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

Here’s What’s New in the 2026 Census of Agriculture

Statistics Canada just gave producers an early look at the 2026 Census of Agriculture — and it’s got some timely updates that speak directly to the realities of farming today. The questionnaire keeps much of the core content from 2021, allowing for long-term trend tracking, but it also gets a refresh in areas that matter to today’s ag landscape. Expect more detailed questions about environmental stewardship, new technologies on the farm, and emerging crop and livestock categories. Here’s What’s In It for You: New Crop & Livestock Categories: Got something unique in the ground or the barn? There are new commodity categories designed to reflect what’s really happening on modern farms — including niche and emerging products. Environmental Practices Front and Centre: The census now digs deeper into sustainability practices, giving you the opportunity to show how your operation contributes to soil health, water conservation, carbon reduction, and more. Tech & Renewables: If you’ve adopte

Canola Slips Across the Board as Market Momentum Fades

Canola futures pulled back on Wednesday, posting steady losses across all active contracts. The November 2025 contract led the slide, falling by $5.70 to close at $696.60 per tonne—dipping below the psychologically significant $700 level. Nearby months followed suit, with January 2026 down $5.00 at $707.50 and March 2026 slipping $5.10 to $715.10. The softness extended into the deferred months as well, with May, July, and even November 2026 futures each shedding more than $5.00 per tonne. This broad-based decline signals a lack of short-term buying interest and ongoing pressure from weaker oilseed markets, particularly in soy and palm oil. Technical selling may also be playing a role, as key support levels were tested or breached. Overall, today’s action reflects a market struggling to find upward momentum amid global demand uncertainty and harvest pressure in some regions. Traders will be watching weather developments and export data closely, but for now, the tone remains bearish.

Wheat Wilts, Corn Holds, and Soybeans Stumble in Mixed Market Day

Grains traded in mixed fashion today, with wheat and soybeans under pressure while corn eked out modest gains. The most notable weakness came from Chicago Wheat, where futures declined across the board. The front-month September 2025 contract slipped 6 cents to $5.23 3/4 per bushel, and losses extended steadily through to December 2026, which closed at $6.12 per bushel. The bearish tone in wheat continues to reflect stiff global competition and sluggish export demand, keeping the complex pinned near recent lows. Soybeans took the biggest hit of the day, with losses ranging from 11 1/2 to 14 cents per bushel. August 2025 soybeans dropped 14 cents to $9.67 3/4, while new-crop November 2025 fell to $9.95 3/4, marking a dip below the psychologically important $10 mark. Broad-based weakness in vegetable oil markets and concerns over export demand—particularly with shifting trade patterns and tariff uncertainty—pressured the oilseed complex. Corn, on the other hand, managed to stay afloat.

Canola Council of Canada launches refreshed strategic framework

Today, the Canola Council of Canada’s (CCC) released a refreshed strategic framework, Canola Forward: A Strategic Framework for 2025 – 2030, which builds on the organization’s strong foundation and sets out a clear and renewed focus designed to help Canada’s canola industry thrive in fast-changing domestic and international environments. The framework was developed in collaboration with members and stakeholders from across the canola value chain and beyond. It sharpens the CCC’s focus on areas of critical importance for the industry – with a focus on volume, value and members. The CCC is prioritizing enabling innovation, advancing market access and amplifying the value of Canadian canola, inclusive of a growing opportunity for canola not just as food and feed, but also as fuel. “This framework builds on the strong foundation that has made Canadian canola a global leader,” said Chris Davison, president & CEO of the CCC. “It is focused on priorities identified by the Canadian canola in

KIOTI Tractor Opens First West Coast Warehouse

KIOTI Tractor, a division of Daedong-USA Inc., announced the opening of a 146,327-square-foot facility in Tumwater, Wash., its first location in the region. Located two miles south of Olympia, the site represents a major milestone in the company’s continued investment in its North American infrastructure.

More…

Badges | Report an Issue | Terms of Service