the intensive livestock farmers who will have serious business decisions to make to comply with the new rules.

As for the arable farmers, well no doubt the Water Framework Directive will prove equally as challenging! With as little as 30% of the drilled winter cereals receiving any autumn herbicide decisions are fast approaching for the spring alternatives. The Isoproturon deadline of June means that there is considerable pressure to use IPU. I have lobbied, on behalf of AICC to have an extension to the deadline. This would ensure that products are used sensibly and legally, this is surely the goal everybody wants to do. I regard spring applications of IPU very similar to playing Russian roulette namely crop damage or poor control! In general terms weed populations are low and growing slowly. It is likely that many wheat crops will receive Sulphnyl Urea based grass herbicides when temperatures warm up and for barley crops the concentration will be on ryegrass and oats as the main target.

The relative large acreage still to drill will be dominated by spring barley, as the least risk option. Other crops such as Spring Oil Seed, Spring Oats, and Spring Wheat (particularly AC Barrie) will also play a part.