Kochia seedlings.

Weeds develop defences

Kochia gets hairy and lamb’s quarters get waxy under harsh conditions

Kochia was emerging in Manitoba fields last week and most of it is presumed resistant to Group 2 herbicides, says Manitoba Agriculture weed specialist Tammy Jones. Many could also be glyphosate tolerant, but it’s hard to know to what extent, she said in an interview April 24. “I know that it is distributed fairly thoroughly

Kochia or tumbleweeds can spread across fields by the tumbling action and get caught in fencelines. This is an example of landscape-scale weed spread issues.

It takes a village to stop weeds

Researchers say the community nature of the problem of invasive weeds hasn’t been adequately incorporated into control efforts

Invasive weeds are a problem that defies solution, and only seems to get worse. That’s because they’re a community problem that cross property boundaries, according to weed scientist Muthu Bagavathiannan, of Texas A&M. Finding a real solution will involve recognizing the nature of weeds as a community problem, and managing them accordingly, he and other


Manitoba Agriculture’s 2018 in-season survey now documents 12 municipalities with glyphosate-resistant kochia.

Glyphosate-resistant kochia confirmed in 12 municipalities in 2018

Testing is the only way to confirm how widespread glyphosate-resistant kochia is in Manitoba

When Tammy Jones’ phone rang last year as often as not it was farmers fed up with kochia spreading in their fields. The Manitoba Agriculture weeds specialist dubbed the tumbleweed ‘weed of 2018,’ in a talk at St. Jean Farm Days last week. “We saw a lot of it,” she said. “It felt like anyone

Increasing resistance to chemicals including glyphosate complicates the problem of controlling kochia.

Kochia and salinity: a battle on two fronts

One strategy might be to treat saline patches like a lawn, and mow them before the kochia sets seed


Producers may be looking for a way to beat back kochia, but what does that mean for the salinity problems lurking in the soil? Saline patches were common this year after a second season of below-average moisture. Read more: The year of the tumbleweed “The fluctuations in soil moisture are very linked to the soil


Kochia had good growing conditions this summer and, in some fields, glyphosate is no longer doing the job.

The year of the tumbleweed

Kochia has enjoyed an upswing given Manitoba’s weather this year

It’s a good year to be a kochia plant. That should come as no surprise to growers. The tumbleweed-like plant has become a common sight this year, popping up over crop in what seems like larger and more frequent patches, some of which now show less response to glyphosate. Weather conditions were a large part

Kochia seedlings, part of a U.S. study of the weed, emerge in a field at 
Garden City, Kansas.

Keeping kochia in check

New research indicates the importance of early-season control of herbicide-resistant kochia

Herbicide-resistant kochia is a big problem in the U.S. Great Plains states, and has appeared in limited numbers in Manitoba over the past few years. Now researchers, writing in the latest edition of the journal Weed Science, are beginning to reveal more about how the weed works. Kochia typically begins to emerge in the U.S.


Glyphosate-resistant kochia is the latest warning sign for Manitoba farmers.

Herbicide resistance quietly growing problem in Manitoba

Multi-pronged weed control strategies that go beyond chemicals are urged by researchers

Farmers may lose the war against herbicide-resistant weeds if they don’t start using other forms of control besides chemicals, a University of Manitoba weed scientist says. Herbicide resistance, common in other countries, is starting to appear in Western Canada and it’s just a matter of time before it becomes prevalent here too, Rob Gulden warns.

How to fall apply Avadex and Fortress

Getting the application technique right will make these products more effective

Apply Avadex and Fortress in the fall after the surface soil temperature is below 4 C and within three weeks of soil freeze-up. This situation generally occurs by October 1 across Western Canada. A single heavy harrow pass is sufficient for incorporation in minimum- and zero-till fields. Good soil contact is necessary for these herbicides


There are signs indicating glyphosate-resistant kochia is still rare in Manitoba, but farmers need to be vigilant to keep it that way.

Signs indicate glyphosate-resistant kochia still relatively rare in Manitoba

Farmers are being asked to submit suspected cases for testing and encouraged to remain vigilant

Glyphosate-resistant kochia still appears to be relatively rare in Manitoba, but that’s no reason for farmers to become complacent, the provincial government’s weed specialist says. In fact, the situation calls for more vigilance, rather than less, Jeanette Gaultier, weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD) said. Glyphosate-resistant kochia was confirmed in just

kochia weeds in a farmer's field

Tank mixing weed killers helps delay herbicide-resistant weeds

But don’t forget to rotate crops, including fall seeded and perennials, 
advises AAFC’s Hugh Beckie

Tank mixing two herbicides with different modes of action targeting the same weed is a good way to delay the development of herbicide-resistent weeds, a study by weed scientists at the University of Illinois and United States Department of Agriculture concludes. “We don’t say that mixing is the end-all solution,” study co-author Pat Tranel of