Farmers seeking resilient, climate-ready crop options will find plenty of inspiration at this year’s Cereals Event, where more than 600 meticulously curated crop plots will showcase the latest in mainstream and alternative varieties.

Spanning everything from drought-tolerant cereals to novel protein crops and improved oilseed rape lines, the plots -created by 25 leading exhibitors -offer a hands-on look at the future of UK farming.

Despite the dry spring, the site looked outstanding during the recent Crop Plot Open Day at Andrew Ward’s Heath Farm in Lincolnshire.

“We last hosted Cereals here in 2008,” says Mr Ward. “It felt like the right time to bring the show home; this year’s event truly highlights how innovation in crops and cultivation is evolving to meet new challenges.”

Set across 52 hectares, the event will feature over 400 exhibitors, 200+ live demonstrations, two full seminar days, and hundreds of crop plots covering the latest advances in agronomy, crop science,

However, for Mr Ward, the event is about more than just the latest kit or crop performance. “These shows bring people together,” he said. “Farming is facing big challenges, from market pressures to mental health, and we need spaces where we can talk, share, and support each other. Cereals is exactly that.”

Despite a ‘tricky’ season, Will Davis, partner and agronomist at Ceres Rural, a technical partner of the event, says the site is providing valuable insight for growers.  “A wet autumn delayed drilling for many, and now we’re coping with very low rainfall this spring. But this site is forgiving, and we've got a strong establishment despite the challenges.”

Ceres Rural is also launching an exciting new Crop Challenge for students, pitting teams from top agricultural universities against each other in a winter wheat growing competition. Judged by Ceres and the AICC, the winning team will be crowned on 11 June, and awarded tickets to the 2026 Cereals at Jeremy Clarkson’s Diddly Squat Farm in the Cotswolds.

“These crop trials are more than just plots,” Mr Davis adds. “They show real-world performance under unpredictable conditions. Whether it rains or not, visitors will gain valuable insights into varietal response and agronomic strategy.”

So, what can visitors expect from the crop plots at next year’s event? 

• Corteva: Visitors to Corteva’s stand will see the real-world impact of its R&D, from clover-compatible herbicides to disease-tolerant genetics - all designed to boost UK farm productivity and sustainability. Find out more
• Elsoms Seeds: Elsoms Seeds marks a significant milestone at this year’s Cereals Event, showcasing its largest-ever portfolio with 24 varieties, including new wheats, oats, and pipeline material tailored for UK growers navigating increasing agronomic and market pressures. Find out more
• Grainseed: Grainseed is spotlighting oilseed rape at Cereals 2025, with a strong focus on Pinnacle, the highest-yielding conventional variety on the AHDB Recommended List. Thanks to favourable drilling conditions and lower cabbage stem flea beetle pressure, it has established exceptionally well this season, resulting in clean, well-developed crops. Find out more
• Limagrain: Limagrain UK is marking its 60th anniversary with a strong line-up at Cereals 2025, showcasing new cereal and oilseed rape varieties bred for resilience, flexibility, and performance in changing UK conditions. Find out more
• KWS: KWS is once again presenting its crop portfolio in its signature wheel layout at Cereals 2025, offering a comprehensive view of its latest innovations across winter and spring cereals, oilseed rape, sugar beet, rye, and oats. This year's spotlight falls on four new AHDB candidate winter wheat varieties: KWS Grebe, Imrie, Fowlmere, and Aintree, each chosen for their standout agronomic traits and market potential. Find out more
• Premium Crops: Premium Crops will present various alternative break crops, combining technical and commercial opportunities. Plots will feature high erucic acid (HEAR) and high oleic, low linolenic (HOLL) winter oilseed rape varieties, which command substantial premiums due to robust end-market demand and well-established processing routes. Find out more
• PGRO: PGRO will feature over 20 trial plots at Cereals 2025, focused on practical pulse crop solutions. Highlights include intercropping trials - like peas with oats or beans - to reduce disease spread and improve land use, plus comparisons of winter beans sown in spring at adjusted seed rates. Find out more
• RAGT: RAGT marks a new chapter at Cereals 2025 following the acquisition of the Deleplanque Group, including Strube and Van Waveren. Its stand will feature a widecrop portfolio, from BYDV-resistant wheats and new winter oat varieties to UK-first sugar beet demonstration plots. Find out more
• Rothamsted: Rothamsted Research is spotlighting a powerful blend of agricultural heritage and genetic innovation, demonstrating how landrace varieties and modern gene-editing technologies are shaping the future of resilient farming. Find out more
• Syngenta: Syngenta showcases a fully integrated approach to cereal crop production at Cereals 2025, combining new genetics, next-generation crop protection, sustainable packaging, and biological inputs. Find out more
• Yara: Yara is bringing crop nutrition to life with four live demonstration plots highlighting the impact of advanced nutrient strategies on winter wheat and spring barley. Find out more
• Yagro: YAGRO’s core message and focus are clear: Helping growers know their numbers and take control of their farm data. The company will offer farmers hands-on demos of its full suite of digital tools on enormous touchscreens, encouraging growers to visualise their operations with unprecedented clarity.  Find out more
• NPZ: NPZ is celebrating its 20th anniversary with a robust and forward-looking crop portfolio. Maverick leads the oilseed lineup, a hybrid variety performing strongly in the East-West region and includes a late-drilled plot to demonstrate its flexibility in establishment. Two hybrid candidate varieties - Dirigent and Karat - are also on show, highlighting NPZ’s breeding pipeline. Find out more
• Niab: Niab will present a wide-ranging programme of demonstrations and independent research at Cereals 2025, addressing key arable challenges including disease resistance, variety performance, and integrated weed control. Find out more
• Natural England: Natural England returns to Cereals 2025 with a forward-looking showcase that reflects its growing focus on sustainable agronomy, soil resilience, and integrated land management.  Find out more
• Micromix: Micromix is using Cereals 2025 to demonstrate how biostimulants- when combined with balanced nutrition - can boost crop health and input efficiency, especially during one of the driest springs in recent years. Find out more
• Agrii: Agrii is highlighting new genetics and digital tools to help growers tackle today’s crop production challenges with less risk and better margins. Find out more
• AminoA: AminoA will be demonstrating how foliar-applied amino acid formulations can deliver resilient, high-performing crops with reduced nitrogen and fungicide inputs. On display will be side-by-side plots of oilseed rape, winter wheat, and triticale, each treated with varying levels of nitrogen and AminoA products, including the company’s biostimulant, AminoA BLAAZT. Find out more
• BOFIN: BOFIN (British On-Farm Innovation Network) returns to the Cereals Event with a powerful message: farmers want resilience, not just higher yields. The network is putting on-farm research centre stage this year with a packed programme that brings growers, scientists, and innovators together to share insights and shape the future of agriculture. Find out more
• Ceres Rural: Ceres Rural is bringing a dynamic mix of technical expertise, plot demonstrations, and a brand-new student competition to this year’s Cereals Event, showcasing both their agronomic insight and investment in the future of farming. Find out more

• Student Crop Plot Challenge: A key new feature for 2025 is the Crop Plot Challenge, launched by Ceres Rural in partnership with the Association of Independent Crop Consultants (AICC). Find out more