Alternative Blackgrass control

[Formatted]

Just wondered how many people here had considered using 3-4 year grass leys and then renting them out to sheep farmer's as additional grazing as a method of controlling Blackgrass? We've had quite a lot of interest locally.

More information

• Farmers Weekly explanation http://www.fwi.co.uk/arable/rotational-grazing-play-part-blackgrass-control.htm
• Bond, W. Davies, G and Turner, R. (2007) The biology and non-chemical control of black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides Huds).http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/sit...iles/organic-weeds/alopecurus-myosuroides.pdf
• General grazing information: http://www.eblex.org.uk/wp/wp-conte...nual-8-Planning-grazing_strategies_200313.pdf
• General Blackgrass information http://www.organicresearchcentre.com/manage/authincludes/article_uploads/Blackgrasss4_NOCC15.pdf

 

[Essex boy]

We have just put in a grass/red clover four year ley to combat BG ,it,s come up like a cats back ,hope the ryegrass can compete with the BG !We aim to make silage as early as possible next spring ,we have the option to graze with our sucklers.

 

[franklin]

I think that temporary grass as a fallow to meet greening is 100x better than spring beans. Not sure about the sheep grazing, as I like to be more in control of my land. Better I think to get a cut or two of silage and then get the sheep on later.

 

[Poncherello1976]

We have a small bit of temporary grass which has now been in for 2 years. Rather than graze it over the spring/summer we have cut it and taken off some haylage. We did graze it last year with some sheep and may do again this winter. Next autumn it will get planted with something so we will see how well it has helped the blackgrass.
As Static said, I would rather have the control of cutting the grass rather than it being grazed, if you are growing the grass with the aim of controlling blackgrass.

 

[Brisel]

The "golden hoof" is underused as a weed control technique. It has been the quickest way to clean a field up here.