Crop

This site offers free access to Proceedings from over 50 years of BCPC Conferences and Symposia dating all the way back to 1954; over 100 Technical Reports from the Weed Research Organization; and the WRO Annual Reports which include reports from each research section of the WRO.

Website
https://www.bcpc.org/open-access/knowledge-bank

Access the knowledge bank HERE.

The documents can be searched online and also downloaded. This service is provided Free of Charge and has kindly been supported by The Chadacre Trust, The Felix Cobbold Trust, AFCP, The Perry Foundation, The Douglas Bomford Trust and The Morley Agricultural Foundation.

The Weed Research Organization opened in 1960 and closed in 1986. Information on the setting up and closure of the station is in the first and tenth station reports. The WRO archive contains all the technical reports produced. These were mainly the results of glasshouse screening evaluations of herbicides but covered a wide range of  other topics, including growing different weed species for experimental purposes, design of rain simulators, aquatic weed control and weed surveys. The remainder of the archives cover the ten WRO station reports, covering results of research and activities of the various sections.  They also include a record of published papers by WRO staff. Most reports also include overviews of key research. The overviews are detailed in the search page but subjects of current research in the station reports can be identified by a page search.

Related Organisations

Connected Content

Weeds

A weed can have many definitions, one being, any plant growing in a place it is not wanted. This topic focuses mainly on weeds affecting agriculture. Generally weeds are classified into two groups: grass-weeds (e.g Black-grass, Italian ryegrass, Bromes) and broad-leaved weeds (e.g Mayweed, Chickweed, Poppy, Cleavers). 

Broad-Leaved Weeds

Broad-leaved weeds are a varied group of weeds that can grow and cause significant problems in arable fields in the UK. Some of the most common broad-leaved weeds in the UK include: Common Chickweed (Stellaria media) , Scentless Mayweed (Tripleurospermum inodorum), Common poppy (Papaver rhoeas), Charlock (Sinapis arvensis L.), Fat-hen (Chenopodium album L.), Common groundsel (Senecio vulgaris), Docks (Rumex spp) and Creeping thistle (Cirsium arvense). See also related topics of: grass-weeds, herbicides, herbicide resistance and integrated weed management.

Grass Weeds

Grass weeds are a major challenge in UK agriculture and are often highly competitive in arable crops. Some of the most common grass weeds in the UK include: Black-grass (Alopecurus myosuroides), Italian rye-grass (Lolium multiflorum), Brome (Bromus sp.), wild-oats (Avena sp.), Couch grass (Elytrigia repens), annual meadow grass (Poa annua) and Rat's-tail Fescue (Vulpia myuros). You can find specific topic pages for black-grass and brome. See also related topics of: broad-leaved weeds, herbicides, herbicide resistance and integrated weed management

Integrated Weed Management (IWM)

IWM involves using numerous weed control methods to try and manage a weed problem sustainably. Whilst herbicides can still be used as part of an IWM approach, a major aim is to reduce reliance on them by also incorporating methods including, cultural, mechanical, biological, thermal and genetic control. A combination of such approaches can allow for optimal control of a specific weed problem. Related topics on FarmPEP include herbicides and herbicide resistance. You can also view the topic pages on grass weeds and broad-leaved weeds which provide examples of suitable control methods.