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Know How / Weed management

Find out about the main pest threats and how to control them in wheat, barley, oilseed rape, sugar beet and potato crops. Get advice on dealing with pests including flea beetle, TuYV, potato cyst nematode and slugs, how and when to apply insecticides and what a permanent neonicotinoid ban would mean.

Advice and tips

WEED MANAGEMENT

How to identify and control umbellifer weeds

Members of the umbelliferae broad-leaved weed family must be identified and dealt with specifically in the spring, as autumn herbicide strategies do not target them. Cow parsley is the most…

BLACKGRASS

How to get the most from Avadex this autumn

Residual herbicide Avadex (tri-allate) has seen a bit of a renaissance in recent years, with many growers using the granules to get on top of blackgrass immediately after drilling, as…

ESTABLISHMENT

How to carry out a pre-season check on a StocksAg seeder

It wasn’t long ago that the little applicator was a slug pellet only machine, but in recent years it has gained a new lease of life as a second seed…

PLOUGHING AND CULTIVATION

The best way to manage stubbles after harvest

Unless you are one of a growing number of no-tillers or you plough every year, it is difficult to be prescriptive when it comes to post-harvest cultivation strategy. There is…

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Case studies

SPRAYING AND FERTILISING

Norfolk grower trials closed-transfer sprayer system

A closed-transfer system for safely mixing and loading pesticides into sprayers has been successfully piloted on several UK farms, offering benefits to operators and the environment. The system transfers neat…

BLACKGRASS

Cereal grower to ditch herbicides for inter-row hoe

Oxfordshire growers Alan and Richard Smith plan to cut their use of herbicides in winter wheat and spring barley after achieving great blackgrass control with a mechanical hoe. Post-emergence sprays…

BLACKGRASS

Why one grower went organic to tackle blackgrass problem

Faced with a bad blackgrass problem, Worcestershire grower Adrian Steele made the bold move of going organic to successfully reduce his weed problem and improve soil health. Chapel Farm, near…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Organic grower turns to sheep to control weeds

Shropshire organic grower Mark Lea was concerned that docks might become a nuisance weed on his farm and, as he could not reach for a chemical can, he turned to…

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Insights

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: The world’s first robotic weed mapping service

The world’s first commercial automated weed mapping service, capable of providing farmers with an individual plant view of their fields, is being launched across four UK farms this autumn. Developed…

TECHNOLOGY

Tech Talk: Experts' verdict on the eyeSpot robot weeder

It can be hard to sort the wheat from the chaff when it comes to agri-technology, especially when so many new inventions promise to revolutionise the way we farm. In…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Bayer pumps billions into data-driven crop production

The paradox of feeding an estimated 9.7 billion people by 2050 without further damaging our environment and worsening climate change is one of the greatest challenges of our time. With…

CROP MANAGEMENT

3 pesticide approval changes to watch this autumn

Farmers Weekly’s regular update on the key pesticide label changes and potential implications to help you stay on the right side of the law. Use up Austral Plus-treated cereal seed…

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News

OILSEED RAPE

Oilseed rape growers get new spring herbicide option

Oilseed rape growers who failed to apply any herbicides this autumn due to the wet weather have a new spring product Korvetto to add to their weed control armoury. The…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Agrochem firm pledges to cut single-use plastic

Agrochemicals company FMC is cutting single-use plastic waste on farm with the removal of measuring cylinders from its key herbicide range, as part of its drive to improve the environment.…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Could biodegradable foam curb weeds post-glyphosate?

An organic, biodegradable alternative to glyphosate may be available to growers in the near future, as a foam-based weed solution is being developed for agricultural purposes. Foamstream uses hot water…

SUGAR BEET

Beet growers have just weeks to buy herbicide before ban

Sugar beet growers have until the end of the year to buy any of Bayer's Betanal herbicides, if they wish to use them next spring before their withdrawal. The Chemicals…

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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: The world’s first robotic weed mapping service

The world’s first commercial automated weed mapping service, capable of providing farmers with an individual plant view of their fields, is being launched across four UK farms this autumn. Developed…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Could biodegradable foam curb weeds post-glyphosate?

An organic, biodegradable alternative to glyphosate may be available to growers in the near future, as a foam-based weed solution is being developed for agricultural purposes. Foamstream uses hot water…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: German grower warns against glyphosate ban

A German grower has warned against a ban on glyphosate and stressed that the alternatives are worse for the environment. Bernd Olligs, a sixth-generation farmer from Damianshof, near Dusseldorf, said…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Garford weeder ends crop failures at organic farm

Since starting to weed his cereal crops five years ago with a Garford mechanical hoe, organic grower Robert Hyde hasn’t lost any of his crops to weeds. In the past…

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