Blackgrass remains one of the most challenging weeds for UK arable farmers, costing yields and resisting control measures. Research shows that blackgrass not only thrives in poorly drained, heavy soils but actually grows bigger under prolonged waterlogging. In contrast, wheat growth is significantly reduced under the same conditions, leaving crops doubly vulnerable.
The study also found that the more herbicide-resistant a population of blackgrass was, the more tolerant it proved to waterlogging. This explains why blackgrass patches so often occur in wetter parts of fields and why resistant populations are especially difficult to manage in flood-prone land. Early-season weed competition in these conditions has the greatest effect on yield loss, creating a perfect storm for growers.
The Perennial crop Miscanthus could provide the solution to both issues. It thrives where other crops fail on flood-prone fields that would otherwise be unprofitable or high risk, and the high canopy of the crop outcompetes and eradicates blackgrass.
Managing blackgrass in SFI options
In addition to this, Alice Cannon, Hutchinsons Foundation Technical Manager, has recently stressed that farms with a history of blackgrass must be mindful of any unintended increase in populations that may have built up within certain SFI options and manage this carefully as land returns to cropping. For those considering putting land into an SFI option, she advises that growers at risk of blackgrass may be better off long-term by choosing multi-species cover crop options (such as SAM2/CSAM2, SOH2 and SOH3). These may carry slightly lower payments and require more investment, but they allow for active blackgrass control – unlike some higher-paying options, such as winter bird food, which do not.
Growers are profiting from Miscanthus on flood-prone land
“Arable crops would never have survived the flooded conditions that the Miscanthus was exposed to, and we didn’t lose any money on inputs. The annual yield quickly recovered, and in 2017 and 2020, we had bumper harvests of over 13t/ha.” Rob Meadley, East Yorkshire arable farmer.
“It was a win-win situation, because no damage was done to the land, no money was spent on contractors, it wasn’t a loss, because we harvested the crop the following year with the new growth and we hadn’t spent any money on inputs because no fertiliser was applied,” William Cracroft-Eley, Lincolnshire Miscanthus grower.
“We were long-standing wheat and rapeseed growers before we discovered Miscanthus – but we had reached a point where had to make a change to become more profitable. Wheat prices at the time were disastrously low and we were also experiencing real issues with blackgrass – particularly with it building resistance to certain pesticides. We trialled Miscanthus in one of our fields with flood ground in 2005, and just two years later, we converted almost all our land to the energy crop,” Bill Lewis, Norfolk arable farmer.
By removing these difficult fields from the annual cropping cycle, farmers can reduce both their weed and input burden. Miscanthus requires no herbicides once established, no fertiliser, and minimal intervention for up to 15 years. The crop not only avoids the blackgrass problem but also delivers a long-term, reliable income stream, with markets ranging from renewable energy to sustainable products.
A sustainable land use choice
Flood-prone and heavy land has always been difficult to manage profitably within conventional arable rotations. With blackgrass adapting to thrive under saturated conditions, these areas risk becoming increasingly unproductive for cereal crops. Miscanthus offers a way to put such fields back to work, building resilience into farming businesses while supporting biodiversity, carbon storage, and climate mitigation goals.
For growers seeking to reduce risk and regain control of problem fields, Miscanthus is proving to be not just an environmental option, but a sound economic one too.
