Black-grass: Identification, impact and control in UK cereal production
Weed profile of black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides). Discover growth habits, impact, and effective UK weed management strategies.
Black-grass is one of the biggest challenges to profitable arable farming in the main wheat growing areas of the UK. On some farms growers have had to adopt dramatic shifts to their rotations, cultivations and even fundamental land use changes to get on top of the weed.
It is an annual grass 20 – 85cm tall with upright round and slender stems with few nodes.
Black-grass Fact Sheet
| Herbicide resistance | EMR, ACCase TSR and ALS TSR |
|---|---|
| Leaves | Fine and smooth with a shiny upper surface. Twisted blade with a blunt tip |
| Flowers | Dark purple and narrow |
| Auricles | None |
| Ligules | Blunt and finely serrated; 2.5mm |
| Number of seeds produced per plant | Up to 1000 per plant consisting of 100 seeds in each of the 10 heads |
| Seed shed | June to August |
| Germination period | September to November (80%), March to May (20%) |
| Germination depth | Up to 5cm |
| Primary dormancy | Varies with summer temperatures, hot = low dormancy, cold = high dormancy |
| Does it have a secondary dormancy? | Yes |
| Seed longevity | 1 - 5 years |
| Factor promoting germination | (light) |
| Rate of annual seed decline with cultivations | 68% per year |
| Geographical location | Located in the main cereal growing area of the UK, the east of England. Now moving to other areas predominantly in straw used for bedding or in machinery such as balers and pea viners |
| Soil Type | Thrives on a wide range of soil types, predominantly water retentive heavy clays or silts, but very adaptable |
| Impact | Competitive and has a high seed multiplication rate for following years/crops. 10 plants m²=13% yield loss in cereals |
| Herbicide Resistance | EMR, ACCase TSR and ALS TSR |
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What is the potential impact of black-grass?
Wherever black-grass poses a threat, there is a need for action. No matter the weed count in that field, the threat to yields, profits and long-term planning must be challenged effectively. The escalation of a small number of plants into an infestation can be devastating for a farm business and can result in drastic action. Wherever there is evidence of black-grass maintain control by using the best available chemistry as part of a comprehensive IPM game plan.
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