RICHARD WARD
Meet the Fundatis® Herbicide Grower Group
OVERVIEW
On the arable side of things, the rotation is based on a three-year cropping plan which includes winter wheat, winter barley and AB6 (enhanced overwintered stubble). On the very worst blackgrass land, fields are taken out of the rotation and put into GS4 (herbal legume pasture) for 5 years to help bring pressures down.
CASE STUDY
RICHARD WARD CASE STUDY
(Runtime: 230)
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
What is your biggest grassweed problem?
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Blackgrass is a major issue for us. It’s a pernicious weed, it’s very adaptable and it changes and mutates very quickly. It has always been an issue on farm. Even a small amount of resistance to any chemical will just cause it to explode.
What is your standard programme for controlling Blackgrass?
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Control starts with deciding how we’re going to prepare the ground. If it's a good year, we’ll try to direct drill, but if there is a serious blackgrass situation then we’ll plough. We also use glyphosate prior to drilling.
We then deploy a very robust pre-emergence programme. This is very important. We do have to be careful not to stack too many actives, however, as this can damage the crops.
FARM FACTS
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Location: Gloucestershire
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Arable hectares: 200ha
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Average wheat hectarage: 50ha
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Soil type: Varied – Warwickshire clay, Banbury iron stone and sand
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Crops in rotation: Winter wheat and winter barley
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Grass weed issue: Blackgrass
RICHARD'S TIP FOR TACKLING BLACKGRASS
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Control starts with deciding on how you’re going to prepare the ground
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If it’s a good year, try to direct drill. If there is a serious blackgrass situation then plough
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Use glyphosate prior to drilling