United Kingdom
May 27, 2025
Located just outside Uttoxeter in Staffordshire, Rob Atkin manages a 1,000-acre farm with a focus on arable cropping and grass -fed, home-reared cattle. As a third-generation farmer, he works alongside his father Peter, combining experience with a practical, forward-thinking approach to land management.
The farm operates across a wide range of soil types, from organic-rich alluvial soils to heavier, more challenging clays; Mixed – light alluvial (9–12% OM) to heavy clay (3–4% OM).
To maintain soil structure and workability, Rob has used a shallow tillage system since 2003, working to a depth of 10–15 cm, but remains flexible — what he refers to as “thoughtful farming” — adjusting his methods according to seasonal and soil conditions.
The cropping strategy is designed around maximising first wheat performance while maintaining oilseed rape (OSR) as a break crop just once every five years. The rotation includes wheat, barley (winter and spring), oats, beans, maize, and OSR. Cattle are fed using home-grown rations based on forage maize and beans, contributing to a fully integrated farm system.
How many different varieties are grown and how long is a variety grown for?
Wheat: LG Beowulf, LG Rebellion, Oxford, Bamford, LG Typhoon
Winter Barley: LG Caravelle
Spring Barley: LG Diablo, Planet, Skyway
Oats: Ascani
Beans: LG Raptor (spring), Tundra (winter)
Maize: KWS Leto, LG Gema
Rob grows a wide range of varieties tailored to different roles in the rotation.
His current wheat portfolio includes LG Beowulf, LG Rebellion, Oxford, Bamford, and LG Typhoon, grown for feed and marketed through Openfield and ADM. He aims for around 8.5t/ha.
“A variety is typically grown for two to three years to assess performance across different seasons. If it continues to deliver strong results, it remains in the programme until yield performance begins to decline,” he explains.
Barley plays a smaller role in the rotation, with 13–14 ha of winter barley (currently LG Caravelle) and around 80 ha of spring barley split between LG Diablo, Planet, and Skyway.
OSR remains an important break crop, typically covering 50–60 ha. While the farm has long favoured Dekalb hybrids, this season Rob is trialling LG Armada and LG Avenger to evaluate their performance.
Rob prefers to use local trials when looking at new varieties to grow. “ We are an Agrii iFarm and host trials for then, so that gives us an invaluable insight to how varieties will grow on our farm, I also judge for the Staffordshire Agricultural Society so get to visit farms in the region and look at a range of different varieties that way.”
What characteristics are most important to you when choosing a variety?
For Rob, yield remains a key priority — but not at any cost. He looks for varieties that offer good performance without needing excessive inputs.
“Yield is always important,” he says, “but I want that to come without ridiculously high inputs— we are not interested in a variety that requires high spend to push for yields.”
High disease resistance is just as critical. “That’s really linked to yield and just as important,” he adds.
Crop vigour is another major consideration, both in autumn and spring. “I’d much rather be managing a forward crop in March than trying to catch one up.”
Early drilling suitability rounds out the main criteria, as drilling around the third week of September is standard practice on the farm. “Any later than this and crops just don’t have the time to get the tillers on before the winter.”
1. Yield
2. Disease resistance
3. Vigour
4. Early driller
Have these characteristics, or weight of importance, changed over recent years?
No! Rob believes his priorities in variety selection have remained consistent. While environmental and regulatory pressures may be evolving, the fundamental traits he values have stayed the same.
“It’s always been about finding the right balance between yield and reliable agronomics,” he says.
Why LG varieties?
LG varieties feature strongly in Rob’s rotation because they offer a practical combination of yield and agronomic strength.
“In my view, LG produces farmer-friendly varieties,” he explains. “They’re high yielding, but they’re also clean, vigorous, and manageable. That gives us a kind of yield security — and that’s worth a lot.”
He also values how clearly LG varieties are positioned in terms of agronomy and management. “Take LG Typhoon — it’s well suited to early drilling, and it’s a very clean variety. You know where it fits and how to get the best out of it.”
How have the varieties performed this season?
Crops are performing well so far, with low disease pressure across all varieties. Rob reports that the season has allowed for a reduction in fungicide inputs, helping to control costs without compromising crop health.
“Disease levels have been low this year, so we dropped the T0 spray. We’ll go in with a T2 as the flag leaf pulls away from the ear — what I call a ‘head & shoulders’ spray.”
To compensate for the lighter fungicide programme, Rob has focused on supporting plant health through nutrition:
• Nitrogen: All wheat crops receive around 200 kg/ha in three splits, with early applications of sulphur
• Micronutrients: Particular attention is paid to managing trace elements, especially on the alluvial soils where nutrient availability can be more variable
• Spring applications: Crops received boron, sulphur, magnesium, and manganese to support key growth stages
“On the light soils, trace elements like magnesium and manganese are critical. If they’re not available when the plant needs them, it shows.”
“Among the wheats LG Beowulf and LG Rebellion are looking very clean this spring, and in the dry conditions appear to be holding on better than other varieties.”
OSR crops are also showing promise, supported by slurry applications pre-drilling and targeted spring nutrition.
“LG Armada has held onto its petals just that little but longer than other varieties, so hopefully this will play out in numbers of pods.”
• Early slurry helps establish strong root systems
• Spring sulphur is applied to maintain growth and yield potential
• A cost-effective fungicide approach is used — selecting varieties with good phoma and sclerotinia resistance is essential
“We don’t overspend on fungicides for OSR — that’s why varietal resistance is a key factor for us.”
Topics
Species
