Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle Solutions
Cabbage Stem Flea Beetle has become an enterprise-threatening problem with serious rotational consequences. Made worse by agrochemical withdrawals and increasingly resistant populations, it is spreading across the country with few signs of rapid resolution.
But it wasn’t so very long ago that many wheat growers were facing a remarkably similar challenge with black-grass.
Encouragingly, this weed no longer threatens the future of wheat-growing in some parts of the country like it once did. True, the days of simple ‘out-of-the-can’ solutions are long gone and continued pressure is essential to keep on top of the problem. However, focused research and practical experience have shown that black-grass can be contained and managed.
In just the same way, dealing with CSFB will demand a combination of different varietal, rotational, agronomic and other strategies based firmly on understanding the problem. While the science here is in its infancy, a number of approaches are showing considerable promise in ensuring OSR can maintain its undoubted rotational value for most.
