Seed control at harvest is not a golden ticket to tackle weeds resistant to glyphosate, fluroxypyr and dicamba, but it’s among a range of solutions needed to stem the tide, says Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researcher Breanne Tidemann. “You’re not going to spray your way out of this,” she said about herbicide resistance during her […] Read more
Tag Archives weeds
Herbicide resistance fight requires integrated seed management
‘You’re not going to spray your way out of this’
Slow burn: Weed control at 0.2 kilometres per hour
A laser weeder helps with weed control in high-value crops
Kerr Farms was presented with a challenge by one of the buyers for its conventional carrots: could they grow them organically? Nature’s Finest, a major Ontario supplier of root vegetables to supermarkets, had a request for more organic carrots from retailers. Kerr Farms already grew some crops organically, says Bob Kerr, but carrots proved a […] Read more
At Ag in Motion: Herbicide resistance fight needs integrated seed management
'Those seedlings we don’t manage to kill (are) probably the most herbicide-resistant'
Harvest weed-seed control takes aim at reducing herbicide-resistant weeds that western Canadian farmers find more and more every year. At the Ag in Motion outdoor farm show this week, field residue management manufacturer Redekop won the Innovations Award for Environmental Sustainability for its harvest Seed Control Unit, which destroys more than 95 per cent of […] Read more
At Ag in Motion: Harvest weed control still in the mix
'You’re not going to spray your way out of this'
It’s a relatively new solution to the age-old problem of trying to get rid of weeds without broadcasting the seed or using increasingly less effective herbicides — mechanical separation and pulverization of weed seed. Harvest weed seed control might not be a golden bullet to tackle glyphosate-, fluroxypyr- and dicamba-resistant weeds, but according to Agriculture […] Read more
Province’s major crops, forages faring well
OMAFRA Field Crop Report for the week of June 19
Across much of Ontario major crops and forages are progressing well. Evidence of moisture stress is present on various crops, but some relief came over the period of June 11-14th with scattered rainfall periods. Keeping appraised of incoming rainfall is at the back of everyone’s mind. Be aware of various networks and stations where weather data […] Read more
Finding a way with organic no-till soybeans
Weed management remains the biggest challenge
Organic production is never an easy prospect, and trying to do it without tillage presents additional challenges. But for Aaron Bowman, it’s been possible with a different kind of planning, monitoring and adjusting to conditions during a growing season. Bowman, who farms east of Oshawa, raises beef cattle as part of a 350-acre operation, including […] Read more
Research into weed interference uncovers new crop growth ideas
Long-held standards are being challenged
Clarence Swanton has spent the past 25 years establishing and re-establishing standards for weed management. First, he studied the critical weed-free period, the time frame in which weed control affects yield. In the late 1990s, there was preliminary research on the effect of light quality on weeds and neighbouring plants. Each discovery came with updates […] Read more
Light signals from neighbouring weeds alter crop plant growth, yield
University of Guelph and USDA researchers uncover a new defense mechanism in plants
In the battle between weeds and crops, weeds are winning. A new theory developed by a University of Guelph researcher suggests why. For the first time, plant scientists have shown that weeds can alter crop growth from a distance by affecting light signals used by the crop plants to communicate. Clarence Swanton, a weed scientist […] Read more
Seed mills strike back at weed resistance
Researchers have seen up to 95 per cent control of resistant weed biotypes
Weed biotypes have an incredible capacity for developing resistance to chemical products and growers are having a tough time keeping up with the changes. Some farmers are now battling weed resistance at harvest by attaching seed mills to the rear of a combine, which gather weed seeds and damage them, preventing germination. Why it matters: […] Read more
Controlling weeds in organic production a continual learning process
It’s about trial and error, and what works on your farm
Although their operations differ in size and geographic location, two organic growers agree that to get ahead of weeds before they rob yields, crop rotation and always keeping soil covered is key. Jamie Israel of 3Gen Organics in Mapleton Township and Rick Clark of Williamsport, Indiana, were featured speakers at a recent Guelph Organic Conference […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
