Sustainable Agriculture London
Health, Nutrition and Preventative Medicine through Permanent Agriculture

Sustainable Agriculture London

Black Grass problem

Black grass problem: the single issue policy of the EU banned the burning of straw on fields after harvest in an effort to control black grass? The AIC’s chief executive David Caffel says that black grass is the scourge of the arable industry today and had the EU thought about the ban in support of the clean air act, that stopped the burning of straw, the arable areas would be in a different position today as regards black grass control.

This is a grave error of judgement.                                                 Are we to go back to burning off the straw after the harvests? The problem is the EU don’t know the solution of changing soil conditions to control black grass. Straw is the root (carbon) of real organic fertiliser. This changes soil conditions and in itself reduces the proliferation of black grass. But whoever else, in their wisdom, have already bred out the straw from the grain harvests. They have already reduced the straw length from four feet to one foot so they have bred out three fourths of their natural fertiliser. This is the gravest error in agriculture today and indeed the grave of agriculture itself.