Drilling cereal crops into parched soil this autumn is likely to be a tricky proposition. Cover crops have gone from niche to more mainstream on UK farms in the last ten years, driven by a greater emphasis on soil health and the Sustainable Farming Initiative. But autumn establishment will... Read more

Herbicide resistance is forcing cereal growers to spend more of their grassweed control budget before weeds emerge, increasing the importance of planning, application timing and choosing cost-effective chemistry. The loss of reliable post-emergence options has transformed weed control over the past 20 years. Growers with difficult blackgrass, Italian ryegrass... Read more

Italian ryegrass control must exceed 97% to prevent populations increasing – putting greater pressure on growers to combine cultural measures with robust pre-emergence spray programmes. The benchmark is particularly important as concerns grow over herbicide resistance, including the discovery of glyphosate-resistant populations in the UK two years ago, says... Read more

Growers returning to oilseed rape this year are reminded to prioritise good establishment or risk storing up problems for following wheat crops. Prices approaching £500/t and two decent seasons for rape are expected to see another increase in new-season plantings. Even a modest rise would take the national crop... Read more

Drought-hit growers waiting for moisture before drilling oilseed rape still have time to get a crop in the ground, says a leading seed breeder. This year’s exceptionally early harvest left many growers ready to drill – but hot, dry weather has depleted soil moisture. Delaying until conditions improve could... Read more