Canada ranks number three in the world for herbicide resistant weeds, only behind the United States and Australia. The last extensive survey in Saskatchewan occurred in 2019-2020 and estimated producer losses due to herbicide resistant weeds at $340 million per year.

It found that green foxtail, volunteer canola, wild oat, wild buckwheat and kochia were the biggest concerns. The top instance of herbicide resistance in Saskatchewan five years ago was Group 1 resistance in wild oats. Herbicide Resistance wild oat was found in 77 per cent of 250 fields where wild oat was collected and tested.

Charles Geddes is a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and will be leading the herbicide resistant weed survey.

The federal carbon tax been completely ineffective in reducing fossil fuel use, it has also made it harder for farmers to afford the adoption of new innovations. That from Manitoba Pork General Manager Cam Dahl.

He says farmers face many challenges as they work to adopt environmentally sustainable green practices while operating in the red. Dahl is calling on government to replace its policy of taxing farmers to stimulate decreased fossil fuel use with one where incentives are offered to stimulate the adoption of environmentally sustainable technologies and practices.