Glyphosate alternative pre-harvest herbicide evaluation for spring wheat

Madison Kostal on April 11, 2024

Glyphosate was widely used in spring wheat production because of its broad-spectrum weed control and dry-down effects. Many farmers highly rely on glyphosate to manage weeds during pre-plant burndown, postemergence, pre-harvest, or post-harvest period. The repeated use of a single herbicide contributes to the evolution of herbicide-resistant weed biotypes. With widespread presence of glyphosate-resistant, and more importantly multiple resistant, weed biotypes necessitates the development of new weed management solutions for farmers. Thus, it is important to find glyphosate alternatives in the pre-harvest period of spring wheat. The enrichment of seed bank resistance can be impacted by herbicide mixtures (Beckie and Reboud 2009). In evolutionary terms, a “memory” of past selection events is represented by the seed bank and this “memory” delays resistance (Templeton & Levins 1979). Diggle et al. (2003) created model simulations to determine that herbicide mixtures delay resistance longer than rotations. Thus, herbicide mixtures should be evaluated for improving spectrum of weed control and delaying resistance..

Straw Harvesting Strategies to Provide Feedstock while Maintaining Soil and Environmental Quality

Coles Ag on June 28, 2023

There is increasing demands for straw removed from farm fields, including for use as livestock feed and bedding, pulp, bioproducts and biofuel production. In particular, recent years of drought conditions have led to a greater interest in straw removal and use of straw from a variety of crops as a feed source. Straw retention is desirable for the return to soil of the carbon, macronutrients and micronutrients that are contained in the straw to maintain soil organic matter, microbial activity and available nutrient supply.

Sunflower Row Spacing Study

Coles Ag on June 28, 2023

This project will compare solid-seeded oilseed sunflower to row-planted oilseed sunflower over two field seasons. Different plant populations will be targeted since the theory is an air seeder lacks the advantage of singulation, would be inefficient at low plant populations and would require a higher planting rate in order to match the yield of a planter.

Flax Seed Treatment Evaluation

Coles Ag on June 28, 2023

This project will evaluate commercially available seed treatments and respective label rates in brown and yellow flax for Manitoba farmers. Two flax varieties (one yellow, one brown) will be evaluated in this study.

Insect Response to Climate Change and Ag Inputs Across the Prairies

Coles Ag on June 27, 2023

Insect pests of field crops in Western Canada pose serious risks to crop yields on an annual basis. Farmers in Western Canada have to manage insects including grasshoppers, wheat midge, wheat stem sawfly, cabbage seedpod weevil, pea leaf weevil, bertha armyworm, diamondback moth, flea beetles, and a variety of aphid species.

Extremes of Moisture

mca2022dev on May 23, 2023

This project is made up of multiple sub-projects with multiple research and industry professional collaborating on a multi-disciplinary and multi-stakeholder approach to understand crops response to extremes of moisture and how to mitigate yield loss.

Investigating the clavibacter-corn interaction to promote resistance to Goss’s wilt

mca2022dev on May 16, 2023

Corn is a widely grown crop in Canada and the United States, accounting for a high percentage of total feed grain production. However, a corn leaf disease known as Goss’s Wilt has been one of the most yield-limiting diseases as it can lead to substantial yield losses. This study developed a reliable standardized scale of Goss’s wilt disease in corn that offered an accurate evaluation of the level of aggressiveness of Clavibacter nebraskensis (Cn) isolates on corn. This research will allow breeders to locate genes that are differentially expressed under different situations (i.e., susceptible vs tolerant/resistant corn lines infected by Goss’s wilt pathogen). This research, will set a solid ground for future investigation of genes that are crucial for corn disease versus resistance and can be used directly by breeders in their breeding program to improve resistance to Goss’s wilt.

The Manitoba Corn Initiative: Corn Heat Unit Evaluation

mca2022dev on May 16, 2023

This project will utilize data being collected on plant development and maturity from a proposed network of corn breeding nurseries and yield trials in Manitoba (proposal currently under consideration by MCGA and MAFRD) as well as the Manitoba Corn Committee trials. This data will be used to model the current predictive ability of corn heat units and provide suggestions on how to improve the system from use in Manitoba.

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