The role of cover crops in black-grass control and soil conditioning will be a key focus at Agrovista’s Cereals stand this year.

Agrovista has been working with cover crops for several years, notably at its Project Lamport site in Northamptonshire – a seven-year rotational cover crop trial to develop novel black-grass control strategies.

It is proving to be a stern test – black-grass populations exceed 2000 heads/m2 at the site. However, using the right species and mixes while creating a platform to encourage maximum black-grass germination in the autumn before spraying off and direct drilling into the mulch has reduced populations to less than 8 heads/m2.

Black-grass trail

Agrovista will be participating in the Cereals 2016 black-grass trail, a new initiative that will help visitors glean all the information they need to help them combat the rising threat of this pernicious weed.

Visitors will be able to quiz experts from the Agrovista team on how the astonishing Project Lamport result was achieved, including the vital topic of matching specific species to a specific purpose, an area that Agrovista has been working on for many years.

Importantly, visitors will also discover what Agrovista’s mixes won’t do. Unlike many mixes in the market, the company’s cover crop offerings exclude species or varieties that could carry over disease, or create seed-shedding problems that might lead to future weed problems on the farm.

Better soils

Visitors can also discover how to use cover crops to improve soil structure and drainage, to make difficult soils easier to manage when it comes to cultivation and drilling of crops and to allow timely field work. Perspex root displays will bring the topic to life.

Cover crops can also be used as companion plants, increasing nitrogen scavenging and release as well as reducing weed and pest burdens. Agrovista has developed techniques for use in oilseed rape and maize to do just this and is continuing this work in other crops.

“This is a very exciting area of work in which Agrovista has taken a leading role,” says head of marketing Nick Rainsley. “Cover crops have enormous potential in areas like weed control and improving soil structure, provided they are chosen wisely and used correctly.

“Given the bewildering array of cover crops on the market, there is a real need for clarity. Some are backed by impressive-sounding claims, with little basis in fact.

“We look forward to helping visitors cut through the cover crop confusion, to ensure that make the right choices first time around.”