Agricultural News
Canola College 2014- Angela Post Talks About Getting Ahead with Weed Control
Wed, 26 Feb 2014 12:23:44 CST
As more Oklahoma wheat producers add canola to their rotation, Oklahoma State University Weed Science Extension Specialist Angel Post says it is very important to understand their options for effective weed control.
She spoke at the recent Canola College in Enid and says it is always best if producers can get out in front of their canola crop and control weeds even before seeding.
"The important part is, definitely, you want to decrease your weed competition with your crop-in any crop-and in canola in particular because, especially as it's getting established, you're going to need to make sure you give those plants a really start. And if you do your weed control early in the season, you're going to decrease that weed competition and increase your yields in the long run."
She says that most producers are starting their weed-control program even before planting by using a burn-down application.
"I usually like to recommend a product other than glyphosate for that burn down, especially if you're using Roundup-ready canola. That way you have a different mode of action at the beginning of the season."
Post says one of the reasons why wheat producers add canola to their operations is to help clean up weeds in their wheat fields. That will indeed happen, but she says it is not without its drawbacks.
"Our concern now is that now that we're heavily relying on Roundup in season for canola, we're going to see Roundup resistance potentially developing whereas before we were dealing more with ALS resistance from all the ALS herbicides we use in wheat."
She says that worries are growing that rye grass that is ALS resistant will also soon become glyphosate resistant. Various species of bromegrass and mares tail may also present some problems for producers.
It is also important to deal with weeds early on, Post says, because "There's not a whole lot you can do inside of the crop, particularly once the crop gets quite large because the leaves are going to be shading some of those weeds. And that's why so many people like to rely on Roundup in season."
She says for control of grasses there are three post-emergent products currently labeled for use in canola: Post, Assure 2 and Select Max. Those can also be tank-mixed with glyphosate.
Breaking the weed cycle is very beneficial for the follow-on wheat crop, Post says, with noticeable improvements in wheat yields.
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