Weed Fact Sheet

To effectively build an IPM strategy, first you need to know the opposition.
Explore expert fact sheets on common UK arable weeds. Learn identification tips and effective control strategies for sustainable crop management.

Annual-Meadow Grass

Annual meadow-grass is the most common grass weed throughout the UK and although not highly yield robbing, it can cause inconvenience.

Black-grass

Black-grass is one of the biggest challenges to profitable arable farming in the main wheat growing areas of the UK

Common Chickweed

Chickweed is found in many areas of the UK and can be an issue due to germination throughout the growing season

Italian rye-grass

Italian rye-grass is an annual or biennial grass weed which can grow up to 100cm

Common Poppy

Poppy control is becoming increasingly difficult due to resistance to certain herbicides.

Scentless Mayweed

Scentless Mayweed can cause problems in winter and spring sown crops due to its long germination period.

Sterile/barren Brome

Sterile, or Barren brome is predominantly a problem in winter cereals. It robs crop yield and causes lodging where it’s left uncontrolled.

Volunteer Oilseed Rape

Volunteers from a previous crop of oilseed rape are a common sight in most arable rotations but these need to be controlled to prevent yield loss and harvest contamination.

Cleavers

Cleaver is a scrambling or climbing annual dicotyledonous weed. The stems are four-angled, 50-200cm long, and covered with minute, down-curved prickly hairs.

Fat hen

Fat hen is an annual dicotyledon, grey-green in colour. It is upright, 20-50cm tall but growing to 2m in crops. The leaves are diamond-shaped to spear-shaped.

Sow thistle

Browse the library for the sow-thistle you need information on.

Cereal Weed Control Hub

Find out more from our experts on how to build effective cereal weed control strategies

Cereal Weed Control