Integrated weed management in wheat cultivation Breanne Tidemann, University of Alberta, Canada

Competition of weeds with wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) causes yield losses ranging from 5 to >80% (Martin et al. 1987; O’Donovan et al. 1985; Swanton et al. 1993). In industrialized nations, herbicides are widely used to control weeds to facilitate high wheat yields. Crop yields as well as soil and water conservation have increased as a result of herbicide use in wheat cultivation (Freyman et al. 1982; Fykse et al. 2000; Wylie 2008). In developing countries, as more people leave the farm for other jobs, herbicides have become the most affordable and effective form of weed control, and one of the most important contributors to greater wheat yields (Gianessi 2013).