There are now around 40 confirmed cases of blackgrass in Irish farms. However, the number of unreported cases is likely to be multiples of this.

The Irish Farmers Journal recently spoke to Jimmy Staples, Teagasc enable conservation tillage (ECT) project manager, about the spread of blackgrass in Irish fields.

Blackgrass is a potentially devastating weed which can cause severe yield reductions in cereals, with just 12 plants/m2 leading to 5% yield reduction.

The grassweed remains a significant issue for UK farms, with 98% of its population now resistant to at least one form of herbicide. Glyphosate is the latest herbicide to show reduced sensitivity to the weed last year.

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It is feared that these resistant strains are in Ireland and are now spreading to Louth, Meath, Wexford, Limerick, Kildare and Dublin, as well as Cork, Tipperary and Kilkenny.

The initial source of seed was believed to have come from UK straw and machinery imports and is spreading through various sources, such as straw, manure, machinery and animals.

Jimmy explained that last season was a perfect year for grassweeds due to a good autumn in 2018 and a large winter crop area. This season is shaping up to be the opposite.

However, there may be a heightened risk of blackgrass and other grassweed seed entering the country this spring through cereal seed imports, especially where sourced from England. Jimmy explains that growers must be extra vigilant in fields this year, particularly where imported seed is sown.