Weeds Research in North America
Lynn Sosnoskie joined Cornell AgriTech in September 2019 as an Assistant Professor of Weed Ecology and Management in Specialty Crops, which includes tree and vine crops in addition to fresh and processing vegetables. A native of Shamokin, Pennsylvania, she earned a B.Sc. in Biology from Lebanon Valley College, a M.Sc. in Plant Pathology at the University of Delaware, and a Ph.D. in Weed Science at Ohio State.
Prior to taking her position at Cornell, Lynn worked as a research scientist at the University of Georgia, the University of California – Davis, and Washington State University. Her work has focused on a variety of crops (almonds, cotton, melons, peppers, pistachios, tomatoes, walnuts, and wheat) and a variety of weeds (field bindweed and glyphosate resistant Palmer amaranth, hairy fleabane, horseweed, and junglerice). She was most recently employed by the University of California as a Farm Advisor working with agronomic crops in the Central Valley, which is California’s agricultural hub.
In New York, Lynn’s research is multifaceted. In partnership with commodity groups, agricultural manufacturers, and the IR-4 Project, her lab is screening novel products for potential labeling. However, repeated use of some herbicides or modes of action over time and space can lead to intense pressure that selects for biotypes that are insensitive to commonly used chemistries. Consequently, another area of focus is confirming and describing herbicide resistance in weed species that have grown increasingly difficult to control. This includes glyphosate resistance and resistance to the ALS-inhibiting chemistries in Palmer amaranth (Amaranthus palmeri) and waterhemp (Amaranthus tuberculatus); it also includes resistance to paraquat and diquat in horseweed (Conyza canadensis). Other weed species-herbicide combinations of concern and under investigation include common lambsquarters (Chenopodium album)/bentazon, Powell amaranth (Amaranthus powellii)/PSII- and PPO-inhibiting herbicides, and common ragweed (Ambrosia artemisiifolia)/clopyralid.
Although herbicides are an important component of weed management, they are not a silver bullet; sustainable programs must investigate other tools and technologies for controlling unwanted vegetation. Lynn’s lab is also exploring non-chemical strategies for weed suppression including cover crops and mulches, vision-guided sprayers and cultivators, and electric weeders.
LandWISE 2023: Normal Practice Revisited
