Reading Time: 4 minutes The invasion continues. From 2010 to 2015, glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane spread from Windsor to the Quebec border — more than 800 kilometres in just six years. Along the way, it evolved resistance to Groups 2 and 9 modes of action. Waterhemp has also spread rapidly, with biotypes resistant to Groups 2, 4, 9, 14 and […] Read more
The one-two weed punch farmers are up against
Managing Canada fleabane and waterhemp is an ongoing challenge for IP and Roundup Ready soybean growers
When less is more in weed control
A study shows that soybean yields decline as soil nitrogen increases
Reading Time: 5 minutes We all know that canola likes a good shot of nitrogen. Unfortunately, that includes canola volunteers, and a study says you may be better off to starve them and let your soybeans compete on their own. Charles Geddes, research scientist of weed ecology and cropping systems at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge Research and Development […] Read more
If you can’t spray ’em… terminate them
Crushing weed seeds as they go through the combine is another option
Reading Time: 5 minutes Maybe they can resist chemicals, but they can’t resist being crushed — or at least not yet. Harvest weed seed control is the latest development in the battle against weeds, with early adapters working with different designs and seeing success. The concept employs seed mills attached to the rear of the combine, gathering weed seeds […] Read more
Free weed control? Tell me more!
A researcher says Canadians should follow the European lead in helping beneficial insects to chow down on weed seeds
Reading Time: 3 minutes Carabid beetles, also known as ground beetles, are routinely overlooked as an important weed control agent, says Christian Willenborg, associate professor and head of the Department of Plant Sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. “In Western Canada, we don’t really have a feeling that carabids are making a dent in our weed seed populations, but […] Read more
Is the end of the chemical era drawing near for farms?
The future of weed control is going to require a more balanced approach
Reading Time: 6 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Chemical herbicides have long been the jewel in the crown of weed management, but after seven decades of use, natural selection is turning back the calendar. Herbicide resistance in weeds was first discovered in the 1980s and the problem has steadily increased. With no new chemistries introduced in more than 30 years, […] Read more
The Canada fleabane problem
At current corn and soybean prices, the value of control is at an all-time high
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you think you’ve heard the same message about glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane more than once, you’re probably right. But that doesn’t mean you should pay less attention, especially since it’s particularly important if you’re growing corn. The problem of resistant biotypes isn’t getting much better, says Peter Sikkema, weed scientist with University of Guelph’s Ridgetown […] Read more
Impact of delayed post-emergence herbicide in soybean
#CropPatrol: Consider a two-pass treatment tailored to the weed spectrum in each field
Reading Time: 3 minutes The landscape for soybean production in Eastern Canada continues to evolve, influenced by newer cultivars, herbicide-resistant technologies and longer growing seasons. In 2021, Ontario growers planted more than 2.9 million acres of soybean, with a farm-gate value of nearly $1.5 billion. Despite these advances and the money at stake, growers still risk yield losses averaging […] Read more
Winter wheat is a kochia killer
Its head start in the spring gives it an advantage over the troublesome weed
Reading Time: 3 minutes As a yield-limiting weed, kochia has a lot going for it. A single plant can spread tens of thousands of seeds over a wide area after it dries out and starts travelling like a tumbleweed. All kochia across the Prairies is considered resistant to ALS inhibitors (Group 2), but kochia can also be resistant to […] Read more
The impact of delayed post-emergence herbicide in corn
#CropPatrol: Corn seen to be very sensitive to weed interference
Reading Time: 2 minutes Ontario farmers grow most of the corn produced in Canada, with 2.2 million acres produced in 2020, a value of more than $2 billion. However, the crop is sensitive to early weed interference. The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) reported an average corn yield loss of 50 per cent if weeds are left uncontrolled. […] Read more
The satisfying pulverization of weed seeds
Weed seed destroyers mounted on combines provide a different approach — in timing and technique — to power up an integrated weed-management program
Reading Time: 6 minutes Josh Lade has an Australian urge to crush weed seeds into fine powder. Lade, who farms at Osler, Sask., rigged the farm’s combines with Seed Terminator chaff mills so weeds don’t “dictate the way I farm” like they do for farmers in Australia. Lade grew up on a mixed farm on Kangaroo Island, near Adelaide, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
