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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 tackle weeds after a tough start to the season

It is shaping up to be a tough spring for controlling weeds, as the legacy of the wet autumn and winter means many crops are at greater risk of yields…

ROTATIONS

Pigs in the arable rotation - benefits and what to consider

Outdoor pig production could be a profitable opportunity for arable farmers looking to widen their crop rotation and reduce chemical use, especially for weed control. Integrating pigs into the arable…

BLACKGRASS

How to keep on top of spring-germinating blackgrass

Farmers with a significant blackgrass problem should stick with spring barley this season, as the crop – when managed correctly – offers the best way to keep on top of…

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…

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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…

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News

CROP MANAGEMENT

Bayer welcomes US regulator decision on glyphosate safety

US government regulators have again confirmed that glyphosate, the world’s most widely used weedkiller, is safe to use. In an interim decision on glyphosate, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)…

BUSINESS

Robot company crowdfunds for commercial farmbot fleet

The Small Robot Company has launched a further £700,000 crowdfunding campaign to allow it to roll out its commercial weed mapping services on a wider scale and to finance field…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Wheat growers set to benefit from new herbicide this spring

Winter wheat growers who failed to apply a herbicide in the wet autumn will have a new spray option this spring to control both grassweeds and broad-leaved weeds. Pacifica Plus…

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…

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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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