Cypress County Agricultural Services

Weed Control
Implementing weed control programs is one of the most significant ways that the Agricultural Service Board can preserve the productivity of farm and ranch lands in the County.  Weeds (or non-native, invasive plant species) can drastically reduce yields of crop or grass lands, thereby increasing costs of food production.  Our programs include inspection of public & private land for noxious weeds, roadside spraying as needed, control of noxious or restricted weed patches and release of biological weed control agents.  The Weed Control Act is implemented if necessary.

 

Pesticide Container Recycling

Farmers can take their empty and triple rinsed pesticide containers to one of the four collection sites in the County.  A program to collect old crop protection products, called Operation Clean Farm, took place in 2004 in southern Alberta.   Details on the success of this program are available from Alberta Environment.

 

ASB Herbicide Spraying Program

As part of an overall Weed and Vegetation Control Program in the County, the ASB sprays for the control of nuisance, noxious and restricted weeds and brush.  Most activities occur throughout the growing season, as follows:

  1. Spraying road shoulders (not ditches) with residual and non-residual herbicides to stop weeds and grass from growing onto the gravel driving surface. Grass on the roadside will still be O.K. to hay.  Timing:  late April to mid June.
  2. Spraying roadsides reconstructed within the past two years (as grass is established).  Timing:  May to early August.
  3. Spraying established roadsides as needed, including many roadsides southwest of Medicine Hat in the irrigation area.  Timing:  July.
  4. Spot spraying roadsides and undeveloped road allowances for field bindweed, Canada thistle, leafy spurge, toadflax, knapweed, showy milkweed, scentless chamomile, blueweed and perennial sow thistle.  Timing:  May to October.
  5. Spraying of waste transfer stations, parks, campgrounds and other public areas as needed.  Timing:  May to July.
  6. Spraying of drainage ditches as approved by Alberta Environment.
  7. Spraying the regrowth of previously cut brush.  Using a backpack sprayer, a small amount of herbicide is applied to the base of sprouted trees.  Timing:  September to December.

Herbicides to be used may include Amitrol, Arsenal, 2,4-D, Dycleer, Escort, Estaprop (or other 2,4-D+dichlorprop products), Garlon 4, Karmex, Krovar I, Lontrel, Milestone, Roundup (or other glyphosate products), Telar, Tordon 22K, and Transline.

Private Land Spot Spraying of selected noxious weeds in fields or along fencelines may be done on request.  Truck sprayers are generally used on farm land and ATVs are used on rangeland.

Roadside spraying immediately adjacent to residences is only done under ideal conditions.

Landholders who do not want spraying done next to their property must contact the Agricultural Fieldman.  Weed control in these areas will be the responsibility of the land holder or resident.

 

 

ASB Biological Weed Control Program

 Since 1986, the ASB has been involved in biocontrol of weeds.  The first release was on the noxious weed leafy spurge on Galt Island, in the South Saskatchewan River upstream of the Town of Redcliff.  Since then, over 80 releases have been done to try for a long term, inexpensive, permanent weed control solution.  Success is slow as floodwaters and microclimates impact the insect or disease agent population.

Details on biocontrol agents in Alberta can be found at Agriculture & Agri-Food Canada's Lethbridge Research Station or McClay Ecoscience.

 

 

Cypress County Top Priority Noxious and Restricted Weeds

 
Field Bindweed - a deep rooted perennial plant that creeps along the ground.  It spreads by creeping root and seed.

Diffuse or Spotted Knapweed - these tap-rooted plants can be an annual, biennial or short lived perennial.  They spread only by seed, but their roots release a substance that inhibits surrounding vegetation.  They have a very bitter taste so livestock will not eat knapweed.

County Infestations mapped as of 2006

Scentless Chamomile - a fibrous rooted plant that can overwinter as a rosette and then produce up to 300,000 seeds per plant the following summer.  More details are available from AB Agriculture Agdex 640-6 or Saskatchewan Agriculture.  County Infestations mapped as of 2002.

Leafy Spurge

 

 

 

 

 
Russian knapweed is a deep rooted perennial plant.  It spreads by seed and underground by creeping roots.  It is usually found in dense, circular patches. Toadflax

 

 

 
Blueweed Canada Thistle - a deep rooted perennial plant that also has horizontal roots that can expand six metres per year.  Male and female plants need to be within 30 metres of each other to produce viable seed.  A new plant can form from a 2" root fragment in 5 days.

 

Check out the Alberta Agriculture, Food & Rural Development's Weed Control Site for general information and photos of the restricted and noxious weeds in the Province.

Other sites about invasive species include

US Invasive Species Council

British Columbia Weeds

Alberta Invasive Plants Council

Saskatchewan Agriculture Integrated Pest Management

 

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