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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Pullman, Washington » Northwest Sustainable Agroecosystems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #319442
Title: Feral rye (Secale cereal) control in winter canola in the Pacific Northwest

Author
item Young, Francis
item WHALEY, DALE - Washington State University
item LAWRENCE, NEVIN - Washington State University
item BURKE, IAN - Washington State University

Submitted to: Weed Technology
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/23/2015
Publication Date: 2/24/2016
Citation: Young, F.L., Whaley, D.K., Lawrence, N.C., Burke, I.C. 2016. Feral rye (Secale cereal) control in winter canola in the Pacific Northwest. Weed Technology 30(1):163-170.

Interpretive Summary: Feral rye continues to be a major pest in Pacific Northwest winter wheat producing regions especially in the low-rainfall area where the winter wheat-summer fallow rotation is the common production practice. In the past, growers have relied on noneffetive cultural methods such as annual spring crops, nitrogen management, and competitive cultivar selection to manage feral rye. A study was conducted at three locations in Washington from fall 2010 to summer 2014 to evaluate the efficacy of clethodim, quizalofop, and glyphosate on feral rye control in winter canola (glyphosate-resistant canola). All herbicides were applied in the fall, spring, and fall+spring (split-applied) and results were also compared to a nontreated control. Results varied depending on environmental conditions and feral rye density. In two of the three years, split applications of quizalofop and glyphosate were the most effective treatments for increasing winter canola yield; controlling rye; and decreasing rye seed production, plant density, and biomass. These two treatments often prohibited completely weed seed production. During the last year of the study (2013 to 2014) feral rye competition was so severe that winter canola yield was zero in the nontreated plots. With the integration of winter canola into the 130 year-old winter wheat-fallow region of the PNW, an opportunity exits to manage feral rye effectively and consistently to improve grower diversity and sustainability.

Technical Abstract: In the Pacific Northwest (PNW) feral rye is a predominant winter annual grass weed in the low-rainfall region where a winter wheat-tillage fallow rotation has been practiced for more than 130 yrs and winter canola has been introduced recently. A 3-yr study was conducted in Washington to determine the efficacy of clethodim, quizalofop, and glyphosate on feral rye control and winter canola yield. During the first year of the study herbicides were applied in the spring and they increased canola yield and decreased feral rye biomass, density and seed production similarly when compared to the nontreated control. During the last 2 yrs of the study, split applications of quizalofop and glyphosate were the most effective treatments for controlling rye (>95%) and increasing canola yield. In general, clethodim was less effective than both quizalofop and glyphosate in controlling feral rye. Results from this study indicate that quizalofop in conventional winter canola and glyphosate in herbicide-resistant canola can effectively control feral rye.