Soltani, N., Blackshaw, R. E., Gulden, R.H., Gillard, C. L., Shropshire, C. and Sikkema, P. H. 2013. Desiccation in dry edible beans with various herbicides. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 871–877. There is little information available on the effect of diquat, carfentrazone-ethyl, glufosinate ammonium, flumioxazin and saflufenacil applied alone or in tankmix combination with glyphosate as harvest aids in dry bean production under environmental conditions of the various production regions in Canada. A total of 11 field trials were conducted over a 3-yr period (2010, 2011, 2012) at Exeter, Ontario, Carman, Manitoba, and Lethbridge, Alberta, to evaluate various harvest-aid herbicides in dry bean. Comparison of leaf, pod and stem visual dry down at 4 and 8 d after desiccation application (DAA) indicated that adding a tankmix partner to glyphosate increased visual dry down of leaf, pod and stem 17, 10 and 15% at 4 DAA and 20, 17 and 14% at 8 DAA, respectively. At 8 DAA, glyphosate (450 or 900 g a.e. ha−1), diquat, glufosinate ammonium, carfentrazone-ethyl, flumioxazin and saflufenacil provided 13–58, 65–80, 64–71, 12–34, 36–52 and 41–73% dry down of the dominant weeds (AMARE, AMBEL, CHEAL and SETVI), respectively. Diquat, glufosinate ammonium, carfentrazone-ethyl, flumioxazin and saflufenacil tankmixed with glyphosate (450 or 900 g a.e. ha−1) provided 67–77, 65–71, 22–62, 45–69 and 44–74% weed dry down, respectively. Dry bean yield was not reduced with any of the desiccation treatments. Among desiccant treatments that provided consistent desiccation of dry bean and weeds, saflufenacil had the least environmental impact followed by flumioxazin, glufosinate ammonium and then diquat. Based on this study, diquat, glufosinate ammonium, flumioxazin and saflufenacil alone or in combination with glyphosate (450 or 900 g a.e. ha−1) provide consistent desiccation of weeds and dry bean.

. 2015. Effect of application timing of glyphosate and saflufenacil as desiccants in dry edible bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 369Á375. Early application of desiccants in dry edible bean may cause yield reductions and unacceptable herbicide residue levels, resulting in rejection of exported shipments. The effect of application timing of two registered desiccants, glyphosate and saflufenacil, was examined in 12 field trials conducted over a 4-yr period (2009Á2012) at Exeter, Ontario, Carman, Manitoba, and Lethbridge, Alberta. Desiccants were applied alone and in combination at five crop maturation stages. When glyphosate or saflufenacil alone, or in combination, was applied at 100% crop maturity, herbicide residue levels were acceptable (less than 2.0 and 0.01 ppm for glyphosate and saflufenacil, respectively) and there was no reduction in yield or hundred seed weight. Glyphosate residues remained below 2.0 ppm when the desiccant was applied alone or with saflufenacil at 75% crop maturity, but crop yield decreased by 16% compared with the untreated control when glyphosate and saflufenacil were combined. Residue levels were unacceptable when glyphosate was applied at 0, 25, and 50% maturity; generally the earlier glyphosate was applied, the greater the residue concentration in the seeds at harvest. Although no application timing resulted in saflufenacil residues above 0.01 ppm, crop yield was reduced when the desiccant was applied at 0, 25, 50, and 75% crop maturity. This information will provide dry bean processors with the necessary information to design guidelines concerning the application timing of glyphosate and saflufenacil so that bean yield and quality remain unaffected and seed residues remain below accepted levels.Key words: Desiccation, dry edible bean, harvest aid, maximum residue level, Phaseolus vulgaris L.McNaughton, K. E., Blackshaw, R. E., Waddell, K. A., Gulden, R. H., Sikkema, P. H. et Gillard, C. L. 2015. Conse´quences du moment de l'application du glyphosate et du saflufenacil employe´s comme agents de dessiccation avec le haricot (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 369Á375. L'application haˆtive d'agents de dessiccation au haricot peut donner lieu a`des pertes de rendement et a`une concentration inacceptable de re´sidus d'herbicide, puis, par voie de conse´quence, entraıˆner le rejet des lots de haricot sec exporte´s. Les auteurs ont examine´les conse´quences du moment d'application du glyphosate et du saflufenacil, deux agents de dessiccation homologue´s, lors de douze essais au champ re´alise´s au cours d'une pe´riode de quatre ans (2009Á2012) a`Exeter (Ontario), a`Carman (Manitoba) et a`Lethbridge (Alberta). Les agents ont e´te´applique´s seuls ou combine´s a`cinq stades de maturation de la culture. Quand on applique le glyphosate, le saflufenacil ou les deux au moment ou`la culture a atteint 100 % de sa maturite´, la concentration de re´sidus d'herbicide est acceptable (moins de 2,0 et de 0,01 ppm respectivement pour le glyphosate et le saflufenacil) et ...

. 2015. Effect of five desiccants applied alone and in combination with glyphosate in dry edible bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Can. J. Plant Sci. 95: 1235Á1242. Application of dry bean desiccants just prior to crop maturity is common practice by Canadian producers. As dry beans are grown for human consumption it is critical that producers pick desiccants that do not affect crop yield, seed quality, or result in desiccant seed residue levels above accepted levels. In this study the efficacy of glyphosate, diquat, glufosinate, carfentrazone, flumioxazin, and saflufenacil as desiccants was examined for navy, cranberry, pinto, and great northern dry bean. Seed herbicide residues were also tested for each of the dry bean classes tested. Navy, cranberry, pinto, and great northern dry bean yields were not impacted by use of the desiccants diquat, carfentrazone, flumioxazin, or saflufenacil when applied at labelled rates and application timings. Additionally, herbicide residues in seed following application remained lower than maximum residue limits (MRL) established by primary Canadian dry bean export partners. Generally, dry bean colour, irrespective of class, was not altered by desiccant use; diquat and flumioxazin caused minor increases in the degree of red and yellow seed pigmentation for cranberry bean only. Although colour differences were noted using a Chroma meter the differences were slight and would not likely be of economic importance. Application of glyphosate did not affect crop yield, and seed residue levels were below MRLs for navy, pinto, and great northern bean. However, seed glyphosate residue levels were above the MRL for cranberry bean when glyphosate was applied alone or tankmixed with carfentrazone, flumioxazin, or saflufenacil. Seed residue levels were also above listed MRLs for some export countries when glufosinate was applied to navy, cranberry, and pinto bean, although crop yield and seed quality remained unaffected. These findings suggest that growers and contractors should avoid using glufosinate as a dry bean desiccant at least for some markets and that care should be taken when selecting glyphosate as a desiccant, especially for cranberry bean. Across all market classes desiccation progress of bean leaf, stem, and pod tissue was slowest when glyphosate and carfentrazone were used.

Martens, G., Lamari, L., Grieger, A., Gulden, R. H. and McCallum, B. 2014. Comparative yield, disease resistance and response to fungicide for forty-five historic Canadian wheat cultivars. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 371–381. Forty-five historic Canadian spring wheat cultivars, ranging from Red Fife (1870) to modern cultivars, were compared for yield and disease resistance in field trials from 2007 to 2010. A split-plot design was used to test yield, leaf rust and Fusarium head blight resistance, with or without a fungicide application. Older cultivars were generally lower yielding and more leaf rust susceptible than modern cultivars; this difference was greatest in 2007 and 2010 under heavier leaf rust. Response to fungicide application was highest in 2007 and 2010. In 2008, leaf rust was very low, and fungicide application had a slightly negative effect on yield overall. Cultivars that have good leaf rust resistance, such as Pasqua, AC Minto, and 5600 HR, had a negligible response to fungicide, whereas older, susceptible cultivars had a larger response. Fusarium head blight levels were too low to compare the cultivars. The highest-yielding cultivars in the untreated plots were AC Domain, 5500HR, AC Cora, Roblin and Barrie, whereas AC Cora, AC Domain, McKenzie, Roblin and AC Intrepid were the highest yielding in the fungicide-treated plots. AC Domain, AC Barrie and Roblin were among the most popular wheat cultivars in Manitoba, in terms of seeded area from the early 1990s to 2009.

Haile, T. A., Gulden, R. H. and Shirtliffe, S. J. 2014. On-farm seed loss does not differ between windrowed and direct-harvested canola. Can. J. Plant Sci. 94: 785–789. Seed loss in canola (Brassica napus) leads to considerable loss of revenue and dispersal of seeds into the soil seedbank. The resulting volunteer canola can create weed problems in subsequent crops and result in further yield loss. The objective of this study was to quantify and compare canola seed loss and seedbank addition from windrowing and direct-harvesting operations on commercial farms in western Canada. A total of 16 direct-harvested and 19 windrowed canola fields were surveyed in central and southern Saskatchewan during 2010, 2011 and 2012. Shattered seeds from these fields were sampled within 3 wk after harvest of the crop using a vacuum cleaner. There were no differences in seed yield, loss or seedbank addition of canola between windrowing and direct-harvesting operations. There was a difference in 1000-seed weight between the harvest methods and seeds of the direct-harvested canola were larger in size. This may suggest that direct-harvesting can be considered as a viable option to harvest canola in western Canada.