Sales of ploughs at auction are up 10% on this time last year, according to Cambridge-based Cheffins.
The company holds monthly sales and is believed to be Europe’s largest agricultural and machinery auctioneers.
At the latest auction on August 4, 2,100 lots were available including 50 ploughs.
Buyers were present from around 30 countries.
Bill Pepper, director and auctioneer at the firm, said: “The blackgrass problems and the early harvest are both leading to some unusual trends.
“With cereal harvest in full swing, August at the Cambridge machinery sale is always less busy than July.
“Often in August we find that balers, and even combines, are popular with both domestic and overseas buyers.
“But with harvest already finished in some areas, this year has been different.
“Cultivation work is already under way across the country, so ploughs and general cultivation equipment are selling remarkably well.
“With blackgrass causing a big problem in many arable areas, there does seem to be a move away from minimum tillage cultivations and towards ploughing.
“This shift has been borne out at the latest auction, with a 10% increase in plough sales. Ploughing is definitely back in fashion.
“Although we have a few of the smaller ploughs left over, trade for five-furrow and larger reversible ploughs was very bullish from both home and overseas buyers.
“In fact, we really need more stock to satisfy the demand.”