Two ALES students in the Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science received scholarships from the Alberta Wheat Commission.
Breanne Tidemann, a doctoral candidate in agronomy and weed science, was awarded $10,000, while undergrad Katie Wyering, who is in the crop science program, received $1,000.
Tidemann's research is focused on the control of weed seeds that are inadvertently returned during harvest. She'll examine weed biology and the Harrington Seed Destructor, a newly developed piece of equipment used in Australia to control weed seeds. It is one of multiple methods that country is developing to combat the issue of herbicide resistance in crops.
"It's a machine that hooks on to the back of a combine and when (weed) seeds come out, instead of being spread back on the ground they're crushed or impacted, so they can't grow the following year," said Tidemann, who is being supervised by Linda Hall and Neil Harker.
Advantages of the Destructor over such methods as burning weeds include its ability to put seed remnants back on the field where they release nutrients during decomposition.
When the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Lacombe takes possession of a Destructor later in 2015, Tidemann will be conducting efficiency tests on it.
In her weed biology research, Tidemann will determine which weeds have seeds left on their plant at harvest and how many. She's examining wild oats, the weed with the highest herbicide expenditure in Western Canada, and cleavers, the fastest growing weed in Alberta and one that is particularly problematic for canola and peas. She's also studying volunteer canola, which makes subsequent crops less productive and healthy.
Tidemann says the intent of her research is not to replace herbicides but to give farmers additional weed-control techniques and therefore limit weeds' natural ability to adapt.
"Instead of using one 'big hammer' alone, the idea is to use many 'little hammers'."
Katie Wyering, the undergrad scholarship recipient, spent last summer working at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Lacombe Research Centre where she developed a particular interest in pulse crops.
"It's an industry that's expanding quite rapidly because of the world's population and the number of people we have to feed," said Wyering , who grew up on a beef farm near Ponoka.
"I'm interested in crop science because I want to be a part of this changing industry with its expansion into new crops and different technologies," said the second-year student who transferred from Red Deer College in 2014. "I'm excited by the opportunities available due to the new innovations in Alberta's crop sector."
The Alberta Wheat Commission is a producer-directed organization representing the interests of Alberta's 14,000 wheat producers. Its undergrad and graduate scholarship will be available in future years.
Breanne Tidemann, a doctoral candidate in agronomy and weed science, was awarded $10,000, while undergrad Katie Wyering, who is in the crop science program, received $1,000.
Tidemann's research is focused on the control of weed seeds that are inadvertently returned during harvest. She'll examine weed biology and the Harrington Seed Destructor, a newly developed piece of equipment used in Australia to control weed seeds. It is one of multiple methods that country is developing to combat the issue of herbicide resistance in crops.
"It's a machine that hooks on to the back of a combine and when (weed) seeds come out, instead of being spread back on the ground they're crushed or impacted, so they can't grow the following year," said Tidemann, who is being supervised by Linda Hall and Neil Harker.
Advantages of the Destructor over such methods as burning weeds include its ability to put seed remnants back on the field where they release nutrients during decomposition.
When the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Centre in Lacombe takes possession of a Destructor later in 2015, Tidemann will be conducting efficiency tests on it.
In her weed biology research, Tidemann will determine which weeds have seeds left on their plant at harvest and how many. She's examining wild oats, the weed with the highest herbicide expenditure in Western Canada, and cleavers, the fastest growing weed in Alberta and one that is particularly problematic for canola and peas. She's also studying volunteer canola, which makes subsequent crops less productive and healthy.
Tidemann says the intent of her research is not to replace herbicides but to give farmers additional weed-control techniques and therefore limit weeds' natural ability to adapt.
"Instead of using one 'big hammer' alone, the idea is to use many 'little hammers'."
Katie Wyering, the undergrad scholarship recipient, spent last summer working at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Lacombe Research Centre where she developed a particular interest in pulse crops.
"It's an industry that's expanding quite rapidly because of the world's population and the number of people we have to feed," said Wyering , who grew up on a beef farm near Ponoka.
"I'm interested in crop science because I want to be a part of this changing industry with its expansion into new crops and different technologies," said the second-year student who transferred from Red Deer College in 2014. "I'm excited by the opportunities available due to the new innovations in Alberta's crop sector."
The Alberta Wheat Commission is a producer-directed organization representing the interests of Alberta's 14,000 wheat producers. Its undergrad and graduate scholarship will be available in future years.