Key points
• Plants emerging from autumn to early winter flowered and returned seed.
• Plants emerging from October onwards remained vegetative and produced no seed.
• Emergence was driven by soil moisture followed by temperature.
• Vulpia hairgrass plants emerging in autumn or winter should be considered a high risk.
Welcome to the autumn 2026 edition of From the Ground Up.
Find the booklet for the autumn round up 2026 event series here.
Read information on scouting and the current black-grass situation in this January 2026 update.
Arable growers worried that some weeds in their crops may have developed herbicide resistance can now get the suspected plants tested for free. Find out how you can take part here.
If you couldn't make it to ARIA this year, make sure you check out the booklet here.
This Arable Update describes the biology of small broomrape and initial data on control options including herbicides and their application timing.
Maize is one of the easiest crops to mechanically weed and levels of weed control comparable to herbicides can be achieved. Find out more about the options available and how they work in this maize update.
Growers are reminded to report any grass weeds that appear unfamiliar or could resemble black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides). Early reporting remains one of our strongest tools for protecting the industry.
Watch the recording for a webinar with FAR Senior Field Officer Ben Harvey on managing herbicide resistance pre-autumn sowing, covering what is herbicide resistance and methods to reduce the risk of herbicide resistance.
This arable extra discusses trial results from the 2024 herbicide screening trial at Kowhai Farm in Lincoln, Canterbury.
