Fertiliser prices and energy costs are jostling for pole position with the weather as the most unpredictable issues affecting farming.

And even the weather is becoming increasingly variable. At the same time, natural resources and key organisms supporting crop production are declining in abundance.

Adapting to these changing conditions is crucial for agricultural industries and explains the choice of theme for this year’s Arable Scotland event: ‘Innovating for the future’.

Arable Scotland is Scotland’s leading field event for knowledge exchange in the arable farming sector. Now in its fifth year, it brings together the key players in food production, from farmers and agronomists to suppliers and processors, to demonstrate and discuss key industry issues.

The event, which will be held on July 4 at the James Hutton Institute’s Balruddery Farm, near Dundee, features trade stands, exhibits, and plots demonstrating innovative and sustainable farming methods, and lively discussions with panels of experts in the ‘Arable Conversations’.

In the last few years, we have witnessed first-hand the changing climate and its potential to affect our crops. The hot, dry summers of 2018 and 2022 saw temperatures that have been rarely experienced in Scotland, along with extended periods without rain.

We have also seen milder winters and periods of heavy rainfall, and these shifting weather patterns make the tasks of planning crop drilling, inputs, and harvesting that much harder for farmers, and can threaten the productivity of the crop.

How are farmers adapting to the changing climate? This question will be tackled in the first ‘Arable Conversation’ of the day.

The audience will have the chance to quiz a panel of experts from farming, crop breeding, the agritech industry, and grain co-operatives. In this opening session, the expert panel will discuss the effects of the changing climate on crop growth and farm operations – now, and in the context of the future trajectory – and horizon scan for potential threats to crops and the available solutions.

The panel will put this in the context of what farmers are doing already to make crops more resilient to prolonged periods of wet and dry weather, and extremes of hot and cold. The audience will have a chance to challenge the panel about how necessary, practical and feasible these solutions will be, and can compare experiences to highlight the urgent priorities for research, crop breeding and agri-tech tools.

The last year saw a large spike in energy costs, with knock-on effects on the prices of fuel, heating, and inputs, especially nitrogen fertilisers.

These significantly higher costs are reducing profit margins, which might already be tight for some crops, and has been a major factor in generating more interest amongst farmers for reducing inputs.

The second Arable Conversation tackles the tricky issue of farm businesses staying profitable on lower inputs. This session will hear from an expert panel representing farming, agronomy and research about their experiences of reduced input and regenerative methods of farming, and how they can build soil health and have demonstrable benefits to biodiversity.

This will probe how applicable these methods are to Scottish arable systems and discuss where and when methods such as minimum tillage and cover crops stack up.

How do alternative nutrient sources such as bulky organic manures compare with inorganic fertilisers in terms of yield and carbon footprint, and how can we reduce our reliance on pesticides without impacting profits? The audience can bring their own experiences to the conversation and pose questions to the panel.

Alongside the panel discussions, visitors will see practical demonstrations of some of the solutions proposed for climate adaptation and reduced inputs.

More than 100 field plots have been prepared by the Hutton’s farm team, showcasing results from research and development work on cereals, oilseeds, legumes, and cover crops.

Visitors to the event will be able to browse the plots or join guided tours to hear the latest results from crop breeding programmes and variety trials, including those tested for the Arable and Horticulture Development Board’s recommended lists.

Researchers will be on hand to explain the latest scientific evidence from their work. Their trials have been homing in on soil and crop management practices that reduce costs and environmental impact, and testing the effects on yield, soil conservation, nutrient management, and biodiversity.

Most importantly, plots will highlight crop varieties that perform well with fewer inputs, mixed cropping, or alternative crop protection products.

A raft of trade stands, exhibits and working demonstrations from agronomy companies, agri-tech and machinery suppliers, and research scientists will explain new practices, products and technologies for cultivation and drilling, weed control, carbon management and biodiversity enhancement. These include showcasing new research methods and tools for monitoring soil health on farm and making research trial data openly accessible.

Policy drivers will be key to the future shape and direction of Scotland’s arable industries. In the final Arable Conversation, the panel of policy advisers and farmer groups will explore the changing policy landscape and how new policies might drive uptake of new practices and alter more established ones.

The conversation will challenge how policy incentives stack up against strong global and local market forces and look for the win-wins where practices that aid efficiency will also help meet net zero targets. This will probe how far new policies will get us towards net zero and biodiversity targets and share thoughts on how we might make up any shortfall.

* Arable Scotland is supported and promoted by The James Hutton Institute partnered with Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) and the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. The event is sponsored by Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service, the Scottish Society for Crop Research, SEFARI Gateway and KWS UK.

* It is free to attend and has something for everyone in the industry, providing networking, knowledge and inspiration for farmers and the arable sector to promote agricultural innovation and a sustainable future. BASIS and NRoSo points will be available. For more information visit www.arablescotland.org.uk

By Dr Alison Karley, Agroecology researcher at The James Hutton Institute and Fiona Burnett, Professor of Applied Plant Pathology and Head of Knowledge Exchange and Impact at Scotland’s Rural College