Farmers ready for change on blackgrass control

UK - October 14, 2012

Many farmers in blackgrass areas are disillusioned with the performance of current herbicides and ready to change, according to market research commissioned by Dow AgroSciences.

In July this year, 200 farmers growing winter wheat in blackgrass areas were surveyed for their views on blackgrass control options. Not surprisingly, given the season, satisfaction levels were not high.

“There are some encouraging findings,” says Dow AgroSciences’ Cereal Marketing Manager Vaughn Stansfield.

“For instance, the importance of a programme approach is now widely recognised. Less than half of farmers surveyed put any single product as the most important element of a programme. However, just over half of farmers were ‘satisfied’ by the control achieved by their programmes in 2012.”

The survey was conducted to explore perceptions of the new Dow AgroSciences’ blackgrass product UNITE (pyroxsulam and flupyrsulfuron-methyl-sodium). A third of farmers surveyed were already aware of the brand only a month after the name was unveiled at Cereals 2012.

Some 17% of respondents stated they saw UNITE as ‘better than I use today’, while an additional 76% saw the new product as a ‘credible alternative’. 

“This response matches the feedback we have had from the many farmers who tried UNITE last season, under the code name GF-2070,” says Mr Stansfield.
“Feedback from the field confirmed that 80% of users found UNITE was every bit as good as the post-emergence industry standard in tackling blackgrass, even under challenging conditions.”

Other key factors in the appeal of UNITE for the farmers surveyed was its value for money. In addition to a wide spectrum of grassweed control, the product controls an extensive number of broadleaved weeds. This often means farmers save a spring herbicide.

Simplicity was another key feature that appealed. With UNITE, there is no need for any cultivation for follow on crops which means a simpler, risk-free way to establish oilseed rape.

 Finally, the survey confirmed the importance of the agronomist in the fight against blackgrass. When asked about their intentions for the coming season the vast majority said they planned to talk to their agronomist.

Mr Stansfield says:  “We wanted to create a product tailored to UK farmers’ needs and UNITE is the result of more than five years’ work at Dow AgroSciences.
“The results from this survey confirm that we are continuing to provide innovation for UK farmers in their fight against blackgrass.”