Growers are reporting unexpectedly high blackgrass numbers this season, but it could be extra-long heads giving the appearance of a bad burden.

Adas weed expert Sarah Cook says blackgrass pressure this year is broadly on par with what’s expected, but these monster heads may have the potential to deliver massive replenishment to the weed seed-bank if left unchecked.

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“It seems like [blackgrass] levels are similar in winter wheat this year. I think people have been more proactive by burning it off earlier and using spring crops and hybrid winter barley to get good control.

“What we have seen is that the blackgrass heads are massive this year, in some cases there are heads that are about three times the length of what is normal. We aren’t sure why this is but we are trying to find out.”

This may explain why some growers are reporting a surprisingly big blackgrass burden this season, it could be that these larger heads are giving the impression of a higher grassweed population.

Meanwhile, growers from Suffolk to County Kildare in Ireland are taking to Twitter to highlight what appears to be a surge in the yield-strangling weed’s numbers.

https://twitter.com/MartinHarwood11/status/737240741961957376

#blackgrass Saw a few plants in a wheat field previously clean. This is zero tolerance pic.twitter.com/UOs6Yadmnf

— Blackthorn Arable Ltd (@Blackthorncox) May 28, 2016

Does anyone else have massive #Blackgrass this year? The one on the right is 16cm @ADASArable pic.twitter.com/0Zir5amZKa

— Dr Laura Davies (@lauradavies44) June 1, 2016

Stay tuned @blairdrysdale77 and you'll see just how big a job it is! We #glyphosate bad areas. pic.twitter.com/osZ0EfRaJ3

— Andrew Ward 🇬🇧🚜 (@wheat_daddy) June 2, 2016

still the blackgrass problem is going one way….worse! Up to individual farms whether at a slow or a fast rate!

— 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐫 🇺🇦 (@DavidButler34) May 29, 2016

Not something you want to see on your evening stroll. Blackgrass has arrived pic.twitter.com/XRQTJgGeeO

— Max Potterton (@MaxPotterton) May 28, 2016

.@AgriWillVF Looking for any contracting, Will? More here than I was expecting. #blackgrass pic.twitter.com/kRLPmIFoLJ

— Alan Leedham (@LeedhamAlan) May 29, 2016

Spring beans looking smart just a shame about the blackgrass #doesspringdrillingwork? pic.twitter.com/eblGdgEsF0

— Louis Stephenson (@StephensonLouis) May 29, 2016

The end of winter cropping for many of our fields from now on #blackgrass pic.twitter.com/45AYrLhvK1

— Malc Parr 🇬🇧 (@tractorman07) May 29, 2016