Manitoba's first instances of glyphosate resistance in weeds have been confirmed in two kochia populations in the Red River Valley.
Glyphosate is the active ingredient in Monsanto's popular and important herbicide "Roundup."
Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, together with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the University of Manitoba, harvested seed from 283 kochia populations in the province last fall. The resulting seedlings from two of those sites were found to be glyphosate resistant.
The confirmation did not come as a surprise, as some Manitoba farmers have suspected its presence and it has already been found in North Dakota, Minnesota, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Since the survey found glyphosate resistance in less than one percent of the sites sampled, Manitoba Agriculture says farmers have an opportunity to minimize its spread. It's recommended growers consider reducing the number of glyphosate applications in a single season and incorporate non-glyphosate herbicides in weed management programs when growing glyphosate-tolerant crops. Crop rotation, tillage and manual weeding are also tools for controlling resistant populations.
The province says MAFRD staff are working with the affected and neighbouring producers on possible containment procedures.
The glyphosate resistance survey conducted last fall was funded by the Western Grains Research Foundation and BASF Canada.
Source: PortageOnline