Farmers meet to discuss alternative blackgrass control

Organic and non-organic farmers came together on 24th March to share ideas and knowledge about the control of blackgrass.

A field lab at Shimpling Park Farm (Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk) illustrates the types of on-farm research (field labs) needed to help find a solution to the problem of blackgrass common to many arable farmers.

Field labs are open to all farmers and growers to share ideas, pinpoint practical challenges and carry out field experiments into low-input and organic techniques.

Through the Duchy Future Farming Programme the right knowledge and funding is available to run robust on-farm trials and look at practical solutions to improve production and reduce reliance on external inputs. Groups meet up to four times during the trials to track progress and compare notes working out effective practical approaches to tackling a problem.

The meeting at Shimpling Park Farm was facilitated by Nick Fradgley of the Organic Research Centre (ORC). Nick said: “it’s not a case of telling you how to farm or best practice. It’s about exchange of knowledge. We can offer research and analysis skills to farmers to work together, on the farm to look at the particular problems that the farmer is facing.


Every farm is different and the benefit of these types of field lab gives a real indication of what works in practice. We are extremely grateful to John who is an enthusiastic and innovative farmer willing to try new techniques on his farm and help us research further ideas that could see huge benefits to many farmers.”

As part of the day, the group were invited on a farm walk. John Pawsey who hosted the field lab, spoke about his experience of bringing sheep onto the farm, something he hopes may help with the control of blackgrass.

The sheep are currently being used to graze different areas of winter wheat, sown in September and October, and the group were able to discuss the results and likely consequences with input from technical experts including Nick Fradgley and Dr Stephen Moss, a blackgrass expert. The group is hoping that by bringing sheep onto the farm they will be able to find suitable new methods of blackgrass control, but it will also give John the opportunity to lengthen the ley phase, maximising his profit during fallowing and improve the number of techniques available for controlling blackgrass.

Dr Stephen Moss from Rothamstead Research Centre presented a range of on non-chemical methods of control to the group. Ploughing, delayed drilling, higher seed rates, competitive cultivars, spring cropping and fallowing are all different methods available to tackle blackgrass.

He said: “The problem of herbicide resistance is a big one, especially in blackgrass. First found in 1982, some degree of resistance is now present on virtually all farms in England.

"But it isn’t about just telling farmers what to do, they need to be able to understand the underlying biological principals so that they can devise the best strategy on their own farm. Non-chemical methods really can make a difference but they often need to be used in combination to achieve adequate control and a 3 - 5 year strategy is needed to really reduce populations.

"Success depends on persistence. Fallowing or a grass ley for just one year will not achieve very much – a two or three year period without any seed return is required to achieve up to 90% reductions in the black-grass seedbank in the soil.


"More balanced rotations are needed to help control grass-weeds, to reduce the impact of pests and diseases on crops such as oilseed rape, which are often grown too frequently, and to improve soil matter and fertility. By giving farmers access to this knowledge and the opportunity to find out what works best for them, we can look at addressing the problem in the long term – but short term ‘quick fixes’ simply won’t work.”

Field labs are a great way for farmers access a relevant network of knowledge and research.

Through the Duchy Future Farming Programme, delivered by the Soil Association in association with the Organic Research Centre, farmers can share ideas, pinpoint practical challenges and carry out their own field experiments. All farmers are invited to attend meetings, or participate in research projects as they wish.