Weeds

Redekop Seed Control Unit, an integrated reversible cage mill with blade system that provides Harvest Weed Seed Control, was assessed for volunteer canola control. Blade configuration in combination with chaff feeding rate did not affect volunteer canola control, which remained above 99%. Harvest Weed Seed…

Based on wild oat seed viability, early clipping of wild oat panicles before seeds are viable, in short-statured crops, may become a valuable tool for integrated wild oat management. Wild oat is one of the most problematic weed species in western Canada due to widespread…

Cleavers can germinate very early in the spring, making pre-seed burnoff a good way to control 
the weeds when they’re small and limit cleavers 
seed in harvested canola. Pre-harvest saflufenacil plus glyphosate may also provide short- and long-term management. This study shows that cleavers populations…

Fluazifop, quizalofop, clethodim, sethoxydim, and glyphosate can all reduce downy brome and Japanese brome biomass, especially when applied shortly after germination to plants less than 4.3 inches tall —with a tendency for fluazifop and quizalofop to be most effective. Research evaluated the efficacy of glyphosate…

Soybean grown in narrow rows shortened the critical weed-free period (CWFP) by up to three soybean developmental stages at site-years with increased weed pressure. Low-density soybean stands lengthened the CWFP by one soybean developmental stage compared with higher-density soybean stands. Generally, the cultivar with the…

Seeding a tall cultivar at 80 seeds/ft2 in early May along with the application of an in-crop wild oat herbicide resulted in the greatest stand establishment and crop biomass, as well as the lowest weed biomass in flax. Flax is a poor competitor with weeds,…

Model predictions suggest that farming can remain profitable without glyphosate by consistently utilizing key non-herbicidal weed management practices combined with robust pre-emergence soil residual herbicide treatments. However, maintaining low weed seed banks will be challenging. The possibility of farming without glyphosate is an important issue…

Trends in herbicide resistance management over the past decade were identified and include renewed efforts by the agrichemical industry in herbicide discovery, cultivation of crops with combined (stacked) HR traits, increasing reliance on pre-emergence vs. post-emergence herbicides, breeding for weed-competitive crop cultivars, expansion of harvest…

Target a soybean seeding rate of 4 to 6 plants per square foot for optimum net return and improved crop competition against volunteer glyphosate-resistant canola. Pre- and post-emergent herbicides were also assessed for control of volunteer glyphosate-resistant canola in soybean. Limited information exists for the…

Time to 90% loss of glyphosate-resistant kochia seed viability averaged less than 8 months. Short seedbank longevity, delayed and reduced germination, and delayed time to first leaf of glyphosate-resistant kochia can be used to develop weed control strategies. Kochia herbicide resistance continues to spread across…

A kochia survey in southern Alberta in 2017 found that all kochia populations were resistant to Group 2 ALS inhibitors, 50% of populations were resistant to Group 9 glyphosate, and 18% of populations resistant to Group 4 (dicamba) herbicides. Kochia populations with triple resistance to…

Where the saline forage site contained root zone salinity approaching severe, the best forage control treatments were AC Saltlander green wheatgrass seeded on 15 or 30.5 cm row spacing. The next best option was alternating rows of AC Saltlander green wheatgrass with slender wheatgrass seeded…

Of the seven unregistered herbicides assessed, flax has excellent crop tolerance to fluthiacet-methyl, pyroxasulfone, and topramezone. Flumioxazin caused severe crop damage in high moisture situations and is not recommended for further trials. Field experiments were conducted in 2015 and 2016 at the Kernen Research Farm…

Of 45 Russian thistle populations tested from central and southern Alberta in 2017, 31 (62%) were Group 2 (ALS inhibitor) resistant. No populations exhibited resistance to Group 9 (glyphosate). A random survey of Russian thistle was conducted post-harvest in fall, 2017. A total of 45…

Field trials found pyroxasulfone (Focus), pyroxasulfone + flumioxazin (Fierce), and pyroxsulam (Simplicity) provided effective control of Japanese and downy brome in winter wheat. Trials were established at Lethbridge and Kipp, Alberta, and Scott, Saskatchewan, over three growing seasons to compare herbicides for control of downy…

Wild oat resistance has increased over three surveys conducted since 2001. In surveyed fields where wild oats were found, Group 1 wild oat resistance increased in Alberta from 11% in 2001 to 58% in 2017. In 2017, 247 fields were randomly surveyed across Alberta prior…

Herbicide screening studies on triallate-resistant (Group 8) wild oats found cross-resistance to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides. Additionally, unexpected resistance to Group 14 and Group 15 herbicides was found even though the wild oats had never been previously exposed to these herbicides. Two relatively…

The critical weed free period for lentil starts at the five-node stage and lasts until the 10-node stage. Research found that applying Clearfield herbicides to lentils at the five- to six-node stage provided the best weed control and highest yield. Two research studies conducted at…

Seed 35 seeds per square foot and apply at least 13.4 lbs. P205 per acre to improve wild oat competitiveness and increase tame oat yield. A three-year study was conducted at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Indian Head to determine if side-banded phosphorus (P) in combination…

Diverse crop rotations had similar net returns to canola-wheat rotations one-half the time and up to $45 per acre more the rest of the time. Adding integrated weed management practices without relying on wild oat herbicides resulted in similar wild oat pressure as canola-wheat rotations….

Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientists Hugh J. Beckie and K Neil Harker identified herbicide-resistant weed management practices that have the most impact on managing herbicide selection pressure. Their top 10 management practices are based on research and growers’ experiences over the last 30 years.