Blackgrass

[Chris F]

This is the Blackgrass Thread on TFF.

A lot of us are struggling with blackgrass and we can use this thread as a central discussion point.

On The Farming Forum, Tags allow lots information to be linked. This is the link to the blackgrass tag on TFF for doing more research:

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?tags/blackgrass/

This will allow us to build up a compendium of thoughts, ideas & experience - knowledge transfer from farmers to farmers.

 

[Gormers]

What do people think to having a Blackgrass only thread type sticky thing?
Build up a compendium of thoughts, ideas & experience

 

[Luke Cropwalker]

Good idea.

 

[Gormers]

Thanks, bad field here after osr this year
Need to see the problem through fresh eyes

 

[Matt77]

Very confusing this year, everything late drilled and same pre em program but have fields that, I thought historically clean, are grubby and others that grubby last few years are looking clean enough for a quick rogue, main differences are weather!! which I can’t control, can’t get rain at the perfect time all the time!! Bloody good idea

 

[Gone Shooting]

Same here - managed 3 chits on some fields - chucked everything at it and still grubby - gone to buy a better plough - autoreset sumo for sale as new

 

[Goffer]

Terrible control by my own levels this year although some may think it’s ok . Back to the plough every year or one in two at the least . Osr dropping by 100 ac replaced with s barely and pulses . Gonna hurt but can’t carry on with 20 % of acreage in osr

 

[Will 1594]

Same here - managed 3 chits on some fields - chucked everything at it and still grubby - gone to buy a better plough - autoreset sumo for sale as new

Is the plough the anser .?

 

[turbo]

On the whole very pleased with my control this year except the 2 fields of wheat after osr that didn’t get any c max last year but not silly amount in there by historical standards. The avedex contractor had a blocked pipe or run low for about 5 meters and you can see that it works very well.

 

[snarling bee]

Best to keep it on the surface IME. Plough to control brome though.

 

[Gormers]

Terrible control by my own levels this year although some may think it’s ok . Back to the plough every year or one in two at the least . Osr dropping by 100 ac replaced with s barely and pulses . Gonna hurt but can’t carry on with 20 % of acreage in osr

Same here
Dropping Osr all together
Don’t think I’m going to yoke the plough on though

 

[Matt77]

On the whole very pleased with my control this year except the 2 fields of wheat after osr that didn’t get any c max last year but not silly amount in there by historical standards. The avedex contractor had a blocked pipe or run low for about 5 meters and you can see that it works very well.

Avadex, in my opinion, has worked very well these last few years, I applied this field in the dark with my home made 12m machine, sprayer definitely got to the edge as I have fixed GPS tramlines but the Avadex spreader I would have done by feel, (tired) so maybe not quite to the edge, cutting it off with ride on mower last week.

 

[turbo]

View attachment 803106
Avadex, in my opinion, has worked very well these last few years, I applied this field in the dark with my home made 12m machine, sprayer definitely got to the edge as I have fixed GPS tramlines but the Avadex spreader I would have done by feel, (tired) so maybe not quite to the edge, cutting it off with ride on mower last week.

Yes you can see here anywhere the spreader came away from the outside and it’s going to get the same treatment as yours next week

 

[Gormers]

Ok thanks @Chris F
Just thought that it is such a major problem for growers that it warranted its own heading at the top of the cropping page

 

[farmerm]

What is this blackgrass you speak of? I am sure my wild oats and cleavers can smother it out what ever it is... I was listening to a recent talk from an organic producer, he has less blackgrass now he is organic than when he was farming conventionally... The key to controlling blackgrass is not chemical it is having an appropriate crop rotation.

 

[Green oak]

I think this a great thread. I could talk about blackgrass every day from 2012 till today. And what I’ve done. From ploughing after two years of direct drill crops. From drilling on a frost first wheats in November. Spring barley for three years. To fallow under EFA for two years. 4 ltrs of crystal 3 defy. The list goes on. But the biggest winner for me is. Close your eyes when you see drills going late September early October.

 

[Matt77]

What is this blackgrass you speak of? I am sure my wild oats and cleavers can smother it out what ever it is... I was listening to a recent talk from an organic producer, he has less blackgrass now he is organic than when he was farming conventionally... The key to controlling blackgrass is not chemical it is having an appropriate crop rotation.

Sorry I’m going to disagree here, I would of years ago, my rotation has grown lots which has probably helped I guess but it doesn’t stop it, I contract farm a small amount for a sheep farmer, first wheat this year after many years of sheep grazing, my combine or anything other than my combination drill hasn’t seen that field and he’s got the odd blackgrass plant, the combi drill was pressure washed before use as I don’t normally use it, I’m strip till now, and he brought in the seed, not from us, I believe this was in the seed.

 

[Try to succeed]

Trying to avoid ploughing here. Drill date has been the biggy. I have fields that are historically bad for bg that are almost clear this year as they were drilled last few days of Oct. it obviously needs an integrated approach; I’ve been using the rolls on stubbles to get a chit before cultivation, then using the rolls after cultivation to force another chit then the aforementioned later drilling. Growing more peas and spring barley. The barley is the most successfully spring crop for control as I’m swamping bg out with high seed rates.
Did anyone else leave bg seed on the surface for a few weeks last summer for it to bake out/radiate on the surface?

 

[farmerm]

Sorry I’m going to disagree here, I would of years ago, my rotation has grown lots which has probably helped I guess but it doesn’t stop it, I contract farm a small amount for a sheep farmer, first wheat this year after many years of sheep grazing, my combine or anything other than my combination drill hasn’t seen that field and he’s got the odd blackgrass plant, the combi drill was pressure washed before use as I don’t normally use it, I’m strip till now, and he brought in the seed, not from us, I believe this was in the seed.

Buying it in is my fear I do pull a handful of blackgrass plants each year. I did have a even distribution of BG plants in my barley 2 years ago, a couple of plants per ac, and for a while though it was the seed... but on inspection is was growing 50:50 in the rows and in between the rows Haven't found any this year... yet

 

[radar]

2 years of S barley helped to clear fields hugely, but now got barley volunteers in the wheat!