Controlling Weeds in Dry Conditions Most of the Prairies Saw Little Rain Last Fall and Had Very Little Snow Cover
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Volume 38, Number 9 | April 2, 2012 $4.25 PRACTICAL PRODUCTION TIPS FOR THE PRAIRIE FARMER www.grainews.ca Controlling weeds in dry conditions Most of the Prairies saw little rain last fall and had very little snow cover. Get ready for the challenge of managing weeds in dry weather BY ANGELA LOVELL that we’ve had, we’re going to manage them as a part of an ongo- need more than one dry year ing program, they won’t tend to be here are very different before we see a major change in as big an issue as they could escape considerations for man- weed species,” says Eric Johnson, to be,” he says. aging weeds under dryer weed biologist with Agriculture Zero- or minimum-till systems conditions. Some herbi- and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) may also help with drier conditions Tcides may be less effective and at the Scott Research Facility in by retaining moisture in the soil. crops are generally less competitive. Saskatchewan. “In fact, if you “Under conservation tillage we With winter precipitation levels look at data from our longer-term tend to have a pretty good start to already well below normal, if the studies, we tend to have high the season,” says Juras. “So I expect dry conditions of last summer and weed populations in the spring that the usual customers will come fall persist into this spring, farmers when we have above average rain- up, but it will be what happens may have some decisions to make fall in August. That wasn’t the after that which will determine when it comes to their weed man- case last year, so I don’t expect weed management strategies.” agement programs this year. that the weeds will be as preva- It’s likely that annual weeds in “Under dry conditions your agro- lent during burn-down unless we the C4 class, which originate from nomics under planting become get a lot of snow and rain in arid areas and are better adapted even more important because the spring. So perhaps not as to drought, will be more preva- you’re not going to get the crop many winter annual-type weeds lent during dry weather condi- competition under drier condi- are a possibility, and we may see a tions. This includes plants such tions that you would under good delay in their emergence.” as kochia, Russian thistle, lambs growing conditions. That’s going Perennial weeds on the other quarters, redroot pigweed, green to put more of a premium on your hand, unless they’ve been managed foxtail and barnyard grass. weed management program,” says Len Juras, crop protection research and development scientist with Dow AgroSciences Canada Inc. PHOTO : KEITH TOPINKA , U. OF ALTA . WEEDS IN DRY WEATHER Systemic herbicides will generally be Typical drought symptoms in canola, with the bluish wax building on the newer canola leaves as the plant tries to retain more moisture under Weeds are more challenging to less effective under hot, dry conditions, drought. In volunteer canola, herbicide droplets may roll off the waxy control in dry conditions than in leaves, or not penetrate the leaves as well. Some weeds also develop wet. Just as crops need moisture which reduce a plant’s metabolic waxy leaves under drought stress. to grow, so do weeds. But when moisture is limited, weeds use and transport processes internal survival mechanisms to help them retain as much mois- in the fall, might have an advantage “C4 plants have an adaptive sys- ture as possible. if there is little spring moisture. tem that allows them to photo- “If we get dry conditions, what “There’s likely still going to be synthesize down to very low car- happens in a general sense is lots of subsoil reserve moisture bon dioxide levels,” says Brenzil. weeds tend to harden off,” says even if there are surface short- “The way that a plant gets carbon Juras. “So they grow more slowly. ages, so you are may see perennials dioxide into its leaves in order to Their cuticles (the waxy protec- doing quite well because they are photosynthesize is it allows it in tive covering of the leaves) and already rooted and tapped into that through the stomata (pores) in its their tissues get thicker and less soil moisture that is down below,” leaves, which also allow moisture responsive. It’s tougher for a her- says Clark Brenzil, Saskatchewan to escape. A C4 plant can close its bicide to get into the plant. And Ministry of Agriculture weed wpe- stomata to reduce moisture loss once it gets into the plant, its cialist. “They’re going to have the while still continuing to photo- metabolism changes so it’s harder jump right away, if we happen to synthesize. This allows it to draw for the herbicide to get to the have a dryer than normal spring.” down the carbon dioxide inside active sites it needs to target.” Perennial weeds need to be con- the sealed leaf to much lower levels trolled in the fall when they’re lay- even while the stomata is closed, WHICH WEEDS? ing down their growth for the fol- giving it an advantage over a plant lowing year, adds Brenzil, although without the same C4 system.” During dry conditions, how likely most farmers do tend to manage In dry conditions, weed germi- is it that farmers will see different them on an ongoing basis as part nation can be hampered by lack of PHOTO : KEITH TOPINKA , U. OF ALTA . weed species emerging than they of their overall weed management moisture, just as with crops, which Water-deprived plants are shown on the left, versus properly watered had under wetter conditions? strategy. “If you don’t wait until plants on the right. Growth is slowed when canola plants are deprived of “With the extremely wet years they’re out of hand, and try to » CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 water, and the crop offers less competition to weeds. Publications Mail Agreement Number 40069240 In This Issue Wheat & Chaff .................. 2 Features ............................ 5 Crop Advisor’s Casebook 8 Columns ........................... 22 Machinery & Shop ............ 36 Cattleman’s Corner .......... 40 Mix it up to avoid Weed control in FarmLife ............................ 49 herbicide resistance flooded acres LEE HART PAGE 6 DANELL VAN STAVEREN PAGE 10 2 / grainews.ca APRIL 2, 2012 Wheat & Chaff by Danell van Staveren, one of my But I have to admit, I’m not neighbours whose farm was also amazing anyone in the social media LEEANN affected by flooding last year. Danell department. MINOGUE has interviewed local agronomist As “@grainewsgal,” Lyndsey has Greg Gerry, who suggested several hundreds of Twitter followers and things to think about in a year fol- enjoys tweeting regularly and keep- lowing a wet year like 2011. (For the ing up with others’ tweets. To date, Farmers across the Prairies are interested — our farm is four miles I’ve sent exactly two tweets from my looking out at snow-free fields, wor- south of the Schurko farm pictured “handle” (“@grainmuse”). I haven’t rying about drought and generally on page 10). yet figured out how to tweet from preparing for a dry growing year Another problem that will make my phone, and my original plan to in 2012. Since this issue focuses on weed control more challenging for update daily using Hootsuite is still weed management, Grainews asked some farmers is the confirmed emer- just a distant dream. Angela Lovell to write an article for gence of herbicide-tolerant kochia There are all kinds of farmers and the cover about the challenges we in Alberta. Some farmers are directly ag organizations using Twitter. I’m might face when we’re trying to impacted. But even farmers who not quite one of them — I’m still control weeds in a dry year. don’t have an immediate problem lurking on the edges, reading the This seems completely ridiculous. with kochia resistance are paying discussion. These farmers are shar- Last year, snow was piled up to more attention to potential resist- ing news, trading opinions, and the top of our trees for most of the ance situations. Grainews field editor asking each other technical ques- winter. In the spring, it rained and Lee Hart has written an article about tions about crop production and it rained and it rained. It was way this — it’s featured on page 6. machinery. too wet for us to get into the field. What these articles have in com- Just because I can’t get the hang (With the exception of 4.8 acres mon is that they all provide sug- of this doesn’t mean that Grainews Brad managed to seed before he got gestions for dealing with weeds in isn’t providing you with high- stuck — on top of a hill.) We were conditions that are different from quality Twitter content. You can canoeing in the back of the yard. I “normal.” But really, after the last follow “@AGCanadadotcom”. This have photos. few years, it’s very difficult to be comes straight from Farm Business CONTACT US And yet, it’s dry. At a family wed- sure what “normal” is. So, I sup- Communications — the pub- ding last weekend, a whole crowd of pose that means that 2012 will be lisher of Grainews, Country Guide, Write, Email or Fax farmers who’d driven to Saskatoon a very normal year. Farmers will Canadian Cattlemen, le Bulletin in from west-central Saskatchewan deal with quickly changing weather Quebec, Manitoba Co-operator and SUBSCRIPTION INQUIRIES: gathered at the back of the banquet conditions, and keep the recent past Alberta Farmer.