Farmers will get the lowdown on the latest crop research and some of the hot topics affecting their businesses during a series of free agronomy events being held in Scotland this month.

Organised by AHDB and Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), and jointly funded by the Farm Advisory Service (FAS), the January events will showcase the latest fungicide performance results and provide a summary of recommended varieties.

There will also be discussions on sustainable arable systems and grain markets in light of Brexit and the programme has been developed to include regionally relevant speakers and discussion with stakeholders from across the arable industry.

Chris Leslie, AHDB's arable knowledge exchange manager for Scotland, said: “Our agronomy events roadshow places cutting-edge arable research in a local context. These regional events offer the opportunity to access the latest agronomic information and discuss its practical application at a local level.

“At the same time, by providing a forum for researchers, agronomists, growers and the trade to share and discuss the latest innovations and novel approaches, the events provide a great opportunity to build resilience into arable businesses as they prepare for the challenges that lie ahead.

"Common problems are best met by common solutions, so would I encourage anyone with an interest in arable farming to attend so they benefit from these events,” he added.

Professor Fiona Burnett, from SRUC, who will be amongst the speakers, said: “With challenges such as an unpredictable climate, loss of pesticides and pesticide resistance hampering the sustainable growth of crops, these events highlight the lessons learned from last season and suggest approaches from the outcomes of applied technical research at SRUC and AHDB that could be applied to on-farm practice.”

The events, which run from 9.30am-3.30pm and include lunch, will take place at four venues across Scotland:

· January 14, Perth – Murrayshall Country House Hotel, Scone, Perth;

· January 16, Borders – Carfraemill Hotel, Lauder;

· January 21, Aberdeenshire – Thainstone House Hotel and Spa, Inverurie;

· January 23, Inverness – Kingsmills Hotel, Inverness.