Hit those cleavers early

Cleavers have emerged and are growing rapidly in scattered fields across the Prairies. Derwyn Hammond, CCC agronomist for Manitoba, says some are three inches tall already. “If growers wait until in crop to control those large cleavers, they’ll have trouble,” he says.

Know the weed spectrum for each field before seeding. If cleavers and other weeds are large or the weed spectrum includes species that aren’t controlled effectively with approved rates of the in-crop product a grower plans to use, a pre-seed burn to control these weeds can preserve the canola yield and profit potential in that field.

As we emphasized in last week’s Canola Watch, early weed control in general contributes to higher canola yields. Pre-seed burnoff controls weeds when they’re smaller and easier to manage and reduces the competition for young canola plants.

For some products, growers can seed the same day they spray or the day after. For larger weeds, growers may want to give the herbicide an extra day or two to translocate to the growing points. Check provincial guides to crop protection products for rates for larger weeds and recommended seeding delays. For your guide, click your province: Alberta Saskatchewan Manitoba