I guess nightshade doesn't get frost bite

The sight of nightshade's purplish/black berries in a "food grade" soybean crop is every producer's worst nightmare. They stain the seed and dramatically reduce the value of the crop. In theory, you would kill uncontrolled nightshade prior to harvest with either a herbicide (i.e. Reglone, glyphosate) or mother nature (i.e. a frost), the berries would drop to the ground, never go through the combine and the seed would be left unstained. Unfortunately this is a theory, and reality shows us otherwise. Around the 12th of October, a significant frost was observed in Waterloo/Wellington county which resullted in a number of annual weed species "dying off" in soybeans.

The one notable exception was nightshade. Even though the leaves were finally starting to wilt after 4-5 days of consecutive frosty mornings, the berries were still very much attached to the plant. Plant dessication with herbicides has proven equally ineffective as many berries will still cling to the plant even after it has died off. The average plant in this field had 280 berries with each berry averaging 60 seeds for a total of 16,800 seeds per plant.

If you had Eastern Black Nightshade in a field of "food grade" soybeans it's either because: 1) You didn't know it was there in the first place or 2) You knew it was there, but the herbicide was ineffective Public trials conducted by the University of Guelph (Sikkema, Swanton and Tardif) have shown that following herbicide programs provide greater than 80% control of Eastern Black Nightshade in soybean. 1) Pursuit (PRE or POST - 99% visual control) 2) Lorox L (PRE - 99% visual control at the highest labeled rate) 3) Dual II Magnum (PRE) followed by Reflex (POST - 98% visual control) 4) Dual II Magnum (PRE, highest labeled rate - 87% visual control) 5) Frontier (PRE, highest labeled rate - 80% visual control) If you have used one of the above herbicide treatments and they did not provide adequate control, it may be possible that the population of Eastern Black Nightshade in your field is resistant. The University of Guelph can test this population for you to determine if it is herbicide resistant.

< Previous Post

Comment

You need to be a member of Ontario Agriculture to add comments!

Join Ontario Agriculture

Comment by Wayne Black on November 8, 2009 at 3:05pm: Nightshade in some corn samples today at the elevator. My dad's field had it bad in a spot where the corn was thin and short. I think this weed needs an attitude adjustment next year!

Comment by Mike Cowbrough on October 20, 2009 at 9:30am: Thanks Joe, you're absolutely right. There has been limited experience in Ontario with Valtera on nightshade, but so far it has done a very nice job.

Comment by Joe Dales on October 20, 2009 at 9:20am: Hi Mike: The Valent company has a new product registered for nightshade as well.
Here is their news release on registration.

Valent Canada adds Valtera™ Herbicide to 2009 product lineup
Brand new active ingredient benefits soybean growers

GUELPH, ON —Valent Canada has received Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency approval to register Valtera Herbicide for use in soybeans. Valtera is a low use rate preemergence herbicide which gives growers residual control of many broadleaf weeds and enhanced post emergence weed control when tank mixed with glyphosate. It has been sold in the U.S. since 2001 under the trade name Valor® Herbicide.

Valtera controls annual nightshade species (Eastern black nightshade and hairy nightshade), pigweeds (redroot and green), common ragweed, common lambsquarters, and dandelion. Valtera also provides suppression of green foxtail.

New active ingredient
Valtera contains the active ingredient flumioxazin, a member of the protox inhibitor type of herbicides (Group 14), and offers new management options for weeds resistant to Group 2 & 5 herbicides. However, unlike many other Group 14 herbicides, flumioxazin provides enhanced burndown and residual control.

Flumioxazin works by inhibiting production of an enzyme important in the synthesis of chlorophyll. "Its rapid soil and water dissipation," said Regina Rieckenberg, Valent Canada sales and marketing manager, "along with a low use rate, results in a low carryover potential to rotational crops."

In identity preserved soybeans, Valtera is intended to be used in a program with other residual herbicides. It should be applied as a preplant or early preemergence herbicide, from 30 days prior to planting and up to three days after planting (before emergence). In burndown situations, it can be used as a foundation herbicide partner with glyphosate in glyphosate-tolerant soybeans.

"By using flumioxazin in a program with other herbicides," said Rieckenberg, "the grower helps to preserve the effectiveness of other herbicides and decreases or delays development of weed resistance. With excellent weed control and flexible rotational restrictions, Valtera ushers in a new era of weed control."

Valtera is one of the many quality products from Valent Canada, including plant growth regulators, herbicides and insecticides. Valent's product line includes leading brands such as DiPel® Insecticide, Distance® Insect Growth Regulator (IGR), Fascination® Plant Growth Regulator (PGR), Foray® Biological Insecticide, MaxCel® PGR, Promalin® PGR. ReTain® PGR, Sumagic® PGR, VectoBac® Biological Insecticide and Velocity® Herbicide.

RSS

Welcome to
Ontario Agriculture

Sign Up
or Sign In

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Cannabis stocks surge after reports of Trump planning to ease federal restrictions

Shares in Canada’s cannabis companies surged after reports U.S. President Donald Trump is planning to ease federal restrictions on the drug. The Washington Post first reported that the president is expected to direct agencies to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III drug. The move would make it similar to some common prescription painkillers, the newspaper says. A reclassification of the drug in the U.S. could offer an opportunity for Canadian cannabis companies to expand their businesses stateside. Shares of Tilray Brands Inc. jumped 29 per cent or $3.35 to $14.94 in mid-morning trading Friday on the Toronto Stock Exchange, while Canopy Growth Corp. shares were up 32 per cent or 49 cents at $2.07. Aurora Cannabis Inc. shares were up 13 per cent and Organigram Global Inc. was up nearly 10 per cent. While many states have passed laws legalizing cannabis for adult use in the U.S., federally it remains a Schedule I drug, the same category as heroin and LSD. This report by The Cana

USDA Raises World Rapeseed Production to New High

Thanks mainly to a record large Canadian crop, 2025-26 global rapeseed output is estimated by the USDA at a new peak as well. The USDA this week pegged world rapeseed production for the current marketing year at 95.27 million tonnes. That’s up 3 million tonnes or 3.25% from last month’s projection and now sits almost 9.3 million or 10.8% above the 2024-25 global crop of 86 million. The rebound comes after the 2024-25 crop was hit by poor weather in major producing countries. The USDA has raised its 2025-26 Canadian rapeseed (canola) production estimate to 22 million tonnes, up 2 million from its November forecast, following updated Statistics Canada data released last week. The survey-based StatsCan report pegged national canola output at 21.803 million tonnes, up about 1.7 million from the federal agency’s model-based September projection and now 13.3% above the 2024 crop of 19.239 million. If accurate, it would be the largest crop on record, surpassing the 2017 crop of 21.458 m

New CDC Oat and Barley Varieties Gain Momentum With Prairie Growers

For more than two decades, Aaron Beattie has been a driving force behind some of Western Canada’s most prominent oat and barley varieties. Based at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC), Beattie continues to shape the future of Prairie cereals — work that increasingly impacts growers in Alberta. Beattie’s latest oat material, showcased earlier this year at the meetings of the Prairie Grain Development Committee in Winnipeg, continues to deliver standout performance. “OT3125 did perform really well again this summer. So it is still up there — over 10% higher than Camden,” he says. While the variety does not yet have a commercial name, Beattie expects significant discussion around it next year as it moves further into promotion and industry awareness. Momentum in the Market Beyond pipeline material, several CDC varieties are gaining traction with Prairie growers. “CDC Anson really took a big jump this year, from no acres to about 10% of the oat acres all in

Why Midge Tolerant Wheat is Sold as a Blend — and Why it Matters for Spring 2026

Unexpected wheat midge outbreaks across Western Canada highlight why the varietal blend remains essential. As farmers look ahead to spring, it’s a good time to revisit the cornerstone of protecting the Sm1 (midge tolerant) wheat gene: understanding why Midge Tolerant Wheat is sold as a varietal blend. In these blends, a variety of Midge Tolerant Wheat is mixed in with a small amount (10%) of wheat that isn’t tolerant to the wheat midge. That is, it doesn’t contain the gene Sm1, the source of genetic resistance. These non-tolerant wheat plants serve as a “refuge” to ensure the wheat midge doesn’t develop resistance to the Sm1 gene. “You never know when the wheat midge is going to strike or where it’s going to strike,” says Tyler Wist, an entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). “Sometimes it’s predicted to be a low-risk year, and then the rains come at just the right time and — boom — population explosion.” Wheat Midge Can Appear When Least Expected Forecasting too

This is Agriculture: Training Coordinator

There are an abundance of different careers in agriculture, and Angela Pearen has tried several of them. Now the coordinator of the agriculture extension programs at Russ Edwards School of Agriculture and Environment, Assiniboine College, Angela has also worked helping producers diversify their farm income, and held positions in rural leadership, stakeholder engagement and strategic planning with Manitoba Agriculture. She says her role at Assiniboine College brings her back to the work she loves the most. Describe your job or product in one sentence. I coordinate training programs for people working in the ag industry and those that support the ag industry. Where did you grow up? Was it an agriculture or urban environment? I grew up in the Roseland district, southwest of Brandon on an acreage. We crop shared with our land neighbours and my parents still crop share with the next generations of that family – it’s been over 50 years. What was your dream job when you were a kid? The

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service