Penny Oakes, independent agronomist: I will definitely be using Luximo^® again

Penny is based in West Norfolk and is responsible for 6,500ha. This year she will be looking after just under 900ha of spring barley. Usually, spring barley is a higher proportion of Penny’s cropping but the reduction in malting barley contracts together with good establishment of winter wheat, has led to a drop in its acreage.

Last year, Penny worked with BASF’s Technical Officer, Emily Tomkins, on a trial which tested Luximo’s performance in spring barley.

SPRING BARLEY & GRASSWEED CONTROL:

“Around here, most of the spring barley follows sugar beet and isn’t necessarily in the rotation for grassweed control,” explains Penny. “However, there are exceptions. The location of the Luximo trial was on heavier land where black-grass had become a problem. A spring barley crop was chosen partly because it allowed us to spray off black-grass seedlings in both the autumn and the spring but also because it can be very competitive. I’ve seen in trials how it can help lower black-grass numbers significantly.”

Emily agrees, adding: “Spring barley can be very useful for getting on top of black-grass. Its drilling date falls when the germination rate of a black-grass population is declining, allowing you to control most of the weeds outside of the crop.”

With heavier soils taking longer to warm up and dry out in spring, Penny notes that it is harder to grow a very vigorous spring barley crop on heavy land.

“It means that we’re more reliant on herbicides where pressure is high, and with few post-emergence options, we are dependent on residual chemistry. I have been curious about Luximo’s potential,” she says.

LUXIMO’S ADVANTAGE

With its unique mode of action, Luximo is the most effective pre-emergence herbicide for controlling grassweeds. In wheat trials, Luximo solutions have been proven to offer up to 95 - 98% control.

“Luximo inhibits cell membrane production in grassweeds, meaning the plant can no longer grow. It prevents germination so you often don’t see the weeds. If they do emerge, you will see the seedlings have very little vigour and turn yellow before dying,” explains Emily.

The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) of Great Britain approved the use of cinmethylin (Luximo) for use in malting barley in April last year.

TRIAL RESULTS: AVADEX, LUXINUM PLUS + STOMP AQUA ELIMINATED BLACK-GRASS

In Penny’s trial there were four conditions. With a granule applicator on the drill, the host was able to apply Avadex onto two areas at drilling. One of which later received Luxinum Plus + Stomp Aqua. They also tested Luxinum Plus + Stomp Aqua on its own, and had an untreated section for comparison.

“The results were really interesting. The field was drilled on the 19th March 2025. Luxinum Plus + Stomp Aqua was applied on the 3rd April 2025. I was really impressed with the black-grass control but, with the prolonged dry conditions, it wasn’t a year that favoured the weed,” says Penny.

“We did, however, have plenty of black-grass plants early on in the trial, particularly in the untreated section. Counts taken in May revealed that these areas averaged 9 plants/m2. Where there was either Avadex or Luxinum Plus + Stomp, there were 2 plants/m2 but where we had applied both, there were no black-grass plants at all.”

Emily says that the finds were representative of other trials she managed in 2025. The dry conditions hampered black-grass growth across all sites, except those on the heaviest of soils.

“I will definitely be using Luximo again, especially on the heavier land,” says Penny. “Afterall, using spring barley as a cultural control is pointless if you allow black-grass to get a grip within the crop.”