Agricultural machinery manufacturer Claydon, the European leader in direct drilling technology, hosted a series of open mornings and afternoons at its factory and arable farm in Suffolk.
The events provided an excellent opportunity for farmers who already use the Claydon Opti-Till® System of crop establishment to improve the health of their soils, crop performance, yields and profitability to learn more from its designer, Jeff Claydon.
At a time when government support for farming is diminishing they also gave growers who are considering changing how they establish crops an opportunity to find out how to future-proof their businesses and achieve a better work-life balance by reducing the cost and time involved to as little as 20% that of plough-based or min-till systems.
Each session featured presentations by the Claydon team, a behind-the-scenes look at the company’s manufacturing facilities and a tour of the Claydon farm. Visitors were also able to view the latest Claydon machinery, including Hybrid and Evolution direct drills, front hopper and drill toolbar, NutriSeeder, Straw Harrows, TerraBlade inter-row hoe, TerraStar light rotary cultivator and Cambridge rolls.
The events included contributions from three guest speakers. Agronomist Dick Neale, Technical Manager for crop protection specialists Hutchinsons, discussed how Claydon Opti-Till® benefits soil health, James Lane, Digital Services Specialist for Omnia highlighted the advantages of using a standalone farm management system, while Grant James from Sea2Soil outlined how organic soil improvers can help conventional and organic farms.
This was the first time that Claydon Open Days had been held since 2019, as the events planned for April 2020 had to be cancelled due to the COVID-19 lockdown. Since then, the Claydon team have been fully focussed on developing new products to meet increasing demand from farmers throughout the world and expanding its global network of dealers and distributors.
“Following a five-year break the Claydon Open Days were reintroduced in 2025 due to popular demand, and we have been delighted with the positive response. Visitors travelled from all over the UK to learn more about improving soil health and reducing ‘per-tonne’ production costs, while maintaining or increasing crop yields to maximise income. These aspects are critical during a challenging time for the farmers and the businesses which supply them,” said Jeff Claydon, who founded Claydon Yield-o-Meter Ltd in 1981.
“The future viability of the agricultural sector will depend on growers embracing more environmentally and financially sustainable crop production systems. Soil health is a key for farming businesses if they are to survive and thrive in an increasingly uncertain global market environment. To achieve that whilst containing costs, most will have to change the way they establish crops and look after their soils.”
Outlining the dilemma which farmers face currently, Jeff said that many who operate a conventional crop establishment system based on ploughing or deep tillage face financial challenges whilst adversely impacting soil health through over-cultivation. He stated:
“Input costs are increasing whilst commodity prices and farm incomes are declining in real terms, which is unsustainable. The industry faces numerous additional challenges, including more frequent weather extremes, increasingly stringent environmental legislation, a substantial reduction in crop-protection products, increasing resistance issues with those that remain, plus a shortage of skilled labour. With greater public awareness of the countryside and environmental issues, such as soil erosion caused by poor agricultural practices, farming businesses must review how they operate and adopt a more efficient, cost-effective and environmentally beneficial approach.”
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