New initiative refocusing on weed control

With the launch of Weed Focus, a new initiative from Bayer CropScience, the question posed is: how do British cereal growers plan to carry on farming in ten years' time?

Weed Focus is designed to stimulate industry-wide discussion on all aspects of weed control and help to develop and encourage the adoption of best practice methods that will optimise weed control and therefore help to ensure sustainable cereal production for the coming years.

"Bayer CropScience has a responsibility to help equip growers to face the many challenges of broad-leaved and grass weed control," says the firm's herbicide manager, Tim Holt. "The Weed Focus initiative is built on the three principles of knowledge, innovation and best practice, to remind and refocus cereal farmers' thinking on how they control their weeds.

"We want to get the industry thinking and talking about the current and future impact of weeds on cereal production, and ensure growers and advisors make decisions now that will ensure crop production remains viable in the long term," Mr Holt emphasises.

"Weed Focus activities over the coming year are designed to raise awareness and build understanding through discussion of the many important issues which must be addressed," he explains.

"The aim of Weed Focus is to draw together all the experience and expertise on aspects of weed control including understanding weed biology, knowledge on protecting existing chemistry and management of biodiversity."

The first phase of Weed Focus will build on increasing growers' awareness of the challenges by providing a series of accessible training resources and communication of expert advice relating to specific weeds and their control.