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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 control problem weed speedwell on chalky soils

Herbicide-resistant speedwell is becoming an increasing problem on the chalky downlands of southern England and has prompted the revival of an old contact-acting weedkiller. The widespread use of sulfonylurea (SU)…

BLACKGRASS

Tips to control blackgrass in a high-dormancy year  

A sequenced herbicide strategy will be key to controlling blackgrass this season as tests show a high dormancy rate for blackgrass seed of more than 80%, meaning a protracted period…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Why early intervention is key to beat Italian ryegrass threat

Italian ryegrass is becoming an increasing problem in UK rotations, particularly in autumn-sown crops because of rapid weed spread and cases of herbicide resistance. The grassweed is more competitive than…

BLACKGRASS

How to maximise wheat crop competition to beat blackgrass

Maximising the competitiveness of wheat crops is a valuable way of managing resistant blackgrass, effectively smothering the weed and reducing seed return. Delayed drilling and stale seed-beds have stolen the…

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Case studies

OILSEED RAPE

Yorkshire farm shares strategy for growing 4t/ha OSR

Oilseed rape has kept its place in the diverse rotation at Albanwise Farming in Yorkshire, where the focus is achieving consistent, optimum results. With about 350ha of the crop, the…

LAND PREPARATION

Monitor Farms: Soil and brome success, carbon next priority

Cleveland farmer John Aynsley has seen soil health improve by successfully adopting direct drilling as part of his three-year stint as an AHDB Monitor Farm in the North East. He…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Herts grower puts hoe to the test in narrow-row cereals

Precision-guided hoeing is being put through its paces on a Hertfordshire farm in an effort to improve blackgrass control in winter wheat and minimise the need for a spring-applied herbicide.…

MAIZE

How maize is helping grower cut costs and build soil health

Building an anaerobic digestion (AD) plant and doubling the maize area is enabling one Kent grower to tackle blackgrass in problem fields, improve soil health and cut fertiliser costs.  …

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Insights

POTATOES

Four new potato products offer hope to growers

A range of new potato products will soon be available to growers, equipping them with an improved chemical armoury to control blight, weeds and soil-borne pests. More than 10 actives…

BLACKGRASS

Why farmers should tailor blackgrass strategies to dormancy

Trials being carried out at a blackgrass research site in Cambridgeshire show that farmers can gain extra control of blackgrass with their integrated approach by taking seed dormancy results into…

MACHINERY

Farmer-designed mower cuts and collects weeds before harvest

A new weed mower that cuts off seed heads and carts them out of the crop could accelerate interest in mechanical intervention for weed control in organic and conventionally grown…

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News

ARABLE

France announces partial ban on glyphosate

A partial ban on the use of the weedkiller glyphosate has been announced in France. The French government plans to phase out the use of glyphosate-based products by 1 January,…

BLACKGRASS

Low-drift nozzles key to pre-em herbicide spray drift

Low-drift nozzles could help growers get more from their pre-emergence herbicide applications, with the potential for persistent and gusty winds disrupting spraying operations in the coming weeks. With the climate…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Glyphosate EU licence renewal dossier published online

An alliance of chemical firms has published thousands of scientific studies online to support its application for the EU licence renewal of glyphosate, which is due to expire in December…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Caution needed if opting for herbicide-tolerant beet

Growers thinking about growing herbicide-tolerant sugar beet next spring are being advised to consider their farm's weed situation and their bolter strategy. The herbicide-resistant Conviso sugar beet system offers many…

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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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