A plant tissue test delivers target site resistance results within a couple weeks.
For years, confirming herbicide resistance in weeds was a long haul. If you suspected a problem, you would collect the seeds, send them in for a greenhouse grow out, then wait throughout the winter for results. That process could take four to six months for processing, which leads to lost time for weed management.
Today, that’s changed. We are thrilled to offer an innovative herbicide resistance test that delivers answers to target site resistance in just one to two weeks. With a small snip of fresh leaf tissue, farmers can now get fast, actionable results using genomic testing.
This isn’t solely about speed of testing; it’s about strategy. When you get answers that quickly, you can respond during the same growing season. Spot spraying, adjusting herbicide groups, changing cultural practices, those integrated weed management decisions become proactive.
The breakthrough technologies originated from multiple research institutions across Canada, diligently working to provide precision and repeatability using various testing methodologies. SGS has brought our network, our infrastructure, and our know-how to connect producers, agronomists, and ag retails, to bring this cutting-edge testing services to western Canadian farmers. This was accomplished through a partnership with TurnKey Genomics.
At SGS Canada Crop Science, we are offering this exclusively to clients in Manitoba through to B.C., while TurnKey continues to work with clients in Eastern Canada. It’s a regional relationship which grants all farm gates access to this diagnostic tool.
Right now, our testing targets the two biggest herbicide resistant threats in Western Canada: wild oats and kochia. And within those, we’re focusing on the most problematic groups. For wild oats: Groups 1 and 2. For kochia: Groups 2, 5 and 9. Genetic tests for other weed species are also available (such as broadleaf weeds), to learn more, contact SGS or TurnKey Genomics for more information.
You can opt for a single tissue test, perfect for early identification of a new weed population. Or plan a field scan, which involves submitting 10 tissue samples from different areas of your field. This gives you a more comprehensive view, especially if resistance is patchy.
Your results come back marked clearly: susceptible or resistant to target site resistance for the group or groups chosen during sample submission. Simple, fast, and clear. With this knowledge in hand, your ag business, your agronomist, or your ag retailer, has the data needed to choose smart options for weed management.
Many of our agricultural testing services, such as germination and vigour testing, cannot be sped up, where regulations and seedling growth dictate timelines. But where we can move faster, we will.
This test is just the beginning. It’s a sign of where agriculture is headed: faster diagnostics, smarter decisions, stronger outcomes.
So when those first weeds start poking through or you observe escapes that were not controlled during a herbicide application, you don’t have to wonder. You can find out. And act. Visit cropscience.sgs.ca for info.
Need a kit? Have questions? Reach out directly to request your sampling materials and submission forms. We’ll walk you through it. And in a world where herbicide resistance is only becoming more common, knowledge is your best defense. Email me at holly.gelech@sgs.com
