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Accurate identification and control of weeds is important for achieving high yields, increases harvest efficiency and reduces dockage in harvested crops. GROW SUSTAINABILITY 27 | Pulse Research Report PROJECT TITLE 2017 Alberta Weed Survey PROJECT LEAD Julia Leeson, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada TOTAL VALUE OF PROJECT $420,000 FUNDING PARTNERS Western Grains Research Foundation Alberta Wheat Commission Alberta Canola Producers Commission If you made a list of the most prevalent and potentially yield- damaging weeds on your farm last year, what would they be? For many growers, the lineup of weeds to be controlled has changed over the past 10 years. Weed management practices and available crop protection products have evolved accordingly. The purpose of the 2017 Alberta Weed Survey is to obtain solid data on the abundance and distribution of weed species in the province's pulse, cereal and oilseed crops. Julia Leeson, Weed Monitoring Biologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, is running the project, which spans the three Prairie provinces. Alberta Pulse Growers is one of the organizations that has contributed funding for the survey's Alberta component. "It's been seven years since the last Alberta general weed survey," Leeson said, "and 10 years since the last survey of herbicide-resistant weeds in Alberta. The survey allows us to see what's changing and what's increasing, which allows us to be better able to manage weeds." COMING TO A FARM NEAR YOU Leeson led a team of more than 40 people who worked on the survey in the summer of 2017. Their job was to survey fields and compile weed profiles from 1,200 farms across the Prairies. The team randomly selected quarter-sections in the three provinces and contacted landowners for permission to visit. Weed surveyors walked the fields after the producers completed their normal in-crop weed control. "We just walk through the land, wearing booties so it really is minimal impact," Leeson said. "Most people are very positive about letting us on the land. We want to look at what's been missed by the in-crop application, and what will be going to seed that could become a problem next year. We also collected seed to be tested to determine the extent of herbicide resistance in various weed species." The 2017 Alberta Weed Survey was a massive undertaking. Compiling and interpreting the data will take roughly two years. Leeson expects to publish her findings in early 2019. Which newer weeds are on the march? Which long-time foes are declining? How is the incidence of herbicide-resistant weeds shifting? The survey data will tell the tale, but Leeson's in no doubt: when it comes to weed management in crop production, the times are changing. "The weed spectrum has changed significantly over the past 20 years," Leeson said. "For many years, the Top 20 weeds were fairly consistent. Changes in tillage practices and herbicide use patterns and crop rotations have shaken things up. That's why it's so important that we do this survey." Summer 2017 marks the first general weed survey of Alberta since 2010, providing scientists, agronomists and farmers with a current picture of what's out there. Alberta and Prairie-Wide Survey Assesses Weed Populations

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