Department of Plant, Food, and Environmental Sciences

Faculty of Agriculture

Vegetation Management

Background on Establishment of the Vegetation Management Research Program at Dalhousie University

The agricultural industry in Atlantic Canada is diverse, with growers in this region producing a wide variety of agronomic and horticultural (food and ornamental) crops. This diversity of production systems brings with it an inherently diverse weed flora, with growers trying to manage a variety of annual, monocarpic perennial, and herbaceous and woody perennial weeds. Control options in many crops, particularly the regions horticultural crops, are limited and producers continue to rely heavily on very few vegetation management options. This is resulting in the widespread occurrence of adapted or herbicide resistant weed species, reduced weed control and inconsistent yields, and heavy reliance on older, unfavourable herbicide chemistries. Producers therefore continue to identify weed management as a major research priority for economically important crops in the region. The region also faces a variety of challenges regarding the impacts and management of invasive plants in natural areas. The establishment of the Vegetation Management Research Program (VMRP) in Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture is to directly address these priorities.

Overview of the Vegetation Management Research Program

Weed science and vegetation management is a dynamic discipline driven by the successful synthesis of research into management strategies that can be implemented in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. This approach requires a diverse research program that successfully works along a continuum of basic and applied research, and this approach is essential to successfully managing diverse weed flora in systems with limited weed control options. The current Vegetation Management Research Program is being established in a manner to be positioned to conduct a variety of basic and applied research in vegetation management relevant to Atlantic Canada. Dr. White has, and continues to, maintain close communication with industry collaborators to help ensure the applicability of the research program to the region and the adoption of new and effective techniques or technologies by industry stakeholders.

Lead by Dr. Scott White, the mandate of the Vegetation Management Research Program is to utilize applied and basic research to integrate knowledge of weed biology and ecology into sustainable management strategies for the diverse weed flora of the dominant cropping systems in this region. Emphasis is placed on optimizing use of chemical inputs through identification of optimal application timings at the individual, population, and community levels of ecological complexity in weed populations, and on reducing reliance on chemical weed control through evaluation of non-chemical weed control strategies. This research program is driven by the needs of local industry and by the personal interest of Dr. White in integrating knowledge of weed population ecology and reproductive biology to improve weed management, particularly for weed species in perennial cropping systems. Weed control options for locally important perennial crops, such as wild blueberries and Christmas trees, are limited, and this research strategy is well aligned with the needs of local industry. Furthermore, very few weed science research programs in Canada place emphasis on perennial plants, and such a program at the Dalhousie Faculty of Agriculture will become a major center of perennial plant research that is unique and will provide significant contributions to weed science and plant science in general.

The initial focus of the Vegetation Management Research Program at Dalhousie University Faculty of Agriculture is the optimization of vegetation management in important agronomic and horticultural cropping systems in Eastern Canada. Initial focus of the program will be on vegetation management in important perennial horticultural crops unique to the region, such as wild blueberry, as research relevant to these crops cannot be conducted elsewhere. This crop is unique to North-eastern North America, with little to no production of this crop in additional parts of the world. Producers manage naturally occurring perennial stands of wild blueberry rather than establish new fields from planting, limiting the use of practices such as cultivation and crop rotation for weed management. Fields are managed to promote the spread of the blueberry plants, but this also encourages the growth and spread of a wide variety of weed species (> 120 species in the last weed survey). This diversity of weed species, combined with the lack of traditional weed management options, requires a research program that is capable of conducting applied research to solve relevant problems while simultaneously investigating basic questions of plant biology and ecology to develop integrated weed management plans. Most of these weed species are unique to the region and have not, or cannot, be studied elsewhere. As such, very few specific management recommendations are available for this weed flora.

Current Active Research Projects and Research Support

Biology and management of fescue grasses (Festuca spp.) in wild blueberry fields. Supported by the Prince Edward Island Wild Blueberry Producers Association, Bluets NB Blueberries, and the Applied Research Subprogram of the Agriculture Research and Innovation Program of Growing Forward 2.
Recruitment Dynamics and Management of Perennial Grasses with Foramsulfuron (Option®) and Glufosinate Ammonium (Ignite®) in Wild Blueberries. Supported by the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Research Acceleration Program, Innovation Theme of Growing Forward 2.
Distribution and Management of Hexazinone-resistant Red Sorrel in Wild Blueberry Fields in Nova Scotia. Supported by the Wild Blueberry Producers Association of Nova Scotia and the Nova Scotia Research Acceleration Program, Innovation Theme of Growing Forward 2.
Modeling and management of Japanese knotweed (Fallopia japonica) in riparian areas of Nova Scotia. Supported by the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Infrastructure Renewal.

Current Graduate Students

The VMRP is currently seeking graduate students (M.Sc. level) for the following positions:

Recruitment Dynamics and Management of Perennial Grasses with Foramsulfuron and Glufosinate Ammonium in Wild Blueberry

Supervisor: Dr. Scott White, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University

Location: Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

Project: This assistantship provides the opportunity for a student to be involved in research in weed science focusing on the recruitment dynamics and management of perennial grasses in wild blueberry fields in Nova Scotia. Research will focus on identifying the extent and timing of seedling and ramet recruitment in established perennial grass populations, determining the presence or absence of seed banks of important species, developing predictive models of grass phenological development to improve herbicide application timing, and evaluating new herbicide products for perennial grass management in wild blueberry.

Qualifications: Applicants must have a B.Sc. honors degree in biology, plant science, environmental science, or a related field, and meet all the admission requirements to the M.Sc. program at Dalhousie University. A valid drivers’ license is required due to necessary travel to field locations, and a research vehicle will be available. Relevant research experience and a valid pesticide applicators license will also be considered assets.

Starting Date: September 1, 2015 (or until a suitable candidate is found)

Stipend: $17,500/year for two years.

To Apply: For admissions information and application, refer to the following website:

http://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/programs/graduate-studies.html

Send supplementary application materials, e.g. CV, letter of intent and transcripts (also application and references if not applying online) directly to: Graduate Secretary, Dalhousie University, Faculty of Agriculture, 62 Cumming Drive, Truro, NS B2N 5E3, CANADA.

e-mail: gradadmissions.agr@dal.ca

For further information about the research project, contact Dr. Scott White at scott.white@dal.ca.

Distribution and Management of Hexazinone-resistant Red Sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) in Wild Blueberry

Supervisor: Dr. Scott White, Department of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Dalhousie University

Location: Truro, Nova Scotia, Canada

Project: This assistantship provides the opportunity for a student to be involved in research in weed science focusing on the distribution and management of hexazinone-resistant red sorrel in wild blueberry fields in Nova Scotia. Research will focus on identifying the extent of distribution of hexazinone-resistant biotypes throughout the dominant blueberry producing regions of Nova Scotia, identification of autumn and spring herbicide treatments, and development of a novel herbicide rotation for managing hexazinone-resistant red sorrel in wild blueberry. The research will involve a mixture of field and greenhouse work, and will require travel to field sites on a regular basis during spring, summer, and fall.

Starting Date: September 1, 2015 (or until a suitable candidate is found)

Stipend: $17,500/year for two years.

To Apply: For admissions information and application, refer to the following website:

http://www.dal.ca/faculty/agriculture/programs/graduate-studies.html

e-mail: gradadmissions.agr@dal.ca

For further information about the research project, contact Dr. Scott White at scott.white@dal.ca.

I also welcome inquiries regarding potential projects from prospective students. If you are interested in weeds and want to work in Atlantic Canada, please feel free to contact me!

Senior Undergraduate research Projects

Senior undergraduate research projects have been an integral component of the education and training received by students at the Dalhousie Agricultural Campus. If you are interested in pursuing a research project related to weed science and/or vegetation management, please feel free to contact me.

2014-2015 Linshan Zhang. Factors affecting dormancy and germination of burnweed (Erechtites hieraciifolius).

2014-2015 Shanthanu Krishna Kumar. Main and interactive effects of glufosinate ammonium and foramsulfuron on Festuca ovina and F. rubra.

Research Publications

Below is a list of research publications authored or co-authored by Dr. White. These provide a bit of insight into my research interests and the type of research I enjoy conducting.

Published Manuscripts

White, S.N., N.S. Boyd, R.C. Van Acker, and C.J. Swanton. 2015. Pre and post-vernalization ramet removal reduces flowering of red sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.). Can. J. Plant Sci.95: 549-556.

White, S.N., N.S. Boyd, and R.C. Van Acker. 2015. Temperature thresholds and growing degree-day models for red sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) ramet sprouting, emergence, and flowering in wild blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) fields. Weed Sci. 63:254-263.

White, S.N., N.S. Boyd, R.C. Van Acker, and C.J. Swanton. 2015. Studies on the flowering biology of red sorrel (Rumex acetosella) ramets from lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) fields in Nova Scotia, Canada. Botany. 93:41-46.

White, S.N., N.S. Boyd, and R.C. Van Acker. 2014. Demography of red sorrel (Rumex acetosella L.) in lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) fields. Weed Res. 54:377-387.

Boyd, N.S., S.N.White and K. Rao. 2014. Fertilizer and fluazifop-p inputs for winter bentgrass (Agrostis hyemalis) infested lowbush blueberry fields. Weed Tech. 28:527-534.

White, S.N., N.S. Boyd, and R.C. Van Acker. 2012. Growing degree-day models for predicting lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.) ramet emergence, tip dieback, and flowering in Nova Scotia, Canada. HortScience.47(8):1014-1021.

Stopps, G.J., S.N. White, D.R. Clements, and M.K. Upadhyaya. 2011. The biology of Canadian weeds. 149. Rumex acetosella L. Can. J. Plant Sci. 91(6):1037-1052.

Boyd, N.S. and S.N. White. 2010. PRE and POST herbicides for management of goldenrods (Solidago spp.) and black bulrush (Scirpus atrovirens) in wild blueberry. Weed Tech. 24:446-452.

Boyd, N.S. and S.N. White. 2009. Impact of blueberry harvesters on weed seed dispersal within and between fields. Weed Sci. 57:541-546.