HYVIDO^® Hybrid Barley: A competitive crop for weed suppression

Controlling grass weeds can be a complex undertaking for cereal growers. The efficacy of herbicides as well as drill timings and applications can be impacted by the weather. Herbicide resistance is a growing problem and with their extended germination window, grass weeds can evade control despite your best efforts. Reliance on herbicides alone to suppress grass weeds is unlikely to pay off.

Enter HYVIDO^® hybrid barley, a competitive crop with the ability to suppress black-grass and rye-grass due to hybrid vigour. In trials, hybrid barley has been independently and scientifically proven to be better at competing with some species of grass weeds than both 2 and 6-row conventional barley and wheat.

Hybrid barley grass weed suppression trials have shown that any remaining grass weeds in the crop produced fewer tillers, smaller heads, and fewer seeds, reducing the burden for the subsequent crop. 

This competitive advantage applies above and below ground. Above ground, the taller hybrid barley plants with higher tiller numbers and larger flag leaves are more competitive with grass weeds for space and light. Below ground, their larger root mass and improved rooting system provides a larger surface area for the uptake of nutrients and water.