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CapitalPress.com
Friday, January 28, 2022
Idaho Innovators
Targeting herbicide resistance
By CAROL RYAN DUMAS
Capital Press
KIMBERLY, Idaho —
The newest weed special-
ist at the University of Idaho
Kimberly Research and
Extension Center crossed an
ocean to further his studies
in weed science.
Originally from Africa,
Albert Adjesiwor earned a
bachelor’s degree in agri-
culture at a university in
Kumasi, Ghana, and worked
at the university as a teach-
ing and research assistant for
a year.
He then set out for the
University of Wyoming
where he earned a master’s
degree in agronomy and a
Ph.D. in plant science. He
stayed with the university
for two years as a post-doc-
toral researcher, primarily
working in weed science
and the chemical control of
weeds in corn, cereal crops,
dry beans and sugar beets.
In July 2020, he started
with the University of Idaho
to research weed control in
those same crops and alfalfa.
“My primary focus is
weed management in agro-
nomic crops,” he said.
The work starts indoors
screening weeds for resis-
tance. People can fi ll out a
form online and mail him
samples to have weed seed
tested at no cost. He also
collects seeds from crop
fi elds in the area. If he sees a
weedy fi eld, he stops the car,
gets out, collects seeds and
logs the fi eld location with
GPS.
Seeds are grown out and
sprayed with diff erent her-
bicides at diff erent applica-
tion rates to fi nd out which
might survive and determine
resistance. If survival diff ers
among the same weed spe-
cies, he can send plants to
the university’s laboratory
or to an outside facility to
extract DNA to confi rm the
mechanism by which they
are resistant.
ALBERT
ADJESIWOR
Age: 32
Occupation: Assistant
professor and extension
weed specialist, Universi-
ty of Idaho
Location: Kimberly,
Idaho
Education: Bachelor’s
degree in agriculture,
Kwame Nkrumah Uni-
versity of Science and
Technology, Kumasi,
Ghana, 2013; master’s
degree in agronomy,
2015, and Ph.D. in plant
science, 2018, University
of Wyoming, Laramie
Associations: Weed Sci-
ence Society of America;
Western Society of Weed
Science, public relations
committee, diversity
and inclusion ad-hoc
committee.
Family: Wife, Lucinda
Carol Ryan Dumas/Capital Press
Albert Adjesiwor, University of Idaho Extension weed specialist, explains how weeds are grown and treated with
herbicides to screen for resistance at the Kimberly Research and Extension Center.
“We already have some
weeds that have developed
resistance to some com-
monly used herbicides,” he
said.
Kochia is resistant to gly-
phosate, 2, 4-D, and most
group 2 herbicides such as
Raptor. Pigweed is resistant
to photosynthesis II inhib-
itors, such as Metribuzin.
Some
populations
of
lambsquarters are resistant
to glyphosate, and he’s cur-
rently testing to determine
if the weeds are resistant
to additional herbicides, he
said.
He’s also conducting
weed-control trials in alfalfa,
small grains, sugar beets and
dry beans this season.
Those trials include get-
ting good weed control in
fi rst-year alfalfa. Raptor is
commonly used but doesn’t
always provide good con-
trol, so he’ll be testing for
what else can be used in the
establishment year. Another
trial will be pre-plant options
for direct seeding or no-till
small cereal grains, as well
as determining the best time
to terminate cover crops.
He’ll also be testing a
chemical labeled for use
in Europe in sugar beets to
analyze weed control and
crop-rotation restrictions.
He’ll also be looking for
alternative herbicides that
can be used in dry beans,
which have limited options.
Adjesiwor is also lead-
ing a new project funded by
the Idaho Wheat Commis-
sion to fi nd out what hap-
pens to weed seed in the soil
in a wheat and alfalfa rota-
tion, whether the weeds will
come back when wheat is
planted or what can be used
to kill the seeds in alfalfa.
He and others at the uni-
versity are also trying to set
up a program that includes
a website growers can go
to with their weed problems
and get recommendations on
what they can try and what
it would cost. The program
would include shipping
chemicals to growers to try
on small areas.
“We think that would be
a good way to address prob-
lems growers are having,”
he said.
The program is aimed
at providing an integrated
approach, with consultation
on such things as weed con-
trol, best varieties, fertiliz-
ers and irrigation, to connect
growers with the right peo-
ple at the university.
“Growers could test out
A, B and C and see what
works best. If it works,
growers are going to see the
results; I don’t have to con-
vince them it works,” he
said.
For more information:
Including Adjesiwor’s
contact information and
the form to submit seeds
for screening, visit: www.
uidaho.edu/weed-sci-
ence
He has also teamed up
with researchers at the Uni-
versity of Wyoming and
University of Nebraska-Lin-
coln to develop an interac-
tive web application that
would estimate the risk of
herbicide resistance. Grow-
ers could select the weed
and the crop and fi nd out
what herbicides are labeled
for Idaho, the level of con-
trol, the cost, the risk of
resistance and implications
for crop rotation.
“I would like people to
reach out if they have any
weed-management
ques-
tions,” he said.
This story fi rst appeared
April 23, 2021.
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