Glyphosate application for weed control in brassica

A method of preventing yield loss or yield penalty at harvest of brassica plants, the method comprising:

• (a) applying a first glyphosate treatment comprising an effective amount of glyphosate over a population of glyphosate tolerant brassica plants, wherein a substantial portion of the brassica plants are at the cotyledon stage and the brassica plants express a glyphosate metabolizing enzyme;
• (b) applying one or more additional glyphosate treatments comprising an effective amount of glyphosate over a population of glyphosate tolerant brassica plants, wherein a substantial portion of the brassica plants are at a stage that is beyond the 6-leaf stage;
• and
• (c) obtaining brassica seeds from the brassica plants, wherein the yield loss is minimized due to a substantial reduction in discoloration or pod abortion after one or more late-stage applications of glyphosate.

A method of late season weed control in a field having brassica crop without adversely affecting the yield, the method comprising:

• (a) planting a population of brassica plants that are tolerant to glyphosate wherein the plants express a glyphosate metabolizing enzyme such that the expression of the enzyme results in effective glyphosate tolerance;
• (b) applying an effective amount of glyphosate to the brassica plants wherein a substantial portion of the brassica plants are beyond the 6-leaf stage and wherein the glyphosate application does not result in significant chlorosis;
• and
• (c) controlling the growth of weeds in the field and wherein the brassica crop yield is not reduced by more than 5% compared to control brassica plants not expressing the glyphosate metabolizing enzyme.