Manitoba Agriculture weed extension specialist Kim Brown speaks to an unseen group on a plot tour.

Herbicide-resistant kochia puts pressure on no-till systems

Kochia populations in Saskatchewan and North Dakota are now resistant to group 14 herbicides, leaving fewer options for Prairie farmers

Based on preliminary data from a recent Prairie-wide kochia survey, AAFC’s Charles Geddes suspects Group 14-resistant kochia is now present in multiple fields in Saskatchewan and expects it could soon be confirmed in other regions as well.

Herbicide resistant weeds cost farmers money

Herbicide resistant weeds cost farmers money

The problem of herbicide resistance is growing, and producers are encouraged to do everything they can to tackle it

Herbicide resistance costs Saskatchewan growers at least $340 million a year, according to the most recent federal data.



ADAMA unveiled a new herbicide called Cazado at the 2025 Crop Production Show in Saskatoon. It's a dual mode of action product that contains Group 1 and Group 2 molecules. | AAFC photo

Crop Production Show 2025: New herbicide tackles resistance in wild oats

Product features a dual mode of action with Group 1 and Group 2 molecules that removes guesswork from weed control

WINNIPEG — Wild oats and kochia are the most problematic weeds in Western Canada. They’re everywhere, and often come with resistance to herbicides. “The story behind wild oat being one of the biggest grassy weed issues and kochia being one of the biggest broadleaf weed issues, is generally consistent across the board for the Prairie […] Read more


Kochia seems biologically primed to resist any punches that farmers throw at it.  |  Manitoba Agriculture photo

Fall spraying may beat back herbicide resistance

Early October was the ideal time to start fall applications because of favourable weather, but later spraying also works

Glacier FarmMedia – The fall weed control season offers a chance to be proactive in managing herbicide resistance. That was one message from Wes Lewis, Manitoba sales representative with Gowan Canada, during Manitoba Agriculture’s Crop Talk webinar in early October. Having spent more than 16 years in the agriculture industry, Lewis knows his herbicides. “Our […] Read more

Some weed scientists believe glyphosate will soon play a supporting role on Canadian farms. | File photo

Glyphosate: from star to supporting cast member

WINNIPEG — In the 1970s and early 1980s, Jack Nicholson was a major star in Hollywood. He was the leading man in iconic movies such as The Shining, Chinatown and One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Nicholson was still acting in the 1990s and 2000s, but he had more success as a supporting actor — […] Read more

Trains from the U.S. are seen as a potential route herbicide resistant weeds could take into Alberta. | Robert Magnell illustration

Weed seeds may ride the rails

WINNIPEG — About eight years ago, Aaron Hager warned farmers in Alberta about palmer amaranth. Hager, a University of Illinois weed scientist, spoke to growers at a conference in the Peace River region. He explained that palmer, a pigweed that grows to two metres or higher, could be viable in Alberta and other parts of […] Read more


Enterprise Machine Intelligence and Learning Initiative is working with Geco Engineering to assess the performance of Geco’s weed mapping technology for predicting weed locations and detecting emerging herbicide resistance. |  EMILI photo

Weed management sees new future

Intercropping, predictive weed control could redraw the battle lines in the fight against herbicide resistant weeds

Herbicide resistance in weeds is rising and there are no new chemistries on the horizon, so farmers will need fresh approaches to integrated weed management strategies. “I think the best management practice that someone could do for weed resistance is the one you’re not currently doing on your farm,” said Rory Cranston, technical strategy lead […] Read more

The most recent Saskatchewan survey found that in fields where kochia was present, the weed was Group 2-resistant 100 per cent of the time.  |  Charles Geddes photo

Herbicide resistance flirts with crisis mode

Integrated weed management includes many approaches that take the pressure off of commonly used herbicides

They’re big numbers underscoring a big problem. In Saskatchewan, over 15 million acres of weed patches are resistant to Groups 1 and 2 herbicides. Of 31 known herbicide sites of action, 21 have confirmed resistance to a weed species. And, with 56 confirmed cases, Canada is third in the world for herbicide-resistant weeds. These are […] Read more