20230578 SFP-Kochia-Progress_Report-2024
The following project is funded by the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Herbicide resistance in kochia costs farmers in Saskatchewan millions of dollars annually. This project will help raise producer awareness of ways to manage weeds on their farms with equipment and cultural practices through the evaluation of three objectives. First, if light tillage in the spring, fall, or both timings promotes weed seed germination, therefore those weeds can be controlled in the spring by herbicide application, or a seeding pass. Second, to measure the impact on weed competition of fall seeded cereal crops versus spring seeded cereal crops and lastly, to investigate if growing annual crops and cutting them for green feed reduces future weed pressure. The trials were initiated at both Swift Current and Redvers in 2024. In the first year of the project crop emergence was lower than the targeted plant stands due to the large kochia populations present at seeding. At Swift Current, there was no relationship between harrowing and kochia plant health, or population. However, there could be a cumulative effect from harrowing in the following years. Fall cereals were seeded at both locations into dry soil following a canola crop. At Swift Current, the kochia population was lower after fall seeding, than it was a few weeks prior, after harvest, but the number of other weeds increased. Kochia generally increased throughout the growing season for each objective. However, very few other weeds were present until after harvest. The project will continue for three more growing seasons and a final report will be available December 2027 and this progress report only includes data from Swift Current.