The shift to soybeans and corn in Manitoba may be causing a shift in the province’s weed population. Yellow foxtail was a rarity in 2002 and was around the 30th most common weed in the province. In 2016, based on a provincial weed survey, it ranked sixth in a list of the most prevalent weeds […] Read more
Tag Archives weeds
Palmer amaranth top weed villain
While Palmer amaranth isn’t yet a problem in Western Canada, scientist says it’s a matter of time
When it comes to villains and scoundrels, it’s hard for other weeds to compete with Palmer amaranth. The pigweed species can produce 500,000 to one million seeds per plant. It can grow five to 10 centimetres per day and herbicide resistant plants can rapidly spread the trait to other Palmer amaranth weeds. It also has […] Read more
Conventional, organic systems see different weeds
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Green foxtail is the most common weed in both organic and conventional fields in Saskatchewan, but that’s where the two systems part ways. Julia Leeson, weed monitoring biologist at Agriculture Canada in Saskatoon, told an organic workshop in Swift Current that an average of eight weed species exist in an organic […] Read more
Hot air, lasers, irradiation scrapped; researchers decide on electrocution
Unlike previous attempts at using electricity to destroy weeds, this method passes through the root and then the soil Steel might not be the only way to kill weeds without chemicals. “A decade or so ago we looked at high energy microwaves for weed control alternatives,” said Ken Greer of Western Ag in Saskatoon. The […] Read more
EPA approves Monsanto’s dicamba weed killer
Nov 9 (Reuters) – U.S. seeds and agrochemicals maker Monsanto Co has secured approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for a new formulation dicamba-based weed killer designed for its next generation biotech soy and cotton varieties, the company said on Wednesday. The dicamba-tolerant trait in soybeans and cotton was approved in 2015, and the […] Read more
Resistance fight goes mechanical
According to the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences:
Herbicide resistant weeds, despite new technologies and recent research, remains a challenge for producers globally. Herbicide resistance in Russian thistle recently turned up in Montana — page 3 of the March 10 edition of The Western Producer. Look for a series of stories in the Production section, beginning in this edition, that look at the […] Read more
Know your enemy: Ontario on hunt for worst weeds
WINNIPEG — The 2016 version of Ontario’s Worst Weeds is inviting growers to cast their ballots and share information about the worst weeds on their farms. The survey is conducted by weed specialist, David Bilyea, at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus, along with colleagues, Kris McNaughton and Christie Shropshire. “We did the survey back […] Read more
Researchers outline options for wild oat control
MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Controlling weeds in oats has always been a problem, but researchers are looking at integrated management strategies that could help. Eric Johnson of the University of Saskatchewan’s plant sciences department said wild oats, the second most abundant weed on the Prairies, is a major problem because it can’t be selectively removed […] Read more
Identification is first step when keeping out new weeds
Weed watch | Several new weeds are creeping up to Ontario’s border
RIDGETOWN, Ont. — Producers are encouraged to hone up on their weed identification skills, and with good reason. “If you misidentify something, you may not be able to control it, and some of the weeds are a huge problem outside of the Ontario because of herbicide resistance,” Dave Bilyea, a research technician at the University […] Read more
New invader in Alta. soil
Hemiparasite | Thousands of thesium plants found south of Calgary
INDUS, Alta. — No one is sure where the thesium plant came from, but it’s infesting a provincial park in Calgary. The new invader is found in China and parts of Europe, where it is a relatively small plant, but conditions here encourage it to grow vigourously, producing hundreds of seeds until frost. It’s a […] Read more
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