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The battle between crops and weeds often reminds Dr. Byron Irvine of the ice dance competition at the last winter Olympics - it's over before it starts.

Hands on results. Competitive barley produces top quality grain.

Take herbicides out of the equation and it's the same critical factor every year that makes the biggest impact on a crop's success with weeds - the race to get out of the ground quickly.

"The competition in most species happens extremely early," explains Dr. Byron Irvine, an integrated agricultural management researcher at the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Brandon Research Centre. "With weeds, if there's too many of them and they come up early, most of the 'competition' is already finished even before they're competing for light or nutrients."

Long-time crop doctor. In addition to his research expertise, Dr. Byron Irvine draws on hands on experience from the family farm in Melfort, Sask., in prime Parkland farming belt country.

There's growing evidence that plants can detect the presence of other plants around, he explains. "Right away, the weeds signal their presence and the emerging crop restricts its growth. Thus if weed removal is delayed, the crop growth is still restricted and never recovers."

That's why it's critical to get herbicide spraying done quickly and at the right time, he says. Allowing weeds such as wild oats to get a head start on the crop can reduce genetic yield potential by as much as 50 percent.

The challenge for farmers, especially larger operators with a lot of ground to cover, is to get spraying done on time. The window is already very tight and wind and rain can make it tighter or even impossible to hit.

That's why Irvine and wheat breeder Dr. Stephen Fox have launched a new research effort to understand the genetics of wheat competitiveness. Having varieties that compete better with weeds can give farmers a larger window for spraying and limit overall yield loss potential.

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Fighting weeds with stronger crops