Could Mother Nature Be Helpful In Weed Control?

One of the many challenges farmers deal with on a regular basis is weed control.

 

Chris Willenborg, a Researcher and Assistant Professor at the University of Saskatchewan is looking at Mother Nature as a potential source for weed control.

 

On a recent Sask Pulse Growers podcast he talked about seed predators that can consume weed seeds both above and below ground.

 

“Insects we know are the majority of the seed predators, at least from the invertebrate standpoint. The other big one that we would have in Saskatchewan would be earthworms as well; we think consume weed seeds we know in other jurisdictions they do, we have no reason to believe they don't here. Other majors seed predators would be rodents, voles, things like that and then birds will also consume a lot of weed seeds.”

 

The goal is to try and help growers establish habitats that favour seed predators.

 

Willenborg says the idea goes back to the concept of Weed Seed Bank Management.

 

“The majority of what we look at so far has been sort of combining different agronomic practices, so things like seeding rate and row spacing. We have one project within this portfolio where we're looking at rotation and not just any rotation. We're looking at what happens when you combine a couple of different winter crops in a rotation, and you try to set your pulse crop up as the crop that needs the weed management.”

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.