A weed is a plant in an undesired place. Weeds can often compete with crop plants for nutrients and resources and/or harbour and spread pests or diseases which infect or degrade the quality of crops. Although many weeds have undesirable consequences they can also provide a key ecological role.
Weed Biology
Common weed problems in oilseed rape
Thistles in oilseed rape
Thistles are a common weed throughout the UK, growing up to 150cm in height.
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Mayweed in oilseed rape
Mayweeds are common and high profile annual or hardy-annual composite weeds.
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Blackgrass in oilseed rape
Blackgrass is the most important grassweed infesting cereal and oilseed rape rotations in the UK.
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Cleavers in oilseed rape
Cleavers have long caused problems to oilseed rape growers, due to the competitive nature of the weed, and the way it can grow across the canopy late in the season.
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Common weed problems in cereals
Ryegrass
Ryegrass distribution is more widespread and significant where grass leys form part of the rotation.
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Wild Oats
Wild oats are distributed from Yorkshire to Devon, and the intense arable areas of south and east Scotland.
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Mayweed
There are several widely distributed species including Scented Mayweed, Scentless Mayweed and Pineappleweed.
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Volunteer Beans
Volunteer beans compete with establishing winter cereals in the autumn. Volunteer beans can also cause problems for contact graminicides as large bean volunteers can shade grassweeds and limit contact.
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Poppy
The common poppy is a broad-leaved weed that can be problematic in cereals and winter oilseed rape, competing for nutrients and impacting yield.
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Groundsel
Though small, groundsel can grow in large numbers across fields and hence are a very visible weed within crops.
Read MoreCommon weed problems in grassland
Nettles
Grass yield / grazing is lost mainly by competition from nettles for nutrients, light and moisture, but also from stock refusing to graze close to nettles.
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Thistles
Thistles compete with grass for space, light, nutrients and water, and they are unpalatable to stock.
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Ragwort
Ragwort poses a serious threat to livestock health. Left unchecked, it can quickly spread and reduce available grazing.
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Buttercup
Creeping buttercup is often a severe problem in horse paddocks, where close grazing tends to open the sward.
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Curled docks
Curled docks thrive in intensively used and highly fertilised grassland and produce up to 40,000 seeds.
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Dandelions
Dandelion is a perennial plant that has a deep taproot and are commonly found where fields are overgrazed, and soil fertility is poor
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Common chickweed
Chickweed, if left uncontrolled, will affect the productivity of newly sown leys or a pastures.
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Spear thistle
Spear thistle can be found in both newly sown leys and established grassland.
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Creeping thistle
Creeping thistle is a perennial that grows from seed or from root sections in the soil.
Read moreOther common weed problems
Thistles in sugar beet
Yield loss and harvesting difficulties can be caused in sugar beet by infestations of sow-thistle and creeping thistle.
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Volunteer potatoes
An integrated approach to the management and reduction of volunteer potatoes is particularly important where less competitive crops, such as sugar beet, are part of the rotation.
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