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Herbicide resistant kochia a growing concern

Kochia is becoming more of an issue for farmers as it continues to build herbicide resistance.

Dr. Charles Geddes is a Research Scientist in Weed Ecology and Cropping Systems with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada - Lethbridge.

He says it's now safe to assume all kochia is Group 2 resistant, with Glyphosate resistance (Group 9) building as well.

"For glyphosate resistance on the Canadian Prairies, it was first discovered in 2011 in southern Alberta. A survey the subsequent year found 4 per cent of the kochia populations tested were glyphosate-resistant. That increased from 4 per cent to 50 per cent after five years. So, in 2017, 50 per cent were glyphosate-resistant, and now more recently we repeated that survey, in 2021 showing 78 per cent more glyphosate-resistant. For Saskatchewan, glyphosate resistance although there were confirmations in farmer samples in 2012, the survey in 2013, found about 5 per cent of the populations were glyphosate resistant. That survey was just was repeated in 2019, and the results haven't officially been released yet, but we're seeing similar levels to Alberta. In Manitoba, we found glyphosate resistance in 2013 in less than 1 per cent of the population, which increased to 58 per cent by 2018. "

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