Blackgrass control ‘can be compromised by up to 50%’ if plough not set up correctly, says expert

ProCam agronomist Rob Farmer said how the plough is used will make a significant difference on eastern counties farms this autumn.

“Repeated use of non-inversion cultivations, along with periods of heavy rainfall, can often create an upper cultivated layer on the surface and a denser uncultivated layer beneath, through which water is unable to easily escape,” he said. “This traps water in the upper layer like a sponge, with soil becoming starved of air. Since blackgrass is a marshland weed that grows in the cold, this combination of retained water and anaerobic conditions favours its growth over that of the crop. The hard, airless land also hinders root development in the sown crop, affecting its ability to compete.” Control may be compromised by up to 50%, he said.