Don’t be chaffed by poor quality wheat and lower yields. Get a jump on weed control now so you can maximize your return on investment next fall.
As a farmer, you know the benefits wheat brings to your operation, from a healthy crop rotation to economics. To maximize these benefits it’s important to manage weed competition early so your crops can start clean and stay clean.
The right crop protection solutions and weed management programs are essential to maximize the value of your crops at the end of the season. While wheat is better able to compete with weeds than peas or lentils, even small germinating weeds take valuable moisture and nutrients from your crop. If not managed, weed populations can also play host to insects and diseases.
Weed control challenges
The Weed Science Society of America4 noted that between 2007 and 2017, spring wheat yield loss due to weeds pressure was 1.6 billion kg (valued at 370 million USD). The WSSA noted in the same study that weeds pose not only an economic threat to farmers but also to their well-being.
While there are many herbicide options available for wheat growers in western Canada, the number of effective modes of action continues to shrink. Herbicide resistance is a growing concern for farmers in western Canada. Resistant-kochia and wild oats have gained a lot of attention in the media for the challenges they pose, and rightfully so. Common in-crop herbicides are no longer delivering the desired results. More and more weeds are also showing signs of resistance to Group 2 herbicides in western Canada such as foxtails, chickweed, cleavers, Russian thistle, wild mustard and many more.
The best time to control weeds is early, and it’s no different when growing wheat. Herbicides are generally more effective on smaller weeds and early weed removal means less competition for valuable resources. Weeds are also more susceptible to herbicides when they’re actively growing and this is especially true for systemic herbicides. With the temperature swings we can see in the western prairies this can sometimes make finding the right window for spring herbicide application challenging.
A soil active solution
Valtera™ EZ and Fierce® EZ are two soil-active herbicides that are excellent additions to a season-long herbicide plan. They can be applied with a sprayer in the fall after harvest and just before freeze-up or soon after the spring thaw. Valtera and Fierce provide extended weed control after activation to help manage early or late flushing weeds that have adapted their growth cycle based on historical practices. Remember weeds are smart and like routine, so changing up your application timing is one way to help slow resistant and adaptive populations.
Fierce and Valtera herbicide contain unique active ingredients for residual early season control. Valtera contains flumioxazin (Group 14) to manage broadleaf weeds like kochia, cleavers, chickweed, lamb’s quarters, pigweed and many more, while Fierce features flumioxazin (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15) for control of both broadleaf and grass weeds like green foxtail and wild oats (suppression). These products provide additional options that allow farmers to rotate herbicide groups and fight tough weeds in their fields.
Soil active herbicides should be part of a season-long plan to maximize the ROI in wheat. The extended early season control helps keep weed populations smaller and more susceptible to pre-seed and in-crop herbicide applications. Less weed competition can lead to healthier fields and higher yields.
Smart weeds require smart stewardship
The demand for high-quality wheat isn’t going away. Unfortunately, weeds and the challenge of herbicide resistance isn’t going away either. But there are things farmers can do now to help slow the development of resistance. Remember the best time to slow the development of weed resistance is before you have a weed resistance problem.
1. Change up your farm practices. Do something different every year to throw weeds off their game. Weeds are smart but they thrive on routine so change it up and mess them up. Alter herbicide application timings or include an application timing you haven’t before.
2. Rotate crops. Plant different crops and change up growing habits and competition levels in your fields.
3. Rotate herbicide mixtures. Use different modes of action and products with multiple modes of action. Rotate your tank mixes and change application timing.
4. Scout for survivors. After spraying get out in the field and see if you can find patches or individuals that were not controlled – testing for resistance to most modes of action is available in Canada. Finding and managing those patches/fields early can save money and time in the long run.
5. Keep records. Knowledge is power. Keep track of what you’ve done in the past and keep it easily accessible for planning next year.
While these steps alone can’t prevent resistance from developing, they can help slow the development of resistant populations on your farm, hopefully improving your long-term crop rotation health and your farm’s economics.
Wheat is an important crop to Canadian farmers. Not only does it play a pivotal role in the long-term health of the farm as key crop rotation, but it also brings key cash receipts to the operation. So next time you grow wheat, protect your investment and make some dough with soil-active weed control.
Want to know more? Ask a Nufarmer at 1.800.686.5444, visit Nufarm.ca and follow us @NufarmCA.
