The potential of harnessing these weed-fighting chemicals is enormous. One potential target is downy brome, a serious weed problem that is causing western Canadian producers to shy away from winter wheat. Downy brome appears to be suppressed in winter wheat fields when residue from lentils is present. We can use that information to build a better system of weed suppression to maximize crop yields. Several grains tested To test which chemicals affect which weeds, Moyer is studying the development of several weeds treated with extracts of canola, lentil, mustard, oat, barley and wheat.
Results are encouraging.
Moyer has observed weed-suppressing qualities in canola and mustard, which he attributes to a group of chemicals called glucosinolates. The molecules are much bigger than most herbicide molecules, and are probably created by the plant as a defence mechanism against insects. The effects of those defence mechanisms are difficult to observe in the field, Moyer said. The benefit of using this laboratory method, rather than field observation, is that we can eliminate other effects that may be suppressing the weeds. What we find in the lab and in our field studies will lead us a step closer to developing better solutions for producers.