Bayer steps up commitment to help farmers overcome black-grass

A new tool aimed at helping growers tackle black-grass has been launched by Bayer CropScience.

The Black-Grass Task Manager (BGTM) is a web tool that gives growers access to Bayer’s wealth of knowledge on controlling black-grass and helps them plan an effective control strategy.

“For more than 10 years, Bayer has been at the forefront of the fight against black-grass with our range of herbicides, product performance trials and resistance testing,” says Campaign Manager, Phillippa Overson.

“We launched the Black-Grass Task Force to share information about alternative crops, rotations and cultivations because it is clear that relying solely on chemistry is not a winning strategy for many farms.

“Our new service builds on these principles. It allows growers to investigate options which may help their control and then create their own black-grass ‘to-do’ list , therefore helping them build a successful strategy to deal with black-grass.”

For example, at this time of year, growers are encouraged to map the black-grass in their fields and advised on how this knowledge can help their long-term planning.

Phillippa explains that while many of the cultural and chemical techniques needed to control black-grass are well-known, the BGTM fills a gap by helping farmers knit these together into an achievable programme that delivers a profitable crop as well as less black-grass.

“Innovative tools like BGTM demonstrate Bayer’s ongoing commitment to its growers,” says Chris Cooksley, Head of Marketing for Bayer CropScience UK. “Black-grass remains a serious threat to the viability of wheat, the UK’s most important staple crop.

“Bayer has a track-record of providing farmers with the products they need to grow the food on which we all rely. But Bayer isn’t just about products. Services that provide farmers with information and advice, like the BGTM, help them get the most from their farm.”