Drew Lyon
Professor, Endowed Chair Small Grains Extension and Research, Weed Science drew.lyon@wsu.edu (509) 335-2961 259 Clark Hall PO Box 646420, Pullman, WA 99164Education
Ph.D., Agronomy/Weed Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. August 1988
Dissertation: A search for metribuzin tolerance in fieldbeans (Phaseolus vulgaris).
M.S., Agronomy/Weed Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. December 1985
Thesis: Response of fieldbeans (Phaseolus vulgaris) to reduced rates of 2,4-D and dicamba.
B.S., Agronomy/Crop Protection, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. August 1980
Research
My Extension and Research Program focuses on integrated weed management in dryland small grain production in eastern Washington. I will focus on the troublesome weeds in each of the three rainfall zones of eastern Washington, i.e., low, medium, and high. This will include the winter annual grass weeds such as downy brome (Bromus tectorum), jointed goatgrass (Aegilops cylindrica), feral rye (Secale cereale), Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum), and rattail fescue (Vulpia myuros); as well as some of the troublesome warm-season broadleaf weeds in small grains and/or fallow such as mayweed chamomile (Anthemis cotula), Russian-thistle (Salsola tragus), prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea), and smooth scouringrush (Equisetum laevigatum). The use of herbicides in conjunction with cultural practices such as crop rotation, plant population, row spacing, and fertility will be investigated as will the use of tillage, when necessary. Herbicide-resistant weeds are a major concern in the region and integrated weed management strategies must be devised to deal with existing herbicide resistance issues and slow the development of new herbicide-resistant biotypes. As part of my Extension appointment, I provide leadership for the WSU Extension Dryland Cropping Systems Team. One of our major projects has been the development of the Wheat and Small Grains Website, where growers and consultants can find all the information and decision tools that WSU Extension has related to wheat and small grains production and marketing. I also serve as the host of the WSU Wheat Beat Podcast where I talk with WSU faculty, postdocs, graduate students and USDA-ARS scientists about their wheat-related research. I also manage the Weeders of the West Blog and contribute articles with my weed science colleagues from the PNW.
Associates in Research
Recent Publications
Lyon, D.J., I.C. Burke, J.M. Campbell, and J. Barroso. 2024. Italian ryegrass management in inland Pacific Northwest dryland cropping systems. (PNW778).
Oreja, F.H., D.J. Lyon, J. Gourlie, H.C. Wetzel, and J. Barroso. 2023. Russian thistle (Salsola tragus) post-harvest control and plant dispersal. Weed Technol.
Savic, M., M.E. Thorne, and D.J. Lyon. 2023. Smooth scouringrush (Equisetum laevigatum) control with glyphosate is affected by surfactant choice and application time. Weed Technol.
Lyon, D.J., and M.E. Thorne. 2023. Rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea) control and winter wheat injury with picloram applied in fallow. Weed Technol. 37:296-302.
Spring, J.F, S.R. Revolinski, F.L. Young, D.J. Lyon, and I.C. Burke. 2022. Weak population differentiation and high diversity in Salsola tragus in the inland Pacific Northwest, USA. Pest Manag. Sci. 78:4728-4740.
Lyon, D.J., and M.E. Thorne. 2022. Smooth scouringrush (Equisetum laevigatum) control with glyphosate in Eastern Washington. Weed Technol. 36:457-461.
Thorne, M.E., and D.J. Lyon. 2022. Rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea L.) control in fallow. Weed Technol. 35:1045-1051.
Adjesiwor, A.T., D.J. Lyon, J. Barroso, and J.M. Campbell. 2022. Integrated management of wild oat in the Pacific Northwest. (PNW759).
San Martin, C., M.E. Thorne, J.A. Gourlie, D.J. Lyon, and J. Barroso. 2021. Seed retention of grass weeds at wheat harvest in the Pacific Northwest. Weed Sci. 69:238-246.
Gill, K.S., N. Kumar, H.S. Randhawa, K. Murphy, A.H. Carter, C.F. Morris, R.W. Higginbotham, D.A. Engle, S.O. Guy, D.J. Lyon, T.D. Murray, X.M. Chen, and W.F. Schillinger. 2021. Registration of ‘Resilience CL+’ soft white winter wheat. J. Plant Registr. 15:196-205.
Lyon, D.J., J. Barroso, M.E. Thorne, J. Gourlie, and L.K. Lutcher. 2021. Russian-thistle (Salsola tragus L.) control with soil-active herbicides in no-till fallow. Weed Technol. 35:547-553.
Lyon, D.J., J. Barroso, J.M. Campbell, D. Finkelnburg, and I.C. Burke. 2020. Best management practices for managing herbicide resistance. (PNW754).
Fischer, J.W., M.E. Thorne, and D.J. Lyon. 2020. Weed-sensing technology modifies fallow control of rush skeletonweed (Chondrilla juncea). Weed Technol. 34:857-862.
Gill, K.S., N. Kumar, H.S. Randhawa, A.H. Carter, J. Yenish, C.F. Morris, B.-K Baik, R.W. Higginbotham, S.O. Guy, D.A. Engle, X.M. Chen, T.D. Murray, and D.J. Lyon. 2020. Registration of ‘Curiosity CL+’ soft white winter wheat. J. Plant Registr. 14:377-387.
Beres, B.L., J.L. Hatfield, J.A. Kirkegaard, S.D. Eigenbrode, W.L. Pan, R.P. Lollato, J.R. Hunt, S. Strydhorst, K. Porker, D. Lyon, J. Ransom, and J. Wiersma. 2020. Toward a better understanding of genotype x environment x management interactions – A global wheat initiative agronomic research strategy. Front. Plant Sci.
Gill, K.S., N. Kumar, H.S. Randhawa, A.H. Carter, J. Yenish, C.F. Morris, B.-K Baik, R.W. Higginbotham, S.O. Guy, D.A. Engle, X.M. Chen, T.D. Murray, and D. Lyon. 2020. Registration of ‘Mela CL+’ soft white winter wheat. J. Plant Registr. 14:144-152.
Lyon, D.J., A.G. Hulting, J. Barroso, and J.M. Campbell. 2020. Integrated management of downy brome in winter wheat. (PNW668 revision).
Lyon, D. J., A.G. Hulting, J. Barroso, and J.M. Campbell. 2020. Integrated management of feral rye in winter wheat (PNW660 revision).
Timely Topics
New Publication: Italian Ryegrass Management in Dryland
Italian ryegrass (Lolium perenne L. spp. multiflorum [Lam.] Husnot), also known as ryegrass or annual ryegrass, is an introduced cool season, annual or biennial bunchgrass native to southern Europe. It is widely distributed and a troublesome weed of winter wheat cropping systems throughout the United States.
Weeders of the West
Some Concerns with Roundup Ready Spring Canola for Italian Ryegrass Control
Spring canola acreage in Eastern Washington has increased dramatically over the past five years. Much of this increase has been driven by the inability of growers to control multiple herbicide-resistant Italian ryegrass in other crops, such as wheat and pulse crops. A large percentage of the spring canola acreage is planted to glyphosate-resistant (Roundup Ready) varieties. Glyphosate has provided excellent control of Italian ryegrass in glyphosate-resistant spring canola. How long it will remain an effective herbicide for Italian ryegrass is an open question.
What Crop Is Growing in that Field of Lambsquarters?
Anybody driving around the Palouse this summer has noticed the many pulse crop fields heavily infested with common lambsquarters (Figure 1). There are some fields where you must really search to see a crop plant growing. For whatever reason, 2024 has been a very good year for common lambsquarters. However, there are some pulse crop fields that have very few weeds in them. Do those growers have a secret herbicide recipe? What did they do that the other growers did not?