Ontario Field Crop Report

Oct 21, 2014

Weed Control

Below: A soybean field in Huron county infested with glyphosate resistant Canada fleabane

What do we do to stop this weed from taking over?

fleabane in soybean field

If you traveled in southern Ontario this growing season it has not been hard to spot significant patches of Canada fleabane in soybean fields. Unfortunately there are 12 counties in Ontario with populations of this weed that are resistant to glyphosate. To make matters worse the seed is highly mobile with a dispersal pattern similar to dandelion. How are we going to manage this? Below is a game plan wheat, soybean and corn based on the most recent Ontario research. If you're thinking "Geez Mike, another article on fleabane, give it a rest", until photos like the above are in the minority I'll keep writing about it.

QUICK BIOLOGY FACTS: Recent research by Eric Tozzi and Rene Van Acker at the University of Guelph have shown that the majority of Canada fleabane plants germinate from mid August to mid November while a second germination window occurs from mid May to mid June (Figure 2). Fall emerging plants will rosette before overwintering, whereas spring germinated plants typically by-pass the formation of a rosette and go straight to bolting. Spring germinated plants will flower earlier than fall germinated plants. Seed can germinate in soils as low as 8 degrees Celsius but prefers soil temperatures at 14-15 degrees Celsius.

emergence graph

Winter Wheat: Control fall germinated rosettes either pre-plant or pre wheat emergence with Eragon + Merge (glyphosate can be tank-mixed when applied pre-plant). In the spring, if fleabane rosettes have overwintered or spring seedlings have germinated then post-emergent applications of either 2,4-D Ester, Infinity or dichlorprop/2,4-D have all provided good control of Canada fleabane.

Soybeans: Pre-plant control of this weed is critical since there is only one post-emergent herbicide option (FirstRate) and its control can be variable. The addition of either Eragon + Merge, Integrity + Merge, Amitrol 240, Broadstrike RC or 2,4D Ester to glyphosate has provided good control of Canada fleabane.

Corn: Banvel II, Marksman and Distinct have been the most consistent herbicides at controlling heavy populations. Pardner + Aatrex 480, Peak Plus and Callisto + Aatrex 480 can provide control/suppression but have been less consistent. Most primary tillage operations ahead of planting corn will do a good job of eliminate seedling plants.

Cover crops: The use of cover crops, especially after wheat harvest will significantly reduce seed production of emerged plants and inhibit new seeds from germinating.

Weather Summary

(source: www.weatherinnovations.com/weathersummary.cfm)

Source: OMAFRA

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.