Canola acres across the west have grown continuously over the years. The profitability of canola on the farm has not only expanded acres but also caused producers to tighten rotations. With those increased acres and short rotations the threat of disease becomes magnified. Sclerotinia is one of those diseases that, once established, can have devastating… Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Early weed control in any crop is important. This especially true when it comes to difficult weeds like lambs quarters. A difficult weed like that often calls for an aggressive strategy. An extra level of care and attention is required when formulating a strategy with non-gmo soybeans. It involves a good look into your… Read More
The difference in bushels per acre of wheat from country to country is larger than you might think. On the surface that may seem fairly obvious when we see a drastic difference between climates or access to technologies, but when we look to level the playing field in these areas it begs the question: Can… Read More
Implementing some kind of a residual herbicide treatment in the fall has the potential to pay dividends come spring. Getting the jump on weeds is the biggest plus, but for farmers already spread thin in the spring, one less pass with the sprayer can save both time and money. Corn, as with every other crop,… Read More
As we head into the 2012 growing season it’s important to know just what we’re up against in terms of disease threats on the horizon for our pulse crops. Knowing the history of the land your planting into as well as disease activity in your area can be important factors in assessing your risk. Being… Read More
Growing a good yielding soybean crop starts before it’s even in the ground. Planting into a field with the potential for heavy weed pressure can cost you anywhere up to 80 percent of your yield. It’s incredibly important therefore to make sure that ground is as clean as possible both before you plant and after… Read More
How important is protecting the flag leaf in the early stages of your wheat crop? The flag leaf is critically important in determining your yield. Any damage done to that leaf will have a direct and dramatic impact on your crops potential. Disease can be one of those damaging factors. Assessing your risk for disease… Read More
Timing is everything when it comes to weed control in Ontario winter wheat. Spraying at the wrong time can be ineffective and can damage your crop. Spraying your weeds at just the right time can have not only immediate benefits, but can help you to gain the upper hand heading into winter wheat planting. In… Read More
On-farm trials are an exercise not widely pursued by farmers in general. What’s unfortunate about that is the fact that most farmers could stand to benefit greatly from adopting some type of on-farm trial. The reason being that a lot of manufacturer trials are limited in scope for financial reasons. They may perform fewer location… Read More
Producers are beginning to aggressively chase 300 bushel corn. As elusive as it may seem, all the elements are there to make it a reality. Genetics, planting strategies and all the inputs and fungicides are necessary to get where we need to be are more readily available to producers than they ever before in history…. Read More
When using inoculants, time is one of the most critical factors affecting your products performance. The reason for that is the fact that those inoculants contain living organisms that can only survive outside the soil for a limited time. Depending on the formulation and application of of that inoculant, that time frame can vary. The… Read More
Applying seed treatment isn’t what it used to be. Long gone are the days when someone would yell “turn up the red!” as the seed came out of the treater. There is a lot more than just a visual O.K. that goes into treating your seed properly. Over application isn’t cost effective and under applying… Read More
Establishing a healthy plant stand as quickly as possible is critical in protecting your crops health and ensuring maximum yield potential. Part of that process means that the plant has to be able to access the inputs it needs to get there. That starts with the development of a healthy root system including the development… Read More
August 1, 2012 officially changes the way the wheat producers and industry members do business out west. With that date spelling the end of the single desk marketing system, farmers, buyers and processors have to look closely at their respective businesses and adapt to a whole new ball game. For some involved in the industry,… Read More
Now that you have probably picked up your pea or lentil inoculant from your retailer, you need to make sure that you are storing it properly on farm. You need to remember that your inoculant is a living biological organism. It needs to be taken care of handled in a proper manner before it is… Read More