Harker, K. Neil, Ph.D.

Research Scientist, Weed Ecology & Crop Management

Contact Information:

6000 C and E Trail
Lacombe, Alberta T4L 1W1
Telephone: 403-782-8134
Fax: 403-782-6120
Email: neil.harker@agr.gc.ca

Areas of Expertise:

  • Environmentally sustainable integrated weed management systems;
  • Weed biology, competition and weed-crop interactions
  • Integrated crop management systems in barley, canola, peas, and wheat
  • Weed, insect, and disease interactions in agronomic systems
  • Herbicides

Current Projects:

  • Integrated Crop Management systems in Canola
  • Integrated Best Management practices for sustainable barley production
  • Agronomic, ecological and economic implications of GMO crops.
  • Agronomic systems for pulse crops
  • Improve utilization efficiency of inputs to obtain economic yields of high quality product, improve agroecosystem health, and mitigate climate change
  • Remove impediments to winter wheat production
  • Lupin/Fababean Agronomic Research

Affiliations:

  • Adjunct Professor, University of Alberta, AFNS Dept.
  • Weed Science Society of America
  • Canadian Weed Science Society
  • Western Society of Weed Science

Research Publications:

The links below lead to abstracts with access to full text.

2013:

2012:

2011:

2010:

2009:

Other Science Related Publications:

2012:

  • Beaudoin, N., Sansoulet, J.B., Pattey, E., Grant, C.A., Blackshaw, R.E., Harker, K.N., Johnson, E.N., O'Donovan, J.T., and Gervois, S. (2012). "Adaptation de STICS à la culture de canola au Canada à partir du module colza en vue de simuler les émissions de N2O par ModuloSTICS.", IXe Séminaire du modèle de culture STICS, Sainte-Montaine, France, October 16-19, 2012. (Poster)
  • Harker, K.N. and O'Donovan, J.T. (2012). "Canola after pulse crops.", Agronomy Update Conference 2012, Red Deer, AB, Canada, January 17-18, 2012, pp. 9.
  • Harker, K.N., Willenborg, C.J., Gulden, R.H., Shirtliffe, S.J., and Hall, L.M. (2012). "Harvest losses in canola.", 52nd Annual Meeting of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), Waikoloa, HI, USA, February 6-9, 2012.

2011:

  • Beckie, H.J., Harker, K.N., Hall, L.M., Holm, F.A., and Gulden, R.H. (2011). "Risk Assessment of Glyphosate Resistance in Western Canada.", 51st Meeting Weed Science Society of America, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower Hotel, Portland, OR, USA, February 7-10, 2011, pp. 64. (Presentation)
  • Blackshaw, R.E., Hao, X., Clayton, G.W., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., Johnson, E.N., and Vera, C.L. (2011). "Canola response to polymer-coated urea versus urea in a four-year zero-tillage cropping system on the Canadian prairies.", 13th International Rapeseed Congress, Prague, Czech Republic, June 5-9, 2011, pp. 61-64.
  • Blackshaw, R.E., Harker, K.N., and O'Donovan, J.T. (2011). "Polymer-coated urea compared with urea reduces N uptake by weeds.", Canadian Weed Science Society 65th Annual Meeting, Marriott Gateway on the Falls, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, November 21-24, 2011, pp. 65. (Poster)
  • Grant, C.A., Zebarth, B.J., Malhi, S.S., Soon, Y.K., Selles, F., Lupwayi, N.Z., O'Donovan, J.T., Harker, K.N., and Clayton, G.W. (2011). "Changes in soil ammonium and nitrate concentration over the growing season in western Canada as affected by urea or controlled release urea application.", 12th International Symposium on Soil and Plant Analysis, Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Chania, Crete, Greece, June 6-10, 2011.
  • Harker, K.N., Brandt, S.A., O'Donovan, J.T., Blackshaw, R.E., Johnson, E.N., and Kutcher, H.R. (2011). "The Impact of Two Years of Wild Oat Management After Four Years of Low Crop Inputs in Barley and Canola.", 51st Meeting Weed Science Society of America, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower Hotel, Portland, OR, USA, February 7-10, 2011, pp. 62. (Presentation)
  • Harker, K.N., Turkington, T.K., O'Donovan, J.T., Kutcher, H.R., and Johnson, E.N. (2011). "Barley Herbicide and Fungicide Tank-Mixtures?", Canadian Weed Science Society 65th Annual Meeting, Marriott Gateway on the Falls, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, November 21-24, 2011, pp. 46. (Abstract)
  • Harker, K.N., Turkington, T.K., O'Donovan, J.T., Kutcher, H.R., and Johnson, E.N. (2011). "Barley Herbicide and Fungicide Tank-Mixtures?", Canadian Weed Science Society 65th Annual Meeting, Marriott Gateway on the Falls, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, November 24, 2011. (Presentation)
  • O'Donovan, J.T., Blackshaw, R.E., Grant, C.A., Harker, K.N., Lafond, G.P., Johnson, E.N., Gan, Y.T., May, W.E., Turkington, T.K., and Lupwayi, N.Z. (2011). "Legume Crops to Improve Soil Fertility for Enhanced Canola Production.", 2011 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting: Fundamental for life: soil, crop and environmental sciences, San Antonio, TX, USA, October 16-19, 2011. (Poster)
  • O'Donovan, J.T., Harker, K.N., and Blackshaw, R.E. (2011). "Implications of sub-economic threshold wild oat densities in a cereal/field pea rotation under no-till.", Canadian Weed Science Society 65th Annual Meeting, Marriott Gateway on the Falls, Niagara Falls, ON, Canada, November 21-24, 2011, pp. 46. (Abstract)
  • Turkington, T.K., Kutcher, H.R., Xi, K., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., and Johnson, E.N. (2011). "The impact of fungicide and herbicide timing on barley leaf disease severity, weed management and crop productivity.", Phytopathology, 101(6), pp. S180. (Abstract)

2010:

  • Blackshaw, R.E. and Harker, K.N. (2010). "Evolution of Effective and EconomicWeed Control.", in Lindwall, C.W. and Sonntag, B. (eds.) - Landscapes Transformed: The History of Conservation Tillage and Direct Seeding, Knowledge Impact in Society, Canada, Chapter 11, pp. 141-148.
  • Blackshaw, R.E., Brandt, S.A., Johnson, E.N., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., Turkington, T.K., and Kutcher, H.R. (2010). "Which crop inputs have the greatest impact on canola yield?", 2010 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA, USA, October 31-November 4, 2010. (Abstract)
  • Blackshaw, R.E., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., Johnson, E.N., Kutcher, H.R., and Hao, X. (2010). "ESN effects on canola establishment, weed competition and canola yield in a four-year study.", 2010 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA, USA, October 31-November 4, 2010.
  • Hao, X., Li, C.L., Blackshaw, R.E., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., and Clayton, G.W. (2010). "Nitrous oxide emissions from canola fields with ESN fertilizer application.", 2010 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA, USA, October 31-November 4, 2010.
  • Hao, X., Li, C.L., Blackshaw, R.E., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., and Clayton, G.W. (2010). "Response of residual soil available N level to polymer-coated urea (ESN) application in a canola-barley cropping system.", 2010 ASA-CSSA-SSSA International Annual Meeting, Long Beach Convention Center, Long Beach, CA, USA, October 31-November 4, 2010.
  • Li, C.L., Hao, X., Blackshaw, R.E., Harker, K.N., O'Donovan, J.T., and Clayton, G.W. (2010). "Nitrous oxide emissions from an acid soil in response to polymer-coated urea application and herbicide management in a canola-barley cropping system.", 2010 Joint Conference of the Canadian Society of Soil Science (CSSS) and the Canadian Society of Agronomy (CSA): Transfers & Transformations: Our Evolving Biosphere, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, June 20-24, 2010, pp. 120.
  • Li, C.L., Hao, X., Harker, K.N., Blackshaw, R.E., Clayton, G.W., and O'Donovan, J.T. (2010). "Nitrous oxide emissions from a Black Chernozem soil in response to polymer-coated urea application and herbicide management in a canola-barley cropping system.", 47th Annual Alberta Soil Science Workshop, Lethbridge, AB, Canada, February 16-18, 2010, pp. 21. (Workshop)

2009:

  • Beres, B.L., Clayton, G.W., Harker, K.N., Blackshaw, R.E., Graf, R.J., Shaw, C., and Stanford, G. (2009). "Class Warfare: Crop Productivity and Weed Competitiveness of Winter and Spring Cereal Classes.", Canadian Triticale Biorefinery Initiative (CTBI) Annual Network Meeting, Summerland, BC, Canada, June 17-19, 2009. (Poster)
  • Blackshaw, R.E. and Harker, K.N. (2009). "Feeding crops and not weeds with expensive fertilizer.", FarmTech 2009, Edmonton, AB, Canada, January 28-30, 2009, pp. 44-46.
  • Blackshaw, R.E. and Harker, K.N. (2009). "Overcoming weed concerns in conservation tillage systems.", Landscapes Transformed: The quiet triumph of Conservation Tillage and Direct Seeding, Saskatoon Inn, Saskatoon, SK, Canada, March 24-25, 2009, pp. 6.
  • Harker, K.N., Blackshaw, R.E., Beckie, H.J., and O'Donovan, J.T. (2009). "Weed invasions in western Canada cropping systems.", in Inderjit, S. (ed.) - Management of Invasive Weeds. Series: Invading Nature - Springer Series in Invasion Ecology, Vol. 5, Springer, pp. 151-156, Volume 5.
  • Harker, K.N., Brandt, S.A., Johnson, E.N., O'Donovan, J.T., Blackshaw, R.E., Turkington, T.K., and Kutcher, H.R. (2009). "Input reduction impacts on weeds and crops in barley (Hordeum vulgare) and canola (Brassica napus).", 49th Annual Meeting of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL, USA, February 9-13, 2009, Abstract #507, pp. 1. (Abstract)
  • Harker, K.N., Brandt, S.A., O'Donovan, J.T., Blackshaw, R.E., Johnson, E.N., Turkington, T.K., Kutcher, H.R., and Clayton, G.W. (2009). "Wild oat populations after four years in a low-input barley-canola rotation.", Canadian Weed Science Society 63rd Annual Meeting, Delta Prince Edward, Charlottetown, PEI, Canada, November 24-26, 2009.
  • Li, C.L., Hao, X., Clayton, G.W., Blackshaw, R.E., O'Donovan, J.T., and Harker, K.N. (2009). "Nitrous oxide emissions in response to polymer-coated urea fertilizer application and herbicide management in a canola-barley crop system.", Joint Annual Meeting of the CSA-CSSS-CSAFM: Sciences for Sustainability: Soils, Agronomy, and Atmosphere, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada, August 5-7, 2009, pp. 56-57.
  • O'Donovan, J.T., Harker, K.N., Blackshaw, R.E., and Stougaard, R.N. (2009). "Crop production impacts of below-label herbicide rates.", 49th Annual Meeting of the Weed Science Society of America (WSSA), Hilton in the Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando, FL, USA, February 9-13, 2009, Abstract #298, pp. 1. (Abstract)
  • Smith, E.G., Blackshaw, R.E., and Harker, K.N. (2009). "Early spring seeding canola more profitable and less risky.", Top Crop Manager (Western edition), 2009(February), pp. 24-25.