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Know How / Blackgrass

Blackgrass is a major problem facing cereal growers in the UK. Herbicide resistance and glyphosate regulation means that farmers need to use a combination of chemical and cultural controls. See the latest advice on stopping the spread and how to use an integrated approach to tackle this prolific grassweed.

Advice and tips

CROP MANAGEMENT

Advice on backwards and poorly established crops this spring

An early dose of nitrogen to nurse backwards cereal crops into action will be key to optimising yield after crops battled intense rainfall this winter. Soils could be carrying 40-60kg/ha…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Herbicide mix shows good ryegrass control

Good control of ryegrass in winter wheat can be achieved using a new herbicide alongside others with different modes of action, cultural controls and timing sprays when there is adequate…

BLACKGRASS

Farm trial shows best blackgrass strategy with new herbicide

The arrival of a new mode-of-action residual herbicide has seen major changes to one farming company’s pre-emergence programme on winter wheat, after trialling different combinations. Velcourt has spent the past…

BLACKGRASS

Tips on tackling brome caused by blackgrass measures

Brome problems arising from blackgrass measures can easily be tackled, providing that farmers know which species they are dealing with.   Both meadow and soft bromes have been an unwanted…

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Case studies

ARABLE

Grower moves to direct-drilled OSR and companion crops

Dorset grower Andrew Fry is growing oilseed rape for the first time and is hoping for a good yield from his new break crop. There is also £100/ha of government…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

BLACKGRASS

Borage and herbage seed helps Essex farm fight blackgrass

Borage and herbage seed break crops have helped one heavy land Essex arable farm get on top of blackgrass, with double spring-sown breaks and low soil disturbance seen as the…

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Insights

WEED MANAGEMENT

Advice on managing blackgrass with wetter, milder winters

Climate change is affecting weed control, and while the 2022-23 season was deemed a challenging year, some growers still managed to get good control. Agrovista technical manager Mark Hemmant points…

WEED MANAGEMENT

4 reasons Italian ryegrass is a growing threat to growers

While blackgrass remains by far the most common grassweed issue on arable farms across the country, Italian ryegrass is increasingly seen as the most challenging to control. A survey in…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Natural bioherbicides show promise in tackling weeds

Could mint extracts be the secret ingredient to tackling resistant weeds, such as blackgrass and Italian ryegrass? Could they even be a glyphosate replacement? That’s what a US-based start-up company,…

CROP MANAGEMENT

3 technologies to address arable’s biggest challenges

Innovative new technology hold the potential to combat some of the biggest agronomic challenges arable farmers face in yield stagnation, blackgrass control and cabbage stem flea beetle attack. Farmers Weekly…

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News

BLACKGRASS

Drainage key to combatting blackgrass, research shows

Blackgrass often thrives on heavy, waterlogged land, and new research has revealed how the problematic weed uses specific adaptations in root structure to flourish in saturated soils. Scientists at Rothamsted…

ARABLE

Application conditions vital for herbicide success in February

Farmers who were unable to apply herbicides as planned last autumn are being advised to check crops for their weed status and apply a post-emergence herbicide as soon as conditions…

ARABLE

Growers invited to sample grassweeds in farmer-led project

Farmers are invited to monitor and sample grassweeds as part of a project investigating harvest weed seed control. This will be the UK’s first ever farmer-led survey of grassweeds left…

BLACKGRASS

Researchers on mission to wipe out blackgrass with tech

Researchers from the University of Hull are assessing the financial and environmental impact of blackgrass through a series of farmer projects that include cost and carbon mapping and multi-spectral weed…

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Test and reviews

New Defy 3D nozzle: Sprayer operators give their verdict

Agrochemical giant Syngenta has launched its new Defy 3D spray nozzle, which will provide growers with improved grassweed control and reduced spray drift. The new nozzle is an evolution of…

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Video

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Electronic robot weed zapper cuts inputs and carbon

Four farms will use field robots this autumn to identify weeds, which eventually will lead to electronically zapping them, in a move likely to appeal to growers looking at more…

BLACKGRASS

Video: The plan that battered blackgrass in 12 months

Three Cambridgeshire growers are fighting back against a heavy yield penalty imposed by blackgrass with a new establishment system and have seen a dramatic turnaround in just 12 months. Declining…

ESTABLISHMENT

Video: Advice on autumn establishment and weed control

There are four core factors that determine the success of an autumn established wheat crop – soil and seed-bed quality, weed control, timing and herbicide application. Laying the foundations of…

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