends including Crusoe, Skyfall and Vibe, and Scope, Dawsum and Champion.
The treatment programmes include high input approaches with fungicide spend at £107/ha for winter wheat compared alongside lower input fungicide spend at £60/ha and untreated controls.
Ceres Rural partner George Badger said the aim was to make the trials as relevant and useful as possible for farmers dealing with tight margins and difficult decisions around input spend.
“Margins are under huge pressure, so the question is not simply whether a crop looks better after a treatment, but whether that treatment has paid for itself,” said Mr Badger.
“That is why we wanted to move beyond a simple treated versus untreated comparison. In the past, trials have had one plot where everything including the kitchen sink was thrown at it beside one left completely untouched and I’m not sure how much you can learn from that. By looking at high input, low input and untreated plots side-by-side, farmers will be able to see what different levels of investment are doing in varieties they recognise and may already be growing themselves.”
“The value of these plots is that farmers can see the impact of those decisions without taking the risk on their own farm first. We hope the trials will promote discussion, challenge assumptions and give visitors figures they can take away and think about in the context of their own businesses.”
The trial work will also include spring cereal and companion cropping options, exploring how growers can build more diverse systems even where Sustainable Farming Incentive support is not available.
Spring crop plots will include durum wheat, spring barley and spring oats, with companion crop and cover options including herbal leys, legume fallow and Charlie Ireland’s protein mix.
Charlie Ireland’s protein mix is spring sown and designed to be foraged late summer, offering a practical example of how farmers may be able to introduce additional value, forage potential and diversity into arable rotations.
Some plots will be treated with herbicides, while others will remain untreated, allowing visitors to compare management approaches and discuss the practical considerations around weed control, companion cropping and establishment.
Mr Badger said the companion cropping work would help farmers explore options beyond policy-driven incentives.
“There has been a lot of interest in companion crops and more diverse rotations, but many farmers quite rightly want to know what they can deliver in practical and financial terms,” he said.
“These plots are about showing what can be done, how crops and companion species behave together, and what options may still make sense even without SFI funding. It is a chance to have a very grounded discussion about establishment, management, forage value and where these approaches might fit.”
The Diddly Squat Farm trials will sit alongside the wider Cereals technical programme, which includes crop plots, machinery demonstrations, knowledge exchange, the Syngenta & CropLife Sprays & Sprayers Arena and the event’s main seminar stages.
Organisers say the trials will provide an important practical focus at a time when growers are scrutinising every pound spent on seed, sprays, nutrition and crop protection.
Mr Badger said: “Farmers are making very fine decisions this season. Input costs, grain prices, weather risk and policy uncertainty all mean that every treatment has to be justified.
“We want these trials to be very figures-focused. The plots are there to start conversations about cost, yield potential, risk and return, rather than just showcasing crops that look good on the day. If visitors leave with better questions to ask about their own input strategy, the trials will have done their job.”
The Diddly Squat Farm Trials are sponsored by Grain Fumigation Services who specialise in helping farmers ensure commodities aren’t rejected. Director, Joe Murphy, says: “The farm trials are so important as farmers need every advantage they can find at the moment.
“We provide grain fumigation services nationwide and Cereals is bringing farmers from across the country together. We’re really looking forward to being involved as it gives us chance to speak directly with farmers and meet with like-minded people across the industry.”
Cereals 2026 takes place at Diddly Squat Farm on June 10 and 11.
Farmers can register for tickets at www.thecerealsevent.co.uk. Applicable trade can also enquire online about exhibiting at the event.
Cereals is a business-to-business event and registrations will go through an approval process.
For more information, visit www.thecerealsevent.co.uk
