STRATHMORE, Alta. – A three-year study searching for herbicide resistant wild oats is planned for southern Alberta.
A stubborn patch of weeds that doesn’t die easily is bad news. Agronomists Jim Lazlo and Scott Meers, of Alberta Agriculture, want to know where those pests are so they can find out if they are resistant to herbicides.
About 100 farmers in the County of Wheatland, east of Calgary, will be surveyed at random for three years.
Meers and Lazlo suspect resistance in the area is relatively low, but they want to take preventative measures before it is too late.
Once resistant wild oats are located, researchers plan to work with farmers to get rid of the weeds before they spread over an entire field.
All information is confidential, said Meers. Farmers who suspect a problem can contact Alberta Agriculture.
There are about 200 confirmed cases of wild oats resistance across the province, said Linda Hall, provincial weed specialist.
