Menu

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

BLACKGRASS

Tips on tackling brome caused by blackgrass measures

Brome problems arising from blackgrass measures can easily be tackled, providing that farmers know which species they are dealing with.   Both meadow and soft bromes have been an unwanted…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Tackling grassweeds this autumn - expert tips for growers

Grassweeds have once again been a big talking point for many growers this year, with some fields coming under significant pressure, prompting scrutiny of control strategies and questions about how…

BLACKGRASS

Why blackgrass is so bad in 2023 and what to do about it

Some fields are unsuitable for winter cropping next season because of the surge in blackgrass seed return from the higher number of blackgrass heads in winter wheat crops. And it…

WEED MANAGEMENT

How to keep maize weed-free in a late spring

The window for weed control in maize could be tight this spring, so growers and contractors will need to be on the ball with herbicide spray timings and product choice…

See all

Case studies

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

BLACKGRASS

Borage and herbage seed helps Essex farm fight blackgrass

Borage and herbage seed break crops have helped one heavy land Essex arable farm get on top of blackgrass, with double spring-sown breaks and low soil disturbance seen as the…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Zero tolerance approach to blackgrass works, says grower

A robust zero-tolerance approach is helping to beat blackgrass crop infestations on arable farmer Andrew Ward’s farm in Lincolnshire. Mr Ward, who owns Roy Ward Farms at Glebe Farm in…

OILSEED RAPE

Derby OSR grower attracted to Hear varieties by premium

Robert Holmes has turned to growing high erucic acid rapeseed (Hear) on his Derbyshire farm, encouraged by a healthy price premium and its easiness to grow, while he has just…

See all

Insights

WEED MANAGEMENT

Can blackgrass cultural measures also tackle ryegrass?

Early findings suggest that cultural measures for managing blackgrass are also effective against ryegrass. Agrii has just started the fourth season of a trial on a North Yorkshire farm near…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Mechanical hoes offer solution to herbicide resistance

As herbicides are withdrawn from the market, resistance builds and growers seek more sustainable weed management strategies, an increasing number of growers are turning to mechanical weed control. Andy Baggott,…

CROP MANAGEMENT

What are the prospects for spraying with drones in the UK?

Imagine waking up in the morning, looking at your phone and finding a report saying blight risk in your potato fields had risen to a level requiring treatment, so your…

See all

News

WEED MANAGEMENT

Field choice is key as oat growers lose grassweed herbicides

Oat growers are being advised to carefully consider their grassweed pressure, as approval changes have meant there are no grassweed herbicide options this coming season. Up to now, several options…

ARABLE

Glyphosate ‘critical’ for regenerative farming, says Coffey

Defra remains committed to keeping glyphosate available for farmers and growers to use, environment secretary Therese Coffey has said. Ms Coffey was roundly applauded at the NFU’s Back British Farming…

DISEASE MANAGEMENT

New barley bio-fungicide on the horizon for 2026

A new bio-fungicide for use in barley and a herbicide option for peas and beans could be on the horizon for UK growers in 2026. If label extensions are approved,…

ARABLE

Efsa glyphosate review finds ‘no critical areas of concern’

The EU’s food safety regulator has published its peer assessment on glyphosate, which concludes the world’s most widely used weedkiller does not pose “unacceptable” risks to health. The European Food…

See all

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…

See all

Video

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Leicester farm trials weed seed unit on Fendt combine

Europe’s first Redekop seed control unit (SCU) fitted to a Fendt Ideal 10T combine, aimed at controlling weed seeds, is being put to the test this harvest in Leicestershire at…

WEED MANAGEMENT

Video: Mechanical hoes offer solution to herbicide resistance

As herbicides are withdrawn from the market, resistance builds and growers seek more sustainable weed management strategies, an increasing number of growers are turning to mechanical weed control. Andy Baggott,…

SUGAR BEET

Video: Robotti successfully drills and weeds 150ha of sugar beet

Autonomous Agri Solutions and Sentry farming have teamed up to use a fully autonomous robot to successfully drill and weed a 150ha area of sugar beet across Lincolnshire and Cambridgeshire.…

CEREALS

Cereals 2022: Watch the solar-powered FarmDroid in action

A fully autonomous, solar-powered robot capable of precision drilling and weeding was on display at Cereals this year. Using ultra-accurate GPS to record exactly where each seed is placed, the…

See all

Webinar

OILSEED RAPE

How to balance high inputs and market prospects for OSR

Although the price of oilseed rape has risen sharply largely due to the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, so too have input costs such as fertiliser, fuel and energy costs. Therefore, oilseed rape growers…

See all