Challenging Ontario planting conditions may follow the corn crop through the entire season and cause 2019 harvest disease headaches for growers. That’s the message Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’s plant pathologist Albert Tenuta shared with growers attending a Huron Tractor combine clinic last week at company headquarters at Exeter, Ont. With corn… Read More
As most, if not all, producers are currently spraying for weed control, it’s important to keep in mind herbicide efficacy, according to Bethany Wyatt, senior technical service specialists for BASF in Saskatchewan. Wyatt says almost every year some farmers will get impatient, and “jump the gun” when it comes to re-spraying. In this episode of… Read More
The threat of soybean cyst nematode lurks in soil carried by any equipment, tire, or boot that crosses from the U.S. into Manitoba. Ontario, too, struggles with the pest, and it seems it’s less of a matter of if and instead when the nematode ends up in Western Canada. As Dennis Lange, industry development specialist… Read More
As seeding, for the most part, has come and gone — it’s now time to scout! In this episode of the RealAgriculture Canola School, field editor Jessika Guse speaks with Dr. Meghan Vankosky, research scientist in field crop entomology with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada, all about what to look for when you sweep. Her first… Read More
When it comes to grasshoppers on the Prairies, the primary thought that comes to mind might be protecting cereals crops. But this hopping, destructive insect can cause issues in your soybean crop as well — and now is the time to begin looking for them. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, John Gavloski, entomologist… Read More
There are few things as frustrating as spending untold hours of preparation and seeding (and finally some rain!) only to have a host of insects crawl or fly in and eat the crop’s yield potential. In this episode of the Canola School, provincial entomologist for Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Agriculture, James Tansey, gets outside to talk… Read More
It’s been an unusual year across Ontario and growers could see more of the same as the soybean crop emerges from cool, wet soils, says Albert Tenuta, plant pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Rural Affairs. Tenuta believes the backward spring, which has pushed soybean planting to late June across the province,… Read More
Bertha armyworm larvae can come in many colours, ranging from green to brown-black, often later sporting an orange stripe along each side, and as they grow, so does the damage to the canola crop. According to the Canola Council of Canada, the worst damage tends to begin in July, as larvae moult through the last… Read More
Strip till corn is helping Mark Brock build a winning management system for his Staffa, Ont., farm. Brock started strip tilling back in 2015 with the objective of integrating manure from the farm’s chicken operation into a system that would help manage compaction, and further improve soil organic matter with the addition of cover crops…. Read More
A cool start, delayed seeding, dry conditions, then wild temperature swings, a frost or two, wind shear, and relentless flea beetle feeding: that’s what the Manitoba canola crop has been through, and it’s only mid-June. Angela Brackenreed, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, says that while canola is a plastic and adaptable crop,… Read More
Ontario’s cool spring is having a huge impact on the soil release of nitrogen. RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says he’s seen the impact on the wheat crop already, and growers will have to keep a sharp eye on nitrogen soil tests to ensure they’re meeting the needs of the growing corn crop. In this Corn… Read More
Your soybeans likely well-emerged in Manitoba, which means it’s time to take a look at stand establishment. This can sometimes be an overwhelming task when you are dealing with a few acres. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, Kara Oosterhuis talks to Dennis Lange, who is the industry development specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, about… Read More
If you are planning on applying a plant growth regulator to your wheat crop, you are most likely aware that proper timing is critical to success. But how do we know when that timing is right to get the most out of your crop? In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research… Read More
Ontario’s corn crop — such that it is — is pretty much planted, as most growers are now turning their focus to soybeans. Across the province during the past month, corn was planted into a range of wet, miserable conditions. The question now is how will the seedlings handle the tough going and what can… Read More
Seeing dimpling on your canola leaves? Stem feeding? Chances are, it’s flea beetles causing the damage. This year in the southern prairies, flea beetles are becoming a significant issue, most likely in part due to dry conditions. And with neonicotinoids continuing to hit headlines, flea beetle control could become even more difficult in the coming… Read More