Selective grass weed control in cereal headlands to encourage game and wildlife.

Abstract

Nine experiments were conducted over 2 years to investigate the potential for selective chemical control of black-grass Alopecurus myosuroides in winter cereal headlands, as part of the Cereals and Gamebirds Research Project's "conservation headlands" initiative. The aim was to allow the survival of certain broadleaved weed species which are host plants for insects eaten by gamebird chicks. In six of seven experiments with high populations of A. myosuroides, diclofop-methyl gave greater than 90% control. A sequence of tri-allate followed by diclofop-methyl gave more than 98% control in six of seven experiments. These figures compare favourably with the performance of traditional control materials. The tri-allate/diclofop-methyl sequence had little or no effect on most of the desirable broadleaved weed species present. In addition, a useful measure of Galium aparine control was achieved by tri-allate, in two experiments where this weed was present. Chlortoluron generally controlled A. myosuroides and susceptible broadleaved species well, but effects of isoproturon were variable.