Field pennycress, also known as stinkweed, was causing a stink on Sideroad 8 West outside of Kenilworth recently as an infestation cropped up on either side of the ditch.
The weed, which can cause tainted milk when dairy cattle eat it, is not on Ontario’s noxious weed list, but that doesn’t mean it should stay there, said John Benham, weed inspector for the County of Wellington.
“There’s a lot more weeds that are more important to farmers,” said Benham. “But when you get an infestation like that, something should happen.”
Benham said he doesn’t believe stinkweed should be on the noxious weed list, however he saw concern with the concentration of it. He, as well as residents located near the infestation, took their concerns to Wellington North public works.
“This is not on the noxious weed list. I don’t have power to tell people or the township they have to remove it. I’ve told the township that it’s a problem that should be looked after,” said Benham.
“Spray it would be the best thing. But you’d have to do it repeatedly because the soil must be just full of seeds when they are coming up like this.”
The township sprayed the weed infestation on June 2 said Wellington North councillor Steve McCabe.
Reconstruction of the road last year by the township had replaced the topsoil in the ditch. The topsoil was filled with stinkweed seed and it took root from there, explained McCabe.
“It’s unfortunate that the topsoil was – for lack of a better term – laced with pennycress,” said McCabe.
“We couldn’t foresee it and we are taking steps to remediate it.”
McCabe said he believes that most of it will go away when the township completes its municipal ditch cutting in the coming weeks.
