The cost and complication of herbicide resistance is reshaping the way Prairie farmers manage their acres. It’s a frustrating problem that demands adaptation, typically in the form of integrated weed management (IWM), a customized, field-by-field strategy. One size does not fit all as farmers and agronomists tackle herbicide resistance with a multi-strategy approach.

Science has enriched the world in countless ways: the light bulb, penicillin, crazy glue. Speaking on the latter, research is the glue that holds the grain sector together. Alberta Grains annually approves funding for multiple studies that may benefit farmers.

In August 2025, GrainsWest spoke with Wolf about the use of optical spot sprayer technology in Western Canada. As a variety of products enter the marketplace and advancements in this technology roll out, he predicts big things are yet to come.

In Western Canada, the threat of herbicide resistance has grown like a weed in recent years. Behind the United States and Australia, Canada has the third greatest number of unique herbicide-resistant weed biotypes. The number of weed species in this country that have developed resistance has grown steadily since the 1970s and stands at about 80. No new meaningful modes of action have been introduced since the 1980s, and the selection pressure that produces resistance is expected to continue.