b'(L-R) AAFC researcher Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill and AAFC technician Nicolle MacDonald inspect the vine crusher.of the initial testing involved commonreduce (weed) populations.lambsquarters since its commonlyThe way the weed seed crusher works found in most potato fields and studiesis relatively simple. As potatoes are have shown that more than 50 per centI went and met pulled from the soil, the vines and other of the weeds population in P.E.I. andwith Christine. She gaveextraneous materials are pulled through New Brunswick is resistant to Sencor,it, smashed, and then deposited back in the most commonly used herbicide forme an explanation of itthe field. potato weed management in the region.and a bit of the historyIn most cases, once the weed seed has Subsequent tests also involved red rootof it and said go havebeen crushed it cannot produce another pigweed, yellow foxtail, barnyard grassweed, McKenzie-Gopsill explains. In a and volunteer canola to provide data on afun and see what youfew cases, some seeds that were crushed range of weed seed sizes and species. can do.in half still germinated but were unable to The tests considered a number ofgrow essential elements such as shoots or different factors including tension settingsANDREW MCKENZIE-GOPSILL roots and were unable to survive for long.of the device and the speed it should beOne of the things that could make the operated at. Three different types of testsweed seed crusher an attractive weed were conducted: one involving weed seedcontrol option for potato growers is its samples that had been crushed with theThe numbers dropped in tests involvingcost. Theres no patent on the design device and placed in a Petrie dish to grow;potato biomass, but still ranged betweenand its available free of charge to any another in which the crushed seeds were40 and 60 per cent control. interested grower. The only cost is the mixed with field soil; and a third in whichI am very excited about it and so areparts, which McKenzie-Gopsill estimated dried potato mass was mixed with thesome of the other people out here whichcould be purchases for a couple of crushed seed. makes me quite happy, McKenzie-Gopsillthousand dollars.McKenzie-Gopsill says the preliminarysays of the early test results. Another potential attraction is its test results from using the repurposedIn potatoes, we have one post- environmental benefits. Fewer weeds device have been encouraging. In theemergent broadleaf option available towould mean less reliance on potentially tests with the field soil, there was about aproducers. If the pre-emergent optionharmful herbicides.65 per cent reduction in the germinationfails you that means theres only one otherAnything that we can do to try and of common lambsquarters while redoption available to producers and youreduce reliance on herbicides or add root pigweed was controlled in about 85kind of have to cross your fingers andextra tools to our toolbox to reduce weed per cent of cases and larger seeds werehope its going to work. This is hopefullypressure so that maybe some years we controlled at a rate of about 95 per cent.going to give them another option todont need a herbicide or we can reduce 22SPUDSMART.COM Fall 2022'