Reading Time: 2 minutes Kochia is spreading through Alberta faster and further than ever expected. But how can farmers best manage the invasive weed?
Kochia spreading unexpectedly in Alberta
The invasive weed is now being spotted further north than ever before
Crop-killing weeds advance across US farmland as chemicals lose effectiveness
Losing battle with weeds adds pressures to farmers already stressed by inflation, extreme weather
Crop-killing weeds such as kochia are advancing across the U.S. northern plains and Midwest, in the latest sign that weeds are developing resistance to chemicals faster than companies including Bayer BAYGn.DE and Corteva CTVA.N can develop new ones to fight them.
Strike early when fighting kochia in canola
Reading Time: 3 minutes If there are patches where kochia is dominant and canola is unlikely to grow, mow or hand-weed before the plants set seed.
The great weed control robbery
Calcium, magnesium, sodium, and other cations in water bond with herbicide molecules, making them ineffective
Reading Time: 5 minutes Clint Jurke had never, not once, tested the quality of his sprayer water until a colleague said it would make a good topic for an article. “I like to think I’m pretty good at agronomy,” said Jurke, agronomy director for the Canola Council of Canada and farmer from Lloydminster, Sask. “I scout, follow labels’ rates, […] Read more
Controlling herbicide-resistant kochia requires some different strategies
While tillage in general can harm soil health, a strategic targeted approach can help bury the seed
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s time for a new mode of action for kochia control, but not one found in a jug of chemical. “We’ve had several years in a row of favourable conditions for kochia growth. That also can contribute to selection pressure for resistance, when herbicides are some of the primary measures that we’re using to manage […] Read more
![“The potential loss of [these products] as effective herbicides for kochia control is staggering because affected farmers will have limited control options remaining.” – Brian Jenks.](https://static.albertafarmexpress.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/20153727/weed-kochia-wheat-1016-file-660x420.jpg)
Kochia control suffers another blow, North Dakota study finds
Two popular products widely used on the Prairies seem less effective
Reading Time: < 1 minute Some kochia populations in western North Dakota likely have developed resistance to commonly used pre-plant burndown herbicides, a North Dakota State University study has found. For many years, no-till farmers have used Aim (carfentrazone) and Sharpen (saflufenacil) either just before or just after planting to control emerged kochia and other annual weeds. On the Prairies, […] Read more
Get the lowdown on kochia control
Reading Time: < 1 minute Manage Resistance Now has put out a new fact sheet on dealing with herbicide-resistant kochia. “Herbicide-resistant kochia is one of the largest weed threats to crop production in Western Canada,” the organization, created by CropLife Canada, notes in the online resource (available in the Weeds section of manageresistancenow.ca. A combination of control methods is needed, […] Read more
The clock is ticking on old-school ways of weed control
Resistance is rampant and producers need a more strategic approach, including herbicide layering
Reading Time: 3 minutes Time’s just about up. Crop growers won’t be able to spray their way out of problem weeds for much longer if herbicide resistance continues to spread, says one of the country’s top weed scientists. “We’re seeing multiple-herbicide resistance show up in a few different weed species on the Prairies,” said federal research scientist Charles Geddes. […] Read more
Forget the silver bullet, bring out the arsenal against kochia
Study using multiple methods to control one of the most dangerous weeds on the Prairies
Reading Time: 4 minutes If it’s a one-on-one battle, put your money on kochia. The pernicious weed is not only a prolific seed producer, thrives in harsh conditions, and spreads its progeny far and wide, it’s also a master when it comes to developing resistance to herbicides. So producers are urged to use a variety of ‘best management practices’ […] Read more
Farmers lose — and weeds win — when energy companies walk away
When well sites are abandoned, the rent cheques often stop while the noxious weeds flourish
Reading Time: 5 minutes “Kochia six feet tall and completely covering the whole leases. We have many that look like this. When I phone, no one even answers the phones.” This tweet from Lethbridge-area farmer Kevin Serfas in August likely could have been written by any one of hundreds of Alberta producers with abandoned well sites on their farms. […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
