There is an aspect of black-grass cultural control practice with which I would like to take issue. There is the notion that multiple applications of glyphosate are needed in the autumn to maximise the emergence of black-grass plants and hence maximise …
The cause of the weather pattern known as El Nino has been forming in the middle and eastern parts of the equatorial Pacific Ocean where the temperature of the surface layers is significantly higher than normal. It will have a large impact on weather …
Black-grass heads are now appearing above wheat crops. Perhaps it is too early to estimate the levels of control achieved this year but it is getting very close to the end of the window for patch spraying with glyphosate in order to prevent the setting of …
Perusing the recent agricultural press would suggest that arbuscular mycorrhizae (AM; some say that the plural is spelt mycorrhizas) are the sole basis of soil health. In one article it is argued that oilseed rape is damaging soil structure because it …
We have just returned from a holiday in the sub-alpine region of France. There was a lot of nature to observe and this is an opportunity to share our experiences. Let me start with the behaviour of that most interesting species, the human being. We stayed …
Since 2012, I have been attempting to predict wheat yields in a blog at about this time of year. Looking back, 2012 was perhaps the easiest year to attempt this task. It was relatively clear that the lack of sunshine and the saturated soils would result …
A few weeks back I wrote a blog (Black-grass allelopathy nonsense - posted on 30 th April) on my analysis of the very limited and indirect evidence as to whether or not multiple applications of glyphosate to seedling black-grass in ‘false seedbeds’ were …
This is my 150th blog and perhaps too many have been on black-grass, the nation’s most talked about weed. You have to believe me when I say that I was trying to avoid writing about this weed yet again but recent press results have driven me back to the …
There was some interesting weather in the UK in July. The 1st was the hottest July day on record and a temperature of only 10C was recorded in Powys on the 31st. However, the extreme event of note for me was the overnight thunderstorm on 16th/17th in …
It is a fair time since I had a rant about GM. I am not alone as the following quote from a recent opinion piece in The Times demonstrates: ‘The debate around genetically modified crops would almost certainly puzzle an alien. “I don’t get it,” he’d beep, …
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