Retail agronomists are getting asked whether it’s OK to go in earlier than the 1-3 leaf stage of canola with Roundup. The answer is yes. The qualifier is if the crop — and the weeds — are under stress. In that case, hold off until conditions improve for better weed control and to avoid stalling the crop.

 

On that topic, here’s how to get the most out of glyphosate:
—Weeds should be actively growing.
—Use water volumes of 5-10 gallons/acre.
—Smaller weeds are easier to control. Growers want to make every effort to control species such as buckwheat, winter annual weeds at the 1-3 leaf stage.
—Sunny, warm and humid are optimum performance for top performance. This includes warm temperatures well into the evening.
—Avoid spray speeds that will create dusty conditions. Tip from Clark Brenzil, weed management specialist with Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture: If this can’t be avoided, spray from downwind to upwind to minimize the dust deposition on unsprayed leaves.
This table “How to maximize glyphosate performance” is from the Alberta Reduced Tillage Linkages website. Click here to download a PDF version if you have trouble reading the table.