Hailed by many industry supporters as the biggest and most important of the UK Vegetable Open Days, the annual Elsoms 2016 event is fast approaching. Elsoms, the UK’s leading independent plant breeder, seed supplier and seed treatment specialist, is preparing for its open days to be held on 12th and 13th October 2016 in Spalding, Lincolnshire.
With over 30 exhibitors from the industry booked to exhibit, and 200 visitors expected per day, it’s a key agricultural event in the vegetable growers’ calendars. Registration is now open on the Elsoms website. David Clay, Brassica Crop Manager, commented “The open days are the best way for growers to learn about new species and varieties that we have coming through, as well as seeing the effects of different
David Clay, Brassica Crop Manager
chemical treatments, sowing rates and other variants. Attendees also enjoy the opportunity for a general catch up, not only with Elsoms staff, but also with other industry colleagues, exhibitors and acquaintances. The catering is superb and this year the talks and demonstrations by AHDB offer a new dimension to an interesting event.”
Elsoms open days are rooted in the vegetable farming tradition of meeting to review the season and display vegetables after the autumn harvest period and the event has gone from strength to strength. All Elsoms crop managers and regional representatives will be available to meet customers and give tours of the various trials. Plots feature the Elsoms vegetable range of brassicas, alliums, root vegetables, legumes and diverse crops such as herbs and salad varieties. 2016 will also feature a greater number of agricultural trial plots to demonstrate Elsoms rapidly expanding agricultural portfolio, showcasing catch and cover crops, energy crops, maize and fodder beet.
Agrii and Dupont have a range of crop protection trials for viewing and AHDB are featuring 2 x 15 minutes GREATsoils presentations titled ‘Assessing soil condition’ and ‘Precision farming for increased profitability’ on both days.
BASIS points have been applied for and there will be a lot to learn about the technology behind seed treatment with experts present from Incotec, global leaders in innovative seed enhancement. Tours of Elsoms Head Office, incorporating visits to the newly extended seed treatment facility accompanied by enthusiastic members of the seed treatment team, will operate twice daily at 11am and 2pm. Open day attendees will also be able to find out more about Elsoms vegetable breeding activities during visits to the plant breeding facility and laboratories where members of Elsoms R&D teams will be ready to welcome visitors and tell them more about the company’s innovative plant breeding programmes.
Catering will be supplied throughout the two days with interesting and unusual new vegetable recipes to sample at various points throughout the two days, as well as the anticipated and popular breakfasts, lunches and cakes! Harvested vegetable samples will be displayed in the main marquee next to the catering, seating area and meeting rooms.
Registration for this popular and FREE event is on the Elsoms website www.elsoms.com, where popular site tours should be pre-booked to avoid disappointment. The event invitation can also be downloaded from the Elsoms website for further information or to pass on to colleagues or customers. More details can also be found on the Elsoms Twitter page @Elsomsseeds or by calling 01775 715000
