Weed & Pest Management News

With higher than average BYDV risk predicted this autumn, managing aphids that can infect newly emerging cereal crops will be of critical importance to arable growers, warns Neil Watson from production specialists Hutchinsons.

Farmers need to maximise efficacy and minimise resistance risks when using glyphosate to eliminate weeds ahead of drilling according to Matt Siggs of Bayer. Roundup (glyphosate) is a vital control tool on many farms, so a proactive approach is best to ensure long-term efficacy.

With rising temperatures and a high water table providing optimal growing conditions for both cash crops and undesirable weeds, growers are advised to consider a split dose post-emergence herbicide approach to reduce competition for nutrients and protect final yield.

Following reports of peach-potato aphids caught in traps across the sugar beet growing area, farmers are being advised to monitor aphid numbers closely and treat non-Cruiser protected crops with a foliar insecticide as soon as thresholds are met.

Simon Jackson, Syngenta’s technical manager, provides advice to support vegetable growers with decisions on programmes to deal with pest control and the difficult challenges to come through the growing season.

Growers are being warned about high slug risk in potatoes where crops have been planted into cloddy seed beds and are urged to counter the threat with a good quality pellet as soon as tubers reach golf ball size.

New modelling work indicates that the inclusion of the multi-site fungicide, folpet, can more than double the effective life of fungicide treatment programmes containing ‘at risk’ single site modes of action.

Farmers and growers can now choose from a variety of wildflower and environmental seed mixtures, launched by the Syngenta Operation Pollinator initiative, to boost payments from environmental schemes and unlock significant ecological and agronomic benefits.

NIAB research has highlighted the immediate priority for growers to target grass weeds already in the crop now, rather than waiting for more to emerge later in the spring. The results reinforce the role of Axial Pro for early grass weed control.

Replacing an aging, and often unreliable farm-built nematicide applicator with the Terracast GR, an applicator specifically designed for precision placement of nematicide, starter fertiliser and cover crops has enabled Cheshire-based potato farmer Zak Stanier to (not only) improve the accuracy of his previous system but also widen potential use of the farm’s new applicator to include sowing cover crops and placing starter fertiliser.

Following reports of weeds such as cranesbill, scentless mayweed and cleavers emerging in oilseed rape (OSR) crops, farmers are being advised to monitor fields closely and take prompt action if necessary.

A mild winter, forward crops and good conditions for sprayers to travel have conspired to offer many arable farmers an early opportunity to get ahead with weed control.