Kochia is a highly competitive weed that thrives in poor crop conditions and quickly develops herbicide resistance.
Farming Smarter has started multiple research projects to strike back at the tumbleweed and give farmers across the Prairies an edge. You can follow the research right from the field in our Plot Shot video series!
From Manitoba, through Saskatchewan, and across southern Alberta, kochia threatens the yields of crop growers. It's fast growing and hardy nature has made it a terrible foe for all of us. Every time we developed a tool to push it back, kochia tumbles right on over it. And it leaves some crop growers worse off than others.
Pulse growers have few options to combat kochia that don't threaten the cash crops - which has spurred a wide-scale, collaborative research initiative to identify effective management tools across the Prairies!
Looking to learn more about kochia? You can watch Farming Smarter's efforts to move the needle in the direction of our farmers! In 2025, we kicked off the next leg of our exploring kochia management in southern Alberta with two big projects.
Enjoy following updates on each of them!
How can new cultural practices help farmers combat herbicide-resistant kochia in southern Alberta?
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Lewis Baarda and our fall field crew review some of the interesting cultural practices like mowing, tillage, cover crops in our kochia management project. Check out the updates! |
What treatments help kochia in saline areas of farms?
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In case you missed it, Tatum Adair toured the treatment plots for our saline & low-lying areas kochia management trials this summer. She shares insight into the program and our plan to find effective strategies for these marginal spots. |
Why is herbicide-resistant kochia a problem?
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Dr. Charles Geddes joins Lewis Baarda in the field of kochia trials. He shares his expertise in herbicide resistance to underscore the importance of finding effective tools to fight back against kochia across the Prairies. |
Get a good look at public enemy #1 - what does kochia look like?
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A month after seeding our research plots, Lewis Baarda took us out for an update with Alberta's "most common crop" to see just how fast kochia takes over the farm. These saline, marginal areas were covered with it while our crops fought leaf & stem to prosper! |
What does integrated weed management look like?
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We got into the field early this season to get the jump-start on kochia to ensure that our trials were in the best position to fight back against the herbicide-resistant menace! Our Field Tested team share what seeding these multi-pronged efforts look like in this early 2025 Plot Shot. |
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Join the fight against herbicide-resistant kochia & wild oats at Farming Smarter's Agronomy Battles! The strategy table opens the floor for conversation, December 3. Make sure you have a seat - and bring a friend eager to collaborate on solutions - at this exclusive, subscriber-only event! |
Join the fight against herbicide resistance - Dec. 3!
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