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Ongoing Development of Integrated Weed Management Systems on the Canadian Prairies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Robert E. Blackshaw ,
K. Neil Harker ,
John T. O'Donovan ,
Hugh J. Beckie  and
E. G. Smith
Robert E. Blackshaw*
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5401 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1J 4B1
K. Neil Harker
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, AB, Canada T4L 1W1
John T. O'Donovan
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 6000 C & E Trail, Lacombe, AB, Canada T4L 1W1
Hugh J. Beckie
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 107 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 0X2
E. G. Smith
Affiliation:
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 5401 1st Avenue South, Lethbridge, AB, Canada T1J 4B1
*
Corresponding author's E-mail: blackshawbe@agr.gc.ca
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Abstract

Herbicides are very effective tools to control weeds but there has been an overreliance on their use at the expense of other useful methods of weed management. Farmers are interested in alternative methods of weed management but are concerned about the risk of adopting such practices with current small profit margins. Research on the Canadian Prairies has found that cropping systems that utilize zero tillage, diverse crop rotations, competitive cultivars, higher crop seed rates, specific fertilizer management, and cover crops can effectively manage weed populations, especially when used in conjunction with targeted but limited use of herbicides. Farmers are gaining confidence in the merits of such agronomic practices in terms of sustainable weed management and are gradually adopting these integrated cropping systems on their farms. Further research and extension efforts are required to ensure that these integrated weed management systems are biologically and economically robust to facilitate greater adoption at the farm level.

Keywords

Competitive cultivarscover cropscrop rotationcrop seed ratefertilizer placementIWM adoptionsilage cropszero tillage
Type
Symposium
Information
Weed Science , Volume 56 , Issue 1 , February 2008 , pp. 146 - 150
Copyright
Copyright © Weed Science Society of America 

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References

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