The Agronomists, Ep 27: Mike Cowbrough and Tammy Jones on hard-to-control weeds
by RealAgriculture Agronomy Team
From fleabane, to wild oats, to kochia and Palmer amaranth, which weed is the toughest to kill on the farm?
For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Mike Cowbrough, weed specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and Tammy Jones, technical sales agronomist with Corteva AgriScience, to cover integrated weed management.
Catch a new episode of The Agronomists every Monday night at 8 pm E!
CEU Credit Form
SUMMARY
Wild parsnip, will sheep eat it? Uh, Lyndsey, have your sheep eaten wild parsnip before? Toxicity issue is of phytophotodermatitis
Young and succulent is the key to some cases of grazing success
Integrated weed management, we’re not just talking about herbicides. Timing, depending on the weed species, spring applications or in-crop applications might not be the best time. Canada thistle is a good example of this
Death by a thousand cuts, a lot of tiny hammers, rotation is one of these
Other weeds that are better controlled in the fall: dandelion. Know thy enemy
Sometimes you need herbicides to whittle down the population to a level that’s more manageable, where integrated approaches will work much better
Canopy closure photos. Placement of fertilizer and base fertility. Get the crop ahead of the weeds
Why is horsetail (Equisetum spp) such a pain? Shoot material issues, getting product into the plant itself. A lot of root reserve. Soil will influence your dominate your weed species
Best pre-emerge treatment on soybeans if you’re worried about group 9 resistance? Can’t predict what weed will be Group 9 resistant. Waterhemp might be one to watch. Identify the most abundant species in each field. Resistance is ultimately a numbers game
Active ingredients that are utilized in Ontario may never be a reality for western Canada. Always read the label and make sure you’ve got the right active
Some of the tough weeds like waterhemp are probably multiple resistant anyways
What makes a weed so hard to kill or so susceptible to resistance?
Scouting is critical. Take pictures. But please take well-lit, clear photos
Selection pressure. However many times a weed is exposed to a management practice
Good kochia control in dusty, dry conditions? Group 2 resistance. Some Group 9 resistance. Some herbicides require soil moisture for plant uptake
You can’t commercialize kochia for the Christmas season
*Australia enters the chat. Evening primrose is an issue for some down there, and it does exist in Canada, but isn’t a weed of concern
Human transfer of weed seeds. Mike counted and identified the species in the the bottom of his boot once (there are photos)
In the east, the challenge in soybeans is managing Canada fleabane before planting. There’s value in having cereals in the rotation to control it. There are good pre-plant options; the tools exist it’s just a matter of implementing them before the fleabane gets out of control
How close is the west to having Group 9 resistant wild oats?
What other things can the west be doing other than rotating crops and herbicides? Weed seed destructor. Patch management by silage. Altering seeding date. Panicle clipping. Livestock
Agricultural exports from Canada are once again facing uncertainty due to geopolitical events, as the temperature of the relationship between the Canada and Indian governments has rapidly risen over the past week. Potash fertilizer and red lentils — both mainly produced in Saskatchewan — were Canada's second and third largest exports to India in 2022,…
Please register to read and comment.