Research shows burning windrows may work in Australia or Arkansas, but not in Canada due to the Prairie climate
WINNIPEG — Farmers around the globe are running out of options to control weeds. Western Australian farmers are coping with annual ryegrass, growers in Arkansas have been fighting palmer amaranth and producers in Alberta and Saskatchewan are battling kochia. It’s become clear, to some experts, that applying herbicides and more herbicides isn’t the answer. Growers […] Read moreTag Archives Weed control
Herbicide tolerant weeds cannot be ignored
Weeds resistant to herbicides are arriving on the Prairies through spring flooding, migratory geese and dirty equipment
If farmers are used to doing two glyphosate passes per year and call that “weed control,” they’ll face a shock if herbicide tolerant weeds take over their fields. Their weed control bill could jump from $20 per acre today to $150 if they have to make more passes and include multiple products. “That’s a game […] Read more
Inter-row cultivators replace herbicides
The farming world is turning away from chemical weed control, and since Europe is the trend leader, it’s logical that the latest non-chem technology comes from there. The Swedish company Väderstad is at the forefront of new seeding technology. It had a hole in its equipment lineup in the area of inter-row cultivation. So, it […] Read more
Camera-controlled cultivation consummated
Plant recognition has been the biggest technological hurdle as leading-edge companies strive to develop autonomous weed control machines. Any system is bound to fail if it can’t master image recognition. Lemken recognizes this and recently took a step forward in answering the challenge by partnering with an ag tech company called Track32. This Dutch company […] Read more
The future of resistance is unfolding now
Herbicide resistance will require canola growers to use more broadly-based approaches for weed control
Controlling weeds in prairie fields is about to get a whole lot more complicated, according to a weed management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. In a recent presentation, Kim Brown-Livingston suggested the days of depending solely on chemical herbicides to control weeds is nearing an end. “We’ve had it fairly easy in the last little while,” […] Read more
Weed control game getting hotter
As the world cranks up the call for chemical-free crop protection, scientists and inventors are searching the weeds for acceptable solutions that not only eliminate chemicals but soundly kills weeds dead. One of the more promising innovations is currently being developed by Chaplin, Sask., farmer Ron Gleim, whose X-Steam-inator has progressed well beyond the experimental […] Read more
Herbicide spraying window has not closed yet
Weeds can still take in chemical if they have green material, but growers must wait until they are actively growing
There is a good chance it’s too late for a fall herbicide pass on fields lying under knee-deep snow, but in areas where snow is gone or retreating, there may still be time for an effective fall treatment. Tammy Jones, provincial weed control specialist at Manitoba Agriculture, said as long as weeds have green material […] Read more
VIDEO: Goats offer another city weed control option
Using goats to control weeds is called a great option for urban parks, but those involved say there are definitely challenges
Seeing a goat chewing vigorously on a leafy spurge blossom in its mouth brings a smile to Jackie Cardinal’s face. The invasive weed is a problem in riverside parks within the City of Lethbridge, and Cardinal, the city’s parks natural resource co-ordinator, is pleased to see that goats are now among the control measures. “For […] Read more
Machine controls weeds with steam
Proponents say herbicide resistance and attacks on glyphosate make it a good time to look for alternative weed control
REGINA — Steam power is returning to prairie fields, but this time as a weed control option that may disrupt conventional broad-acre weed management. “The X-Steam-inator is 100 percent steam, there is no chemical whatsoever in it,” said Ron Gleim, founder of X-Steam-inator. “It’s all electric, there are no boilers, there are no flames, there […] Read more
Early action by producers called key to controlling invasive weeds
Red bartsia is a tremendous name for a weed. It’s also a tremendous annoyance for forage producers in Manitoba’s Interlake region. The invasive species is native to Europe and arrived in Manitoba in the 1950s, likely in a shipment to the Royal Canadian Air Force base at Gimli. Since that time, red bartsia has invaded […] Read more
