Why five years?
This is how long it takes to reduce the black-grass seed burden in the soil substantially, providing new seed production is minimised.
Farmers are encouraged to plan a strategy for each field involving all five of the main components shown in the diagram in this leaflet from CROPROTECT which contains detailed advice on black-grass control strategies.
Farmers are also encouraged to:
- Record the amount of black-grass, and its location, in every individual field to quantify progress
- Review progress annually to identify the most effective strategies
- Revise the plan if necessary, but do not expect dramatic improvements within only one or two years.
In essence, 5 for 5 is all about:
- Refining existing control strategies rather than relying on unproven new gimmicks
- Recognising that beating black-grass requires a multi-year commitment at the individual field level
- Being more proactive and disciplined in tackling black-grass.
For more information, visit CROPROTECT, a knowledge transfer initiative at Rothamsted Research.