With all of the cold weather in April keeping a large portion of winter wheat producers out of the field for that initial herbicide/fungicide pass, it’s natural to start wondering if you missed the boat on some yield potential. As worrisome as that may be to the roughly 50% of Ontario farmers that weren’t able… Read More
Category: Crop Schools
The diamondback moth population has arrived earlier and in greater numbers than in the past years. What does this early flight mean for producers? For starters it means that producers have to be out in their fields earlier, scouting for the pest, but it also means that producers have to adapt how they scout. An… Read More
Any type of disease that affects the seedling stage of canola has to be taken seriously. Seedling blight can be devastating to your canola crop before or after germination. Knowing what you’re looking for and how to deal with it can put you in a position to assess your risk and take action that can… Read More
How early is too early to plant corn? The simple answer is that there is no simple answer, at least one that doesn’t involve a healthy dose of hindsight. Depending on a number of factors outside everyone’s control, you can have a banner year planting early or a total bust. It also depends on if… Read More
Life is an amazingly resilient thing. With all the time, effort and money we put into protecting our crops we sometimes forget how well they can adapt and recover from things we wouldn’t expect them to. Take the winter wheat crop for example. The fact of the matter is that it should have been extremely… Read More
The issue of herbicide resistance is something producers will have to continue to be vigilant about. Careful consideration needs to go into the “when” “how” and “what” to use of your individual weed control strategy. That strategy in turn needs to be balanced with a good sense of corporate responsibility about producer issues like herbicide… Read More
This years mild winter has brought a number of concerns to producers minds in the area of pests. The general thoughts and feelings being that the mild weather would either help pests to over winter more easily leading to increased numbers or that the conditions would lead to pests being out and about much earlier… Read More
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
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