DEFRA says an "error was made" when closing the Sustainable Farming Incentive to new applications earlier this year, and people who had applications in progress when it was shut, could now be allowed to submit them. The Sustainable Farming Incentive - or SFI - is part of the new system of farm payments in England, replacing the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. It pays people to do things like grow cover crops, plant flowers for pollinators, and manage hedgerows on their land. But in March this year, the Government announced, with no warning, that the SFI would be closed to new applications.

We visit one farmer who could be affected by the change: dairy farmer, Sarah Godwin, had planned plant a mixture of grasses, enriched with legumes and other species - called a herbal ley - paid for by the SFI...but the scheme was abruptly closed in March before her application was complete. She says the farm had spent more than a thousand pounds on agents' fees to help with the forms.

And testing top soils is often done to measure nutrients and organic matter - but recording what lies at a much lower depth could be key to enhancing soil health, and help achieve agriculture's net zero targets. We visit CAFRE, Northern Ireland's College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise, where a major, deep soil carbon-coring project has been underway.

Presented by Anna Hill

The tree disease ash dieback has been less devastating than initially feared. 2500 trees that show signs of resistance to ash dieback have been planted at a tree archive site in Scotland. It's part of ongoing Government research that suggests there are more tolerant trees than at first expected, and those left in the wild are regenerating naturally.

We visit a vineyard in Norfolk at a crucial time of year for viticulture. As the vines come into flower, growers are hoping for no late frosts, which could damage their prospects for a good crop of grapes.

And spring is usually a time of rapid grass growth, but this year's dry weather has left some farmers with less of it than they’d like. For livestock farmers grass is a critically important crop, providing fresh feed in the fields through spring and summer and a relatively low-cost source of fodder for the winter.

Presented by Caz Graham

Farmers have welcomed a new UK trade deal with India, with tariff reductions for whisky, salmon and lamb. And the UK Prime Minister and the US President announced a trade arrangement between the two countries, with UK tariffs removed on imports of American ethanol, and a reciprocal agreement on beef. But the UK ban on American chlorine washed chicken and hormone treated beef continues.

To mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day, we hear from one of the 'land girls', who ploughed crops, milked cows and drove tractors on British farms during WII.

And as part of our week digging into spuds, we hear how Scottish seed potato growers are trying to resume trade with the EU.

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

The UK and the US have announced a trade deal between the two countries. President Trump hailed it as an agreement which will 'dramatically increase' access to UK markets for American farmers involving he said billions of dollars and singling out ethanol - where the UK tariff on American imports will be removed, and beef, where a reciprocal agreement has been made. The UK ban on American chlorine washed chicken and hormone treated beef continues. The UK government says it opens up a new market for British farmers while keeping up welfare and environmental standards on imports.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith

A former Government trade advisor says the new trade deal with India could be good news for UK farmers. The deal comes after three years of negotiations and includes reduced tariffs on exports of products including whisky, lamb and salmon.

Many potatoes end up getting wasted because of bruising and discoloration. We hear from a potato producing company in Lincolnshire where they're hoping gene editing can produce a bruise-resistant spud.

And a select committee of MPs is urging the Government to do more to encourage private investment in schemes which restore nature. A report from the Environmental Audit Select Committee says new regulations should be introduced to enable landowners to realise their natural capital while protecting the farmers' ability to grow food.

Presented by Anna Hill

Scottish farmers are being warned to prepare for a possible summer drought. SEPA, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency has issued a water scarcity alert as 17 river catchments are so low. In England the Environment Agency says two thirds of rivers are below normal or lower for the time of year.

This week we're digging into the world of potato production - none of which would be possible, of course, without healthy, disease-free seed to get the crop started. Growing seed potatoes is a high-value, tightly regulated, specialist sector, and in the UK it's largely concentrated in Scotland where the disease risks are lower thanks to a cooler climate. Europe was a key market for Scottish seed, but Brexit changed all that. The EU's plant protection rules mean the trade is no longer allowed. However growers haven't given up on resuming exports and efforts continue.

The asparagus season is underway, traditionally, the spears of this tender crop are only picked from 23rd April, St George’s Day, to 21st June, the longest day of the year. It’s crucial for growers to have their best produce ready at the right time. Not only that, getting it to market and making sure it’s quality is perfect can pay real dividends when supplying top end restaurants and catering. We join one grower who welcomed the whole supply chain to his farm to see how the asparagus they buy from him, is grown.

Presenter = Charlotte Smith

A challenge to Britain's ban on commercial fishing for sandeels in the North Sea has been partially upheld. The ban was introduced by both the English and Scottish governments in March last year because of concerns that so many sandeels were being fished that seabirds along the UK's East coastline were losing out. But Danish commercial sandeel boats said it threatened their future, and that claimed the move was discriminatory and disproportionate. They then took the case to the EU's Permanent Court of Arbitration, which upheld the ban in Scottish waters, but not the English one.

The British Veterinary Association and the Pig Veterinary Society have issued a new joint statement calling for farrowing crates to be banned. Farrowing crates are the small pens that 60% of sows in the UK are kept in around the time they give birth to ensure they don't roll on and crush their piglets.

New research published this week suggests that a spray, which boosts the equivalent of a plant's blood sugar, could improve wheat yields by 12%.

Conservation groups in Scotland are urging ministers to reject plans for an offshore windfarm which the developer predicts will kill tens of thousands of seabirds.

We grow some pulses in the UK and most go into animal feed for the high protein, things like beans and peas and even lupins. There is a drive to grow more pulses for feed here in the UK to replace imported soya, and research into the best options for British farmers is underway.

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Gene-editing technology which makes pigs immune to a highly infectious virus, developed at Edinburgh University’s Roslin Institute, has been approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration. The virus causes a disease called PRRS or Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome, which causes premature births in pigs as well as other painful symptoms and costs the pig industry billions. Current legislation doesn't permit its use in the UK. We speak to one of the scientists who's been working on the project for more than seven years.

All week we’ve been taking a closer look at pulses, the dried seeds of crops like beans, lentils and peas, for both human and animal food. In the UK the peas we eat are generally frozen or fresh but dried peas are a major source of protein to millions of people around the world. Scientists at the John Innes Centre in Norwich have been working with researchers in China, the USA and France to uncover the genome of 700 different varieties of pea, from many different countries, to help develop better commercial varieties.

The sudden suspension of England's biggest environmental scheme, the Sustainable Farming Incentive, earlier this year was met with horror and disbelief by farmers and environmentalists alike - we preview a special documentary which charts the transition of agricultural policy from the old EU farm subsidy system and the Common Agricultural Policy to the new 'public money for public goods' approach that we have in England today.

Presenter = Caz Graham

The British Veterinary Association and the Pig Veterinary Society have issued a new joint statement calling for farrowing crates to be banned. They say they should be phased out over the next 15 years to give the industry a chance to adapt. Farrowing crates are the small pens that 60% of sows in the UK are kept in around the time they give birth, to ensure the safety of their piglets. Animal welfare campaigners have been saying they should be banned for years, but farmers have concerns that replacing them with alternative systems will not only endanger the lives of piglets but also be costly and will put them at a disadvantage to farmers in other countries where the crates aren’t banned.

Conservation groups are urging ministers in Scotland to reject plans for an offshore windfarm which the developer predicts will kill tens of thousands of seabirds.  Five charities, led by RSPB Scotland, have written to the first minister to argue that approving Berwick Bank in the Firth of Forth would undermine efforts to protect nature.  SSE says it has already amended its designs to minimise any potential risks to Scottish seabirds. 

All week we've been discussing pulses, the dried seeds from plants like beans, lentils and peas all this week. Most of the pulses we buy in the shops are grown overseas. They’re a valuable source of protein and there’s a growing market for protein rich products in groups including runners, gym-goers as well as vegans So could UK farmers cash in? We visit a company which processes home-grown and imported pulses.

Presenter = Caz Graham

The Welsh government's launched a new community food strategy which it says will 'strengthen local food systems, improve healthy eating, and create more sustainable communities'. The idea is to enable more local food networks, connecting Welsh farmers and producers with consumers and supporting community-led food projects. It's committed to spending £2 million on the project this financial year, with funding secured until 2028.

This week we're exploring the role pulses are playing in food and farming. Peas, beans and lentils are becoming increasingly popular with consumers as an alternative protein but most of those we eat are imported. We hear from farmers and producers who are growing carlin peas and other pulses in the UK.

Scientists say they've developed a spray, which boosts the equivalent of a plant's blood sugar and could improve wheat yields by 12%. Researchers from Rothamsted, The University of Oxford and the Rosalind Franklin Institute say they can achieve bigger improvements than via breeding and their biostimulant spray will be used around the world.

Presenter = Anna Hill