Grassland weeds cause major yield loss on Northern Ireland farms. There is often a wide spectrum of weeds spread across the farm such as docks, nettles, thistles, chickweed, buttercups and rushes. Where weeds grow, grass doesn’t – restricting the amount available for grazing or silage. Weeds can seriously affect your grass yield and silage quality. For example 10 dock plants in a 35m2 area can cause 10% yield loss in silage fields which is worth over £100 per hectare. The best defence against weeds is to stop them gaining a foothold. A dense sward growing on non-compacted soil will reduce the opportunities for weeds to grow. Where weeds have become a problem on the farm it is important to get good advice on the most cost effective herbicide to deal with the weed problem in your field.
Some guidance is available below but for specific advice on the best solutions available contact your local agricultural merchant or contact us directly. To get the latest news and Crop Crack direct to you, fill in your details in the Contact Us section and we will send it to you free by e-mail.