The debate continues across the Prairies on whether or not to straight-cut canola. While some producers have been doing it for years, the process can be a bit daunting for others who have been considering the option. Shawn Senko, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, says in this Canola School episode that if… Read More
Ontario’s winter wheat crop has been fighting an uphill battle ever since last fall and the struggle will likely continue right through to harvest. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, agronomist Peter Johnson explains that the highly variable crop will likely mean harvesting headaches. Last week at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown College… Read More
Ontario’s unplanted acres hold the potential for outstanding 2020 winter wheat yields, but growers will have to manage disease risks while planting early to turn that potential into profit, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. Across the province, heavy clay soils, especially in the Niagara Region and Essex County, have not been planted. Johnson has had… Read More
The Harrington Seed Destructor made its foray into Canadian agriculture in 2014, offering with it an opportunity to increase integrated pest management strategies on-farm, by mechanically reducing weed seed banks at harvest. It is now into its third year of a research study looking at its impact on weed populations over time. In this Wheat… Read More
Are you seeing yellowing in your pulse crops? If so, it’s most likely time to start digging. Jenn Walker, research manager with Alberta Pulse Growers, tells Kara Oosterhuis that yellowing above the ground is a good indication that something is going on below ground. In this Pulse School episode, Walker talks specifically about root rots, such… Read More
Myscosphaerella blight — more commonly known as ascochyta — can cause significant devastation in pea, lentil, chickpeas and even faba bean crops. Robyne Bowness Davidson, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, says in this Pulse School episode that farmers should be out scouting for ascochyta just before the crop starts flowering. “You can certainly… Read More
It’s the beginning of July, and farmers growing canola are starting to ask themselves how they can get ahead of the curve and manage sclerotinia before it becomes a problem. In this episode of the Canola School, RealAgriculture prairie field editor, Kara Oosterhuis speaks to North Dakota State University professor Luis Del Rio about some… Read More
In Western Canada, spray 2019 is full speed ahead, and fungicide timing is at the forefront of many producers’ minds. For a crop like wheat, it’s essential to stay ahead of leaf diseases to get the maximum yield output from your crop. Each leaf on a wheat plant provides a different contribution to yield, so… Read More
Did you know tillage erosion is the most significant erosive effect that’s seen on the Canadian prairies? Marla Riekman, soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says that often the focus is around wind and water erosion when really, it should be tillage erosion. However, it’s not just how much you are tilling your land —… Read More
Many producers across the Prairies are spraying — whether they are starting, finishing, or somewhere in the middle. With unpredictable weather, many are asking the question: We want to spray, but the canopy is wet. Should we go? According to Tom Wolf, of AgriMetrix Research and Training, the answer isn’t as simple as one may… Read More
The pea leaf weevil might be a difficult tongue twister of an insect name to be said 10 times fast, but this pest can be even more difficult to control in your peas and faba beans. Across the Prairies, their tell-tale notching is rearing its appearance. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Pulse School, prairie field… Read More
An unusually cool and dry spring across Manitoba has caused some difficulties when it comes to weed pressure in canola. Angela Brackenreed, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, tells Kara Oosterhuis in this Canola School episode that the annual weed pressure especially has been low. However, a change in moisture and temperature means… Read More
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