Skip to main contentSkip to footer

Weed Management

Bayer Crop Science

The Ultimate Guide to controlling black-grass before planting your next crop

Article overview

Black-grass control does not start with the pre-emergence herbicide programme. Doing everything possible to reduce the weed population before you drill the crop is key, and it means making good management decisions right from the off. Below is our guide to managing black-grass from harvest to drilling, starting with six general principles.

  • Don’t plan on the back of last season – the right decision depends on the conditions in the field. But always factor in previous seasons' cultivations to understand the black-grass seedbank.

  • Delayed drilling of winter wheat is a vital tool to control black-grass – cultivation needs to maximise the possible drilling window.

  • Cultivation and establishment needs to create conditions for healthy, vigorous crops that can compete with black-grass. There is often a compromise between the ideal drilling date for early vigour and missing the main autumn flush of black-grass.

  • Spring cropping is a reliable back-up option when autumn establishment is not possible. Cover crops can be a useful tool to establish spring crops and improve soil but the decision to use them needs to be made well in advance.

  • Disturbing soil can prompt black-grass germination so establishment of any crop should be lower disturbance than any preceding cultivation.

  • Good soil condition ensures good establishment and maximises crop competitiveness. It also contributes to good efficacy of pre-emergence herbicides.


There are three main cultivation strategy options for black-grass seed management after harvest. 

  • Do nothing, do not disturb the surface and allow natural predation and germination to eliminate some seed before drilling the crop. Warm, sunny weather post-harvest is particularly favourable to this approach as seed can be damaged by light and heat.

  • Shallow cultivation in the top 2–3 inches to stimulate black-grass and create some tilth. Working carefully at this depth should ensure this season’s shed black-grass seed remains in the germination zone near the surface to produce a stale seedbed before drilling. Depending on soil type and condition this operation may be repeated several times.

  • Full inversion ploughing, useful for burying black-grass seed after significant seed shed and can also be used to remove widespread compaction in the field. For both compaction and black-grass the plough is a re-set button, but it has to be used sparingly, and must be done effectively, otherwise buried black-grass seed may be brought back to the surface to wreak havoc.


Discover more in our Insights