Jan 16, 2026
“The critical period of cover crop management: A framework for maximizing biomass potential and minimizing volunteers with buckwheat” with Dr. Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill
Buckwheat can be a powerful driver of ecosystem services in potato rotations grown in Canada, but with its long-lived seeds and ability to make a whole lot of them in a short time, it can also pose a serious volunteer problem. In this episode, Andrew joins me to discuss how creating a framework to reduce volunteers can help keep this helpful plant from turning into a fearsome weed.
Tune in to learn:
· How potato farming is done in Canada
· What ecosystem services buckwheat provides
· What qualities can turn buckwheat from a helpful crop to a difficult to control weed
· How combining tools from weed management can help keep buckwheat under control
If you would like more information about this topic, this episode’s paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1002/agj2.70097
This paper is always freely available.
Contact us at podcast@sciencesocieties.org or on Twitter @FieldLabEarth if you have comments, questions, or suggestions for show topics, and if you want more content like this don’t forget to subscribe. If you’d like to see old episodes or sign up for our newsletter, you can do so here: https://fieldlabearth.libsyn.com/.
If you would like to reach out to Andrew, you
can find him here:
andrew.mckenzie-gopsill@agr.gc.ca
Resources
Transcripts: https://www.rev.com/app/captions/Njk2OTMwMDM0NzRlNjAzMGE4ZTBiM2JlUGhMWW10UnF3c0h2/o/Q1AwODE3NDYyMDk1
Atlantic Grains Council: https://atlanticgrainscouncil.ca/
PEI Potato Board: https://peipotatoagronomy.com/
Canadian Weed Science Society, of which Andrew will be president as of Nov 6th 2025. https://weedscience.ca/
Agri-Food and Agriculture Canada: https://agriculture.canada.ca/en
New Brunswick Potato Board: https://www.potatoesnb.com/
Field, Lab, Earth is Copyrighted by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America.