Wheat stem sawfly is thought to be native to parts of the southern Prairie provinces, and forecasting maps show that the pest is certainly present this year. “This is the time of the year where we’re starting to see some of those wheat stems topple over from wheat stem sawfly,” says Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research… Read More
How drought can impact seed quality is definitely a question on a lot of farmers’ minds this year. Rachael Melenka, client success manager at 20/20 Seed Labs, has all the information to consider for testing harvested grains in this Wheat School episode. There is a potential issue with seed grown having increased dormancy this year… Read More
Success in certain crop systems can sometimes translate to other cropping systems; for example, using a planter in corn adds precision and accuracy to maximize yields and improve agronomic management. In recent years, not a lot of progress has been made in the area of irrigated durum wheat yields, and Farming Smarter is looking at… Read More
Spraying a fungicide requires considering the stage of plant a bit differently than when spraying a herbicide. At herbicide timing, the canopy of the crop is a lot shorter and less dense. “For fungicides, we’re now talking about a taller canopy, a canopy that’s probably closed in, and a canopy that’s a little bit diverse… Read More
Spray drift happens, but every spray operators goal should be to create as little drift as possible. So how can we combat it? Tom Wolf, founder of AgriMetrix and co-founder of Sprayers 101, joins Kara Oosterhuis for this Wheat School episode for a technical breakdown of spray drift, and tips for how to prevent it…. Read More
Nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization is an important step in seeding a wheat crop and getting it off to the right start. However, over time fertilizer placed at the same depth can cause soil acidification. Initially set up in 1967, with various rotations and fertility treatments, long-term research plots were the basis for interesting research results… Read More
It’s been a challenging start for wheat in much of Western Canada this spring due to hot and dry conditions, which might lead growers and agronomists to ask “what if?” this cool season crop had been planted earlier. Wheat’s yield potential is determined early on, at the three to six leaf stage, explains Brunel Sabourin… Read More
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used to control or modify plant growth processes. In the case of wheat and barley, PGRs are used to influence the hormones responsible for cell elongation, which results in a crop with thicker, shorter stems. “Right now there are two plant growth regulators available for wheat in Western Canada,” says… Read More
Scouting for wireworms starts with looking for bare or thinned patches — after the crop has emerged. Areas where maybe the seedling didn’t come up at all, or if they did, they’ve yellowed at the centre of the plant “If you see that, there could be a couple different reasons why your crop has thinned… Read More
Wheat prices are amazing and everyone wants big wheat yields this year; so how do you achieve them? By paying close attention to your nitrogen applications, of course. Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson is hopping mad in this Wheat School episode — mad at himself that is. In the video, he’s standing in a wheat field… Read More
With winter wheat progressing rapidly through its growth stages in Ontario, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is advising growers to keep a close eye on the crop. With crop development running 10 days ahead of schedule, Johnson says wheat fields need to be scouted to make critical management decisions to optimize yield. On this episode of… Read More
Kochia is one of the first weeds to emerge in spring. There are reports that 80 per cent of the kochia population emerges before anything else in a field. The fact that it emerges so early puts a lot of pressure on the pre-emergent herbicide options out there. In this Wheat School episode, Kara Oosterhuis… Read More
Seed and soil-borne diseases should be on the radar of every grower this time of year. Getting a handle on the diseases present on your seed means being able to pick an effective seed treatment. “As we go into seeding, there are four common pathogens or diseases that your seed is going to encounter,” says… Read More
A proper seeding rate can determine the success of an entire season, and even though thinking through seeding rates may seem boring, the effects of too low of a seeding rate compound. It’s not too late to send a sample away to get all the numbers needed to calculate an optimal seeding rate. According to… Read More
If you’re a winter wheat grower, early spring can be a nerve-wracking time to see the effect that winter had on the crop. A winter survivability assessment in early spring can help assess any damage. Plus, doing a stand count of healthy plants showing growth can give a more accurate prediction of how the crop… Read More