At last count wheat farmers could choose between 52 separate post-emergent herbicides to control both wild oats and green foxtail (wild millet). Unfortunately 42 of these 52 herbicides are Group 1 modes of action and the other 10 are Group 2.

The good news is that these current herbicides are very effective and if applied at the correct timing and with a little help from Mother Nature, you can expect 90%-95%+ control from most of them. The fly in the ointment though is the steady rise in weed resistance. This should be no surprise to anyone, since the farm media has been writing about resistance management for quite some time. The spread of biotypes of wild oats and green foxtail which are resistant to Group 1 and Group 2 herbicides is well known.

For wheat growers though this can be an especially critical issue since we don’t have the option of using an in-crop burndown product like glyphosate or Liberty. So what are the options? (1) Rotate herbicides between Group 1 and Group 2 chemistries, (2) Rotate into a crop such as canola where a non-Group 1or 2 can be used, (3) Consider using a soil-applied herbicide on suspect fields, and (4) Consider fallow or forage to break the cycle.

One caution though when choosing a different mode of action. Many of the new herbicides available, especially the co-pack ones, may list several modes of action on their labels. To be an effective weed resistance management tool, these different modes must be effective on the target weeds – wild oats and millet. Unfortunately that’s not the case, since these other modes of action are typically aimed squarely at broadleaf weeds and not grasses.

Perhaps the most effective tool though is you. Keep an eye on suspicious escapes, document them, prevent them from seeding, and then make a game plan to stop the spread next year.

Sadly, the summer is turning out to be as nasty for the cattle business as we first thought.  As producers look forward to the fall there is real focus from both ranchers and feeders on what the price of feeder cattle will be.  With a summer of financial  bleeding, the Canadian feeder may not have the lump of credit at his disposal to go crazy at the auction market.  The question is whether the US feeder will come into the Canadian market to bring the cattle south instead?

In this episode of the Beef Market Update, Anne Dunford talks about the need tighter summer US supplies, improving US packer margins and an update on the fall forward contracting of feeder and fat cattle in the face of an ugly summer or fed cattle.

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If you cannot see the below embedded video interview with Anne Dunford, click here

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Troy Prosofsky, Canola Council of Canada does a great job of showing us how to properly evaluate the frost damage to make sure that you understand the decision of whether to re-seed or not.  We get deep into the furrow and take a really close look at which plants will survive and which canola plants are dead like Elvis. Evaluating whether the growing point is pinched off or is still viable is a critical evaluation.

If you cannot see the below embedded video of Troy Prosofsky discussing frost damage, click here.

Is this the summer that could whack us up side the head because spring has been too easy?  What is the worse that could happen, drought, flood or disease pressure or the worst insect infestation we have ever seen?

Well hopefully not.

I am personally hoping that the momentum of this spring leads into an optimal summer and ideal fall that leads to the ultimate in farm profit for growers.

The interesting point is that one spring is not like the others. Last year was a mess for Ontario farmers.  There were several accounts of 36 hour planting marathons and stress levels that reached the breaking point.

With some nice commodity prices and ideal plating conditions, the 2012 season is off to a great start.

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In this episode of Agri-Treks, Rob visits Fertizona, one of the companies that provides inputs to producers in the Casa Grande area of Arizona.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

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In this episode of the Wheat School, OMAFRA's Peter Johnson talks about the unintended benefits that Aprils cold weather may bring to farmers.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

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In this episode of the Canola School, Alberta Agriculture Insect Management Specialist Scott Meers talks about the implications of this early flight of the pest on producers and addresses the question of whether or not they could have overwintered due to mild winter conditions.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Today’s Canfax COF report for May 1 exposes the current feedlot inventory situation. As of May 1, total numbers on feed were down 7% from last year, down 10% from 2010 and the smallest May 1 inventory other than 2008. Coincidentally, that was also a year that saw large exports of feeder cattle during the first 4 months (255,000 in 2008).

This year’s feeder exports are sitting at 70,000 head to date but still larger than the 40,000 by this time last year. April placements according to today’s Canfax report are 25% smaller than last year and 30% smaller than 2010. It was also the smallest April placement since this data started being collected in 2000. Heifer placements in April were 32% smaller than a year ago while steer placements were down 20%. Year to date placements for 2012 are down 10% overall.

I don’t think the direction of numbers is a surprise but sometimes the actual degree of decline can be and I think that’s maybe where this will get some eyes open. Market impact isn’t an “overnight” response especially since very few feeders will be offered again until late July or August. On the packer side, I do think this week’s higher AB market is a sign that packers are watching these numbers very closely.

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Understanding the pathogens that are responsible for seedling diseases was a part of the CanoLAB 3D event put on by the Alberta Canola Producers Commission and the Canola Council of Canada. Ron Howard, (not that Ron Howard) Plant Pathology Research Scientist with Alberta Agriculture & Rural Development helped guide producers through an in depth look at seedling blight of canola.

If you cannot see the embedded video below click here.

Many times the lack of young people on the farm is blamed on the younger generation for not wanting to come back to the farm.  People saying that the younger generation thinks that they have better options in the city or in the oilfield or the car plant.

One has to think that maybe its the poor succession plans by the older farmers that have forced the younger generation to not return to the farm.  Are we just reaping now what we have been sowing for the past twenty years?  Is there a lack of young farmers because the older farmers won't retire to allow the under 35 year olds to take over the farm?

Has the commodity boom made the issue even worse by encouraging elderly farmers to stay involved in the farm longer as farming profit have risen over the past 5 years. Or has the land price boom made it impossible for the younger generation to get involved?

As found in a Globe and Mail story some of the highlights from StatsCan were:

As of last year, nearly half – or 48.3 per cent – of farm operators were 55 or older, compared to 40.7 per cent in 2006.

The total number of farmers is declining rapidly. As of last year, there were 294,000 operators – a 10.1-per-cent slide since 2006, a drop that’s occurred in line with the decreasing number of farms. Of the total, 73 per cent of farmers are male and 27 per cent female.

Just 8.2 per cent of operators were younger than 35 as of last year.

So what are the real impacts on the industry?  Can we expect these numbers to eventually turn around?  Do you worry that  half the farmers in Canada are over the age of 55?  Is 55 the new 25 in agriculture?

Its not the 55 year olds that are the problem, its the 70 plus age bracket that is screwing these numbers up.

In the song, Old MacDonald still has his farm and he is still farming in every kindergarten class across Canada.  Apparently just like others from his generation.