Resilience by Design: From Rooting to Harvest with OptiYield

Speaker: Simon Fox BSc MSc CITP MBCS MiSoilSci, CEO, Emerald Research Ltd

Drawing on 15 seasons of commercial, field-scale monitoring, this practical talk will explore the actions farmers can take at spring planting to build healthier soils, establish stronger crops and improve resilience throughout the growing season.

Covering cereals, maize and grassland grown for forage and grazing, Simon Fox will examine how improved soil analysis combined with a target crop nutrition programme can support rapid establishment, efficient nutrient use and sustained crop growth. He will also consider how these approaches can help crops remain healthy and productive when faced with increasingly challenging conditions, including heat, drought and unpredictable rainfall.

The session will bring together the key areas of Emerald Research Ltd’s work—from advanced soil science and crop monitoring to biological inputs, foliar nutrition and practical field research—demonstrating how the OptiYield® System turns crop and soil information into targeted action from planting through to harvest.

Speaker: George Eustice

Drawing on his experience as a former Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, George Eustice will explore the wider forces shaping British agriculture, from food security and environmental policy to farm support and technological change. Working alongside Simon Fox, George will consider what these changes mean for farming businesses and how a better understanding of the policy landscape can support more informed, resilient and forward-looking decisions.

Panel Members: Ben Adams, George Eustice and Simon Fox

Ben Adams has practical experience of testing new ideas within a commercial farming environment. His work has included relay cropping and other on-farm trials, giving him valuable insight into what works, what doesn’t and how different approaches can affect profitability, productivity and long-term resilience. Ben will join Simon Fox and George Eustice for the closing panel discussion, offering a farmer’s perspective on innovation, managing risk and making evidence-led decisions.