Weed & Pest Management News

With many new crops of oilseed rape already in the ground and the remainder of a predicted winter crop of just 300,000 ha following close behind, the current focus is on maximising establishment rates and safeguarding the ongoing viability of crops by reducing the competitive pressure of volunteer weeds. ADAMA’s Bill Lankford shares his thoughts on the latest herbicide advice and active ingredient recommendations.

Growers taking advantage of warm soils and good growing conditions to plant extra oilseed rape area, or with later emerging plants, should be aware of increasing cabbage stem flea beetle activity.

Bayer’s SpotCheck initiative, which helps oilseed rape growers identify light leaf spot (LLS) and other diseases in the crop, will re-open to receive leaf samples from October. The previous season saw epidemic-levels of disease so growers are advised to be alert to early signs of LLS and apply fungicides early.

With the loss of neonicotinoids forcing growers to change the way they tackle pest control in cereals and oilseed rape, pyrethroid insecticides now form the backbone of many aphid and flea beetle control programmes.

With last autumn’s wet weather significantly impacting winter cereal crop establishment, many growers will be contemplating bringing this year’s drilling dates forward into late September or early October. ADAMA’s Bill Lankford therefore examines why this strategy goes against all best practice advice for controlling black-grass populations and explains why – alongside weed mapping, rotation planning, cultivation technique and herbicide programmes – delaying drilling is still one of the key tactics for beating black-grass.

Farming minister Victoria Prentis has announced that the outdoor use of metaldehyde will be banned in Great Britain from the end of March 2022.

ADAMA Agricultural Solutions UK is developing a new herbicide specifically aimed at controlling black-grass in cereals crops.

After the sodden conditions last autumn, some arable farmers may consider drilling wheat earlier to guarantee a decent area next harvest. But threats such as grass weeds and virus carrying aphids are both more of an issue in early drilled crops. Bayer’s Darren Adkins gives his thoughts on how farmers can balance the need for wheat area with pest and weed threats.

Farmers who drilled oilseed rape in July and August without applying a pre-emergence herbicide will need a tailored approach to weed control this autumn.

Withdrawal of herbicide active ingredients is putting pressure on the remaining modes of action, warns ADAS weed specialist Dr Sarah Cook. Heather Briggs reports.

Tower – a residual herbicide containing a unique mixture of pendimethalin, diflufenican and chlorotoluron – offers arable growers easy access to a three-in-one solution which is capable of controlling a wide spectrum of weeds.

Mixed weather patterns across many regions of the UK and Ireland is leading to localised outbreaks of late blight in potatoes, according to Corteva Agriscience.