New herbicide tolerant technology such as Enlist and Xtend soybean systems have helped solve significant management challenges, especially when it comes to tackling glyphosate resistant Canada fleabane and waterhemp.
But Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness weed specialist Mike Cowbrough says farmers need to be vigilant when scouting their crops because “nature abhors a vacuum… where one thing is eliminated, it will be filled by something else.”
That philosophy rings true for Cowbrough when he scouts research plots at OMAFA’s Elora Research farm. He’s already noticing weed species that are naturally tolerant to the herbicides used in these soybean systems.
On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Cowbrough plucks two perennial weeds — yellow avens and northern willowherb — that are tolerant to both glyphosate and dicamba. The populations of both weeds are low, but Cowbrough says the presence of these weeds highlights the value of scouting even when farmers think their fields are spotless and clean.
In the case of northern willowherb, Cowbrough says control options in soybeans are quite limited so the best option for growers is just to pull out the few plants they find and stop it from going to seed.
Even though growers have adopted new tools to manage herbicide resistance, they need to remain watchful, stresses Cowbrough. “Good scouting to stay on top of those fringe weeds and getting rid of them early is a good plan to maximize control in your soybean system for now and down the road.” Watch the video below.
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