Use BBC.com or the new BBC App to listen to BBC podcasts, Radio 4 and the World Service outside the UK.

Find out how to listen to other BBC stations

Episode details

Radio 4,05 May 2026,14 mins

05/05/26 Ash tree propagation, clinical waste on beach, DIY bat monitoring

Farming Today

Available for 29 days

A new propagation technique could help restore the ash tree to our landscapes. Scientists across the UK have been working to propagate saplings from resistant trees, but currently that takes between 2 and 5 years. Now researchers at the John Innes Centre have developed a speedier system, which they hope everyone could use, even at home, with the help of household bleach. Campaigners are calling for a full-scale clean-up of beaches on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent following the discovery of a large quantity of illegally dumped clinical waste. The University of Suffolk and a local group have been monitoring bats using bioacoustics to track their ultrasonic calls as they visit people's gardens. Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

Programme Website
More episodes