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Tag Archives Weed

Tillage can help warm the soil faster for earlier seeding, but it also gives weeds a better environment to germinate.
Crops

Tillage systems’ impact on weeds and disease

No-till and minimum-till systems both have agronomic drawbacks and advantages

By
No-till and minimum-till systems both have their advantages and drawbacks, especially when it comes to managing weeds, disease and insects in next season’s crop. Let’s start by looking at the advantages of no-till systems. Right off the bat, they’re great for soil and moisture conservation — particularly when you’re working on lighter, sandier soils. Growers […] Read more
The three trays on the left represent 10,000 canola seeds that were not put through the Harrington Seed Destructor before researchers grew them out. The two trays on the right show the low germination rate of 10,000 canola seeds after researchers ran them through the Seed Destructor.
Crops, Features

Mechanical harvest weed control

The Harrington Seed Destructor is a chem-free way to chew up weed seeds at harvest time

By
Recent research into harvest weed seed control is yielding some promising results. Breanne Tidemann, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist based in Lacombe, has been studying how effectively the Harrington Seed Destructor chews up weed seeds. Tidemann and her colleagues collected chaff from a bag attached to the back of a combine, then ran the […] Read more
To date, AAFC’s Dr. Hugh Beckie has not seen Palmer amaranth in the Prairies. However, he says, 
“if it did come up it would be through the floodwater in the Red River Valley.”
Crops, Features

Palmer amaranth continues to spread north

Producers should learn to spot the tall, fast-growing 
weed before it becomes a problem

By
Amaranth is extremely nutrient-rich. It was important to the Aztecs, and is still cultivated in South America and Mexico. It germinates easily, grows rapidly and produces huge numbers of seed. But the crop that sustained the Aztec economy famously wreaked havoc on the American cotton industry, and is now affecting corn and soybean producers in […] Read more
A crop of field peas in saskatchewan
Crops, Peas, Pulses

Winning the war on pea problems

Weeds, disease and pests will all steal yield from less-competitive pea crops

By
Disease and pests pose a big risk for growers. A little planning can go a long way to limiting the damage. Peas are somewhat less competitive than some other crops like barley, canola or wheat because their canopy is open a bit longer, so weeds get a better start,” said Dr. Neil Harker, research scientist, […] Read more
Cleavers can be tricky because they are both a spring and winter annual.
Crops, Features

Timing is key to whipping weeds

It’s easiest to kill weeds when they’re actively growing. Make sure you know when that is

By
Whether you’re telling a joke or treating a weed, timing is critical. And as anyone who has failed at weed control will confirm, it’s no laughing matter. Once you let weeds gain a foothold they can soon get out of hand, so it’s crucial to identify the life cycle of the weeds in your field […] Read more
Palmer amaranth.
Crops, Features

Stem Shock: new herbicide in development

A new mode of action based on RNA could soon be killing a weed near you

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It’s been over 20 years since chemical companies released a new mode of action in herbicides. But a B.C.-based company is cooking up a whole new type of herbicide. “We use a different mode of action for the actual killing of the plants than a lot of traditional herbicides. Most herbicides, by reducing the specific […] Read more
Herbicide resistance is a global problem that requires a local solution, says
Kate Sanford Mitchell. Farmers, researchers and industry from North America 
to Australia are trying to find effective ways to control resistant weeds.
Crops, Features

Resist herbicide resistance

Farmers don’t create herbicide resistance, but management practices can encourage it

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While many farmers think about herbicide resistance in Australia, the U.K. and the U.S., the reality is that it’s a Canadian problem, too, says Kate Sanford Mitchell. We need to listen to extension specialists who are sounding the alarm about herbicide resistance, she adds. “Weed resistance is a global problem that requires a local solution,” […] Read more
A cover crop mix of warm and cool season plants ensures that soil life always has food.
Crops, Features

Good reasons to plant cover crops

Not organic? Don’t have cows? Cover crops could still be a fit on your farm

By
If you went to a workshop about cover crops 10 years ago you wouldn’t have had any trouble finding an empty seat. Today, producers pack these workshops. Word is spreading about the benefits that cover crops could bring to their farms. Cover crops provide many soil and production benefits: increased organic matter content, vibrant, working […] Read more
Kochia in a wheat field.
Crops

Costs of disease and weed resistance

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In Western Canada, a number of factors have helped keep disease resistance low, including variability of hosts, pathogens, environmental conditions, crop rotation and judicial use of fungicides. However, there is resistance. Weed resistance in both grass and broadleaf weeds has been identified in fields since 1988. Resistance has been identified to many herbicide groups including […] Read more
The diamondback moth is one of the more common insect pests that can reduce yield in mustard crops.
Columns, Crops

Weeds, disease and insects in mustard

In the final part of a 4-part series on mustard agronomy, Ross McKenzie turns his attention to pests

By
Weed control is generally my greatest concern when growing mustard. Weed competition can greatly reduce mustard yields by competing for available light, nutrients and moisture. Although mustard seedlings are not very competitive with weeds, there are ways that growers can reduce the early effects of weeds: burndown of weeds in fall and/or early spring before […] Read more

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