With signs of warmer weather, there is still time to get on top of blackgrass, says Dow AgroSciences’ Stuart Jackson.

Latest monitoring from the company’s Grassweed Emergence Monitor plots shows that all but the very earliest sown plots of winter wheat have blackgrass plants that are still very small.

“Only the plots sown in September have blackgrass that is beginning to tiller,” says Mr Jackson. “Later sown plots have very small plants which will be very susceptible as the weather warms up and spring growth finally gets underway.”

Once active growth is seen in blackgrass, Dow AgroSciences recommends an application of UNITE as soon as ground conditions permit. The weedkiller will deliver both contact and residual control against blackgrass as well as a very wide range of broad-leaved weeds. Given current wet soils and small shallow-rooted blackgrass plants, growers will still benefit from including additional residual treatment with UNITE.

“In many cases the inability to apply any residual herbicide last autumn or indeed so far this year, will mean many farmers will see more broad-leaved weeds than usual. Therefore, UNITE will deliver an added bonus and save a broad-leaved weed treatment,” says Mr Jackson.