Control weeds early, save yield

Even if growers don’t expect to seed any time soon, they may want to consider a pre-seed burnoff now to get weeds at smaller stages and before they draw down moisture and nutrients that their canola crops will need.

University of Saskatchewan research shows that early weed control is more important than early seeding when it comes to yield. The study was done on wheat, but lead researcher Ken Sapsford says results would be similar for canola. Winter annual weeds like flixweed, shepherd’s purse, narrow-leaved hawk’s-beard and stinkweed can remove a lot of soil moisture in the spring as they begin to grow very early and are very inefficient water users. Early weed control stops this uptake, preserving moisture and nutrients for the crop. Read the study poster: U of S study on Winter Annual Weed Control

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