BCPC 2009: Policy makers have little understanding of the issues

Dr Stephen Moss of Rothamsted Research told the BCPC Congress if non-chemical measures, including delayed drilling, increased seed rates and spring cropping, were rated in the same way as herbicides, according to the level of control they achieved, their ratings would be “pretty pathetic”.

“In the UK, if you are submitting a new herbicide to CRD, you have to get certain levels of control for any weeds to be deemed susceptible on the label: more than 85 per cent control for weeds to be susceptible; 75-85 per cent for moderately susceptible.”

Using this approach, delayed drilling, for example, would achieve a rating of resistant (less than 60 per cent control), said Dr Moss.

No replacement

“That is a real issue. They are pretty pathetic in relation to herbicides. I’m not rubbishing non-chemical control measures but we have to get real and not pretend these can replace herbicides.

“Any one of them alone is not going to do much good but if we can encourage farmers to use three or more we will making some progress,” said Dr Moss.

Dr Moss told the congress he wasn’t convinced policy makers really understood why farmers didn’t use more non-chemical weed control measures.

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