Integrating weed control in pulse crops

Steven Shirtliffe, Alexander Alba, Angelena Syrovy, Katherine

Stanley
Department of Plant Sciences, College of Agriculture;
 Critical Period of Weed Control
Time of
Emergence

Time of Weed
Removal

Critical Period
of Weed Control

No Control

(Radosevich et al. 1997) Fedoruk et al. 2011

Weed Control in Lentil
Need to keep lentils weed free 5-10 node stage

Fedoruk et al. 2011

 Can lentil be grown without herbicides?
Organic conditions
5000 2000
Crop
4000 Weeds
1500

Grain yield (kg ha )

-1
Biomass (kg ha )
-1

3000
1000

2000
Red line: 130
seeds m2
500
1000

0
0
0 100 200 300 400
0 100 200 300 400
-2
Seeding rate (viable seeds m )
Seeding rate (viable seeds m-2)

Baird et al. 2009

 Can lentil be grown without herbicides?
Organic conditions
5000 2000
Crop
4000 Weeds
1500

Grain yield (kg ha )

-1
Biomass (kg ha )
-1

3000
1000

2000
Red line: 130
seeds m2
500
1000

0
0
0 100 200 300 400
0 100 200 300 400
-2
Seeding rate (viable seeds m )
Seeding rate (viable seeds m-2)

Baird et al. 2009

 Can lentil be grown without herbicides?
Organic conditions
5000 2000
Crop
4000 Weeds
1500

Grain yield (kg ha )

-1
Biomass (kg ha )
-1

3000
1000

2000
Red line: 130
seeds m2
500
1000

0
0
0 100 200 300 400
0 100 200 300 400
-2
Seeding rate (viable seeds m )
Seeding rate (viable seeds m-2)

Baird et al. 2009

Effect of crop burial on field pea yield when post-emergence
harrowed at 3 node stage. Weedy conditions. 2004 & 2006.

180%

160%

Field pea yield (% of check)

140%

120%

100%

80%

60%
3 2
y = -3.8378x + 4.6535x - 0.7566x + 1.0213
40%
R2 = 0.6236
20%

0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Crop burial (% )
Johnson et al. 2011
Effect of crop burial on field pea yield when post-emergence
harrowed at 3 node stage. Weedy conditions. 2004 & 2006.

180%

160%

Field pea yield (% of check)

140%

120%

100%

80%

60%
3 2
y = -3.8378x + 4.6535x - 0.7566x + 1.0213
40%
R2 = 0.6236
20%

0%
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100% 120%
Crop burial (% )
Johnson et al. 2011
Minimum till rotary hoe
Lentil Tolerance to Rotary hoe

Check 1 pass 2 pass

3 pass 4 pass 5 pass

Johnson et al. 2011 10
Minimum till rotary hoe
Steerable mechanisms for interrow cultivation
 Crop Tolerance of Field Pea to inter-row cultivation
(4 site years)

CPWC

Stanley et al. 2017. Weed Tech.

But what weeding machine is best?

Exc. Crop tolerance any stage

Weeds - Pre-emerge to early cotyledon

Crop: fair-good tolerance

Weeds: Pre-emerge to small seedlings

Crop: 5 to 10 nodes stage Weeds: lg. better

 Design
Project Description
Randomized Complete Block Design
Year 2016-2017; 4 site years
Location Kernen Crop Research Farm, Goodale Farm and Hunter
(producers land) in Saskatchewan.
Crops Field Pea and Lentil
Mechanical Weed Control
Rotary Hoe (RH), Flex tine Harrow (H), Inter-row cultivation (IT)
applied as a single, paired and multiple treatment combination
Factors
Seeding Rate Field pea Lentil
Plants/m

Conventional (L): 90 130

Organic (H): 135 260
Statistical Mixed Model Analysis of Variance
Analysis Variables measured:
crop and weed counts, crop and weed biomass, yield
 before RH before H before IT
a b c

after RH after H after IT

Visual control rate in lentil

RH (H) lentil Untreated (left) vs RH-IT (H) lentil RH-H-IT (L) lentil

VS
 Weed biomass – Mechanical weed Control
Average of 4 site years
Seeding rate Mechanical weed control
~ 16% decrease weed biomass ~ 76% decrease weed biomass
Singular treatments –
48%.

Paired treatments –
64%

Three treatments –
74%
Visual control rate in lentil

RH (H) lentil Untreated (left) vs RH-IT (H) lentil RH-H-IT (L) lentil

VS
Lentil Yield – Mechanical Weed control
Average of 4 site years
~ 55% increase seed
yield

~ 30% increase
seed yield
Paired treatments on
average increase yield
by 46%
Visual Control Rate in Field Pea

Single pass with IT (L) Untreated at (L) seeding rate vs RH-IT (H) seeding RH-H-IT (L) seeding rate in pea
seeding rate in pea rate in pea

VS
 P<0.0012

Seeding Rate P>0.2

73-86%
Singular treatments –
55%.

Paired treatments –
78%

Three treatments –
86%
 P<0.06

38-50%
Field Pea Yield
P<0.0001
2000
13%
a
1800
b
1600

1400
Yield (kg/ha-1)

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0
L H
Singular treatments –
40%.

Paired treatments –
45%

Three treatments –
44%
Conclusions
Rotary hoe and inter-row cultivation vs no weed control
• All In-crop mechanical weed control
methods reduced weed biomass
• Most consistent treatment rotary hoe
followed later by inter-row tillage
• Seeding rate also reduced weed biomass
and increased yield
• Best combinations increased seed yield by
~70% and reduced weed biomass by ~80%
• But these methods are relatively ineffective
on perennial weeds
 Acknowledgements
§ U of S Agronomy crew: Shaun Campbell, Taryn Zdunich, Steve Ryu,
graduate students, summer students