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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 get effective weed control when using flufenacet

Pre-emergence grassweed herbicide programmes based on flufenacet must be supplemented by cultural measures this autumn, after resistance testing confirmed reduced sensitivity to the active ingredient in blackgrass. For growers, this…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Why sugar beet growers should re-evaluate herbicide plans

Sugar beet weed control programmes are coming under increasing pressure from herbicide approval updates and rotational changes. As a result, growers should take time to review current strategies and plan…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Bur chervil becoming an increasing problem this spring

The broad-leaved weed bur chervil is becoming an increasing problem across the country, and must be targeted early this spring if good control is to be achieved. Independent agronomist Antony…

CROP MANAGEMENT

6 areas to improve sprayer operator efficiency

In order to hit crucial spray timings and ensure inputs work as effectively as possible, spray operators need to maximise their time spent in the field on good spraying days.…

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Case studies

WEED MANAGEMENT

7 steps to tackling a ryegrass problem

In the space of 10 years, one Essex farmer has improved a ryegrass problem, which had resulted in fields of wheat being cut for silage, to a situation where this…

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…

OTHER CROPS

Grower finds soya a good option after late-lifted sugar beet

South Lincolnshire grower Andrew Branton has turned to soya beans as a good crop to follow late-lifted sugar beet when there is little time to drill winter wheat. With British…

OTHER CROPS

How an Essex farmer grew a crop of mammoth millet

Millet has proved to be a profitable and low-risk addition to Essex grower Christy Willett’s rotation, being easy to grow while also commanding a good price. After making the decision…

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Insights

VARIETY SELECTION

How Clearfield varieties can tackle erucic acid in OSR

Rapeseed exceeding erucic acid limits continues to be a problem for crushers, resulting in farmers facing deductions or even rejections of loads. Erucic acid is a naturally occurring fatty acid…

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News

CEREALS

Cereals 2019: Electric weeding system to make UK debut

An alternative weed control technique that uses high-voltage electricity applied through purpose-built stainless steel applicators to kill weeds right down to the roots is coming to the UK later this…

CROP MANAGEMENT

Cereals 2019: Better varieties and sprays set to aid growers

Cereal and oilseed rape growers will see more disease-resistant varieties and more effective pesticides next season to cope with the loss of active ingredients and a squeeze on profits. Wheat…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Successful wildlife margins need the right weeds

Wildlife margins should be situated next to bare earth, built up areas and water courses to limit the spill over of problematic weeds from adjacent habitats. A new study by…

CROP WATCH

Crop Watch: Forecast rain fuels fusarium risk in wheat

With ears now emerging (or about to) in winter wheat crops, agronomists are weighing up their options for the T3 ear spray. An unsettled forecast for this week will increase…

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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: 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…

POTATOES

Video: Potato planting races ahead in the Suffolk sunshine

Potato planting kicked off this week on one large Suffolk Breckland estate, with high hopes for the early-maturing crop after it went into the ground in ideal conditions. The light…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Phone app is cheaper way to monitor crops with a drone

A new smartphone app offers farmers a cheaper and easier way to monitor their crops, simply with a mobile phone and a cheap drone. Developed by Northumbria-based Drone Ag, the…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: 7 pre-season checks every sprayer should have

Spring is just around the corner and farmers up and down the land are drawing up battle plans about how best to tackle the impending mountain of work. With many…

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