Grant: Alliance Grants

As herbicide-resistance (HR) continues to increase, a new approach and new tools for weed management are imperative. In partnership with the main crop commodity groups in Manitoba (Manitoba Crop Alliance, Manitoba Canola Growers Association, and Manitoba Pulse & Soybean Growers) and the Western Grains Research Foundation, we are conducting a multi-commodity research project designed to develop tools that reduce the frequency and quantity of herbicide applications in agriculture. This partnership was forged to help mitigate the risk of HR weeds, reduce the pesticide load on the environment, and fill a critical gap in capacity to train the next agronomic leaders in advanced technologies for sustainable systems-based integrated crop protection. All, while maintaining crop productivity to help ensure Canada's food supply chain remains safe, strong, and stable, to meet rising global demand for Canadian agricultural products. This project will train 22 HQP (10 undergraduate, 6 MSc, 4 PhD, 2 PDF). This research project will deliver precise herbicide application decision-making tools based on remote sensing technologies, in-season monitoring, and rapid screening tools for identification of weed species and HR weed biotypes. Remote sensing and AI algorithms will be used to determine crop-weed interference throughout the growing season and this information will be fed into a data driven algorithm that determines the need for weed control to be fed into GPS guided equipment that manages weeds in a site-specific manner. The technology will also be able to detect HR weed patches as they develop, providing an early-detection, rapid-response approach that is a critical component for managing new HR weed biotypes. The project provides a unique opportunity for researchers and industry leaders to work together to solve a paramount production issue in agriculture. The effective weed management tools created are expected to help reduce herbicide applications and the selection pressure for HR weeds, while meeting Canada's global food production, environmental, and food security goals.