A former farm manager who spent nearly three decades waging war against blackgrass says growers should pick their battles. Richard Ward, who managed 200ha Barton Farms in Moreton-in-Marsh, says his approach was less about total eradication and trying to win strategic victories – on a daily basis.
Mr Ward says he asked himself every morning: what can I do to combat blackgrass today? “You’ll never win the war – but you can win lots of battles with the right strategy. It’s not just about what you grow, but how you grow it.”
The first line of defence was a carefully planned three-year rotation, explains Mr Ward. The cropping plan included a first wheat, a hybrid winter barley variety, and an AB6 stewardship crop.
Tactical weapon
“A hybrid winter barley isn’t just a crop choice; it’s a tactical weapon against blackgrass. Hybrid winter barleys have a remarkable suppressant effect. They’ll seriously out-yield wheat and form a critical part of the blackgrass management strategy.”
How crops are sown can have a significant impact on weed levels, adds Mr Ward, who experimented with multiple cultivation techniques. These included traditional ploughing, minimum tillage and eventually zero tillage. Each method was evaluated for its effectiveness against blackgrass.
“Our experience has taught us that zero-till should be seen as a tool, not a religion,” explains Mr Ward. “When blackgrass begins to gain ground, we’re not afraid to return to ploughing.”
This flexibility came into its own in 2023/24 when blackgrass became particularly problematic. “We happily returned to the plough after a period of min-till, which we followed with zero-till. The plough is our ultimate weapon in weed control.”
Chemical warfare
The next strand in Mr Ward’s blackgrass management strategy is a carefully constructed chemistry programme. Pre-emergence herbicides should be the cornerstone of weed management, he argues. Mr Ward has consistently used robust herbicide programmes, typically based around Crystal (flufenacet + pendimethalin) plus diflufenican. But he says the new herbicide Fundatis from FMC shows great promise too.
“While we’ve kept returning to this Crystal/DFF mix, we’re still always looking for something to give us even better control.” It is designed as an additional solution for tackling key weeds – such as blackgrass, ryegrass and broadleaf weeds.
A co-formulation of Isoflex and Beflubutamid, Fundatis is available for pre- and peri-emergence activity in wheat and pre-emergence use in barley – with efficacy proven in both UK and European trials.
FMC plant health expert Geoffrey Bastard says: “With only around 11 actives approved for use in cereals, the introduction of new chemistry is a major step forward and will be really important for resistance management and tackling diverse weeds.”
When used as part of a programme alongside other approved chemistry, over 95% blackgrass control is achievable, says Mr Bastard. This control extends to a range of broadleaf and additional grassweed species, he adds.
On-farm trials
Mr Ward says he was eager to take part in on-farm trials for Fundatis at Barton Farms to help the industry better understand the full potential of the new active. The herbicide showed encouraging results, he adds. The trials primarily concentrated on winter barley. They tested multiple formulations and timings. These included Crystal + DFF at full rate – with and without Fundatis – as well as Liberator (diflufenican + flufenacet) Isoflex active.
Sharing his observations from the trials, Mr Ward says: “While not a standalone solution, the trials demonstrated a definite benefit in blackgrass control where Fundatis was used.”
A more comprehensive programmes yielded better results, with clear differences between treated and untreated areas. Fundatis is a valuable tool in the agricultural toolkit, not a silver bullet, says Mr Ward.
He adds: “Chemical interventions must be part of a holistic, integrated weed management strategy that considers rotation, cultivation techniques, and environmental conditions. Every farm is different and what works here might not work everywhere, but my key principles – which could be applied anywhere – are simple: be proactive, act quickly, and understand that managing blackgrass is a continuous battle.”