Can Harvest Weed Seed Management be Used to Control Kochia, Cleavers, and Wild Buckwheat?

Priorities
Agronomy Research  Weeds 
Start Date
2014
End Date
2016
Principal Investigator
Steven Shirtliffe - University of Saskatchewan
Co-Investigators
Chris Willenborg - University of Saskatchewan
MCGA Funding
$54,333.34
Total Project Funding
$163,000
External Funding Partners
SaskCanola, Alberta Canola
Report

Research Objective

  • To determine the proportion of seeds that remain on the kochia, cleaver, and wild buckwheat plants at harvest
  • To evaluate the potential of using harvest weed seed management for canola

Project Description

Kochia, cleavers and wild buckwheat are difficult to control in canola and as a result they threaten canola production. These weeds occur in a large proportion of canola fields in western Canada and cause yield losses through competition, harvest delays because of tangling and difficulty with green material at harvest, as well as difficulties for processors because of seed contamination with weed seeds. One strategy to combat this is to use harvest weed seed management, but for it to be successful, most of the weeds' seeds must be present on the plants at harvest. The objective of this study is to determine what proportion will remain on the plants at harvest time. This will allow us to know the effect of harvest weed seed control methods on seed production in these weeds. Therefore, the timing of viable seed production starting and ending, as well as the timing of seed shed needs to be determined to understand the potential of this management method. The results of this study will be communicated to growers, researchers, and the canola industry through various platforms, including presentations, field days, and a final technical report.

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