From Australia to the United States to Canada, herbicide resistance has farmers around the world wondering about best management strategies. On Thursday, April 12, Shaun Haney will be moderating a webinar offered by BASF that will shed some light on this very important topic. During the 2018 Herbicide Resistance Management Webinar, you’ll hear the latest… Read more »
Category: Spraying
What’s new for herbicides in Ontario for 2018
Planting is just around the corner, and if you’re in full-on crop planning mode you’re likely curious about what’s new, what’s old, what’s repackaged, what’s the best bet for herbicides in 2018. Lucky for you, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough faces an avalanche of these questions every… Read more »
PMRA facing a growing stack of pesticide reviews
Canada’s regulator for crop protection products is facing a growing stack of re-evaluations for existing pesticide ingredients. There are several hundred active ingredients due for review by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) in the next decade. CropLife Canada — the organization that represents manufacturers of some of these products — has several concerns… Read more »
Aerial application on the rise in Ontario
Thinking about using an aerial applicator this year to fly on fungicide, fertilizer, or cover crops? If so, you better grab your phone and book a supplier, says Dan Haupt of Blenheim, ON, based Zimmer Air Services. The family-owned company, currently operated by Paul Zimmer, has been serving Ontario agriculture since 1974. Haupt says farmers… Read more »
Bayer Digital Farming introduces prescription maps for fungicide in canola
Fungicide can be added to the list of crop inputs farmers can selectively apply using precision agriculture tools, targeting relevant areas within a field while avoiding patches where treatment isn’t justified. Bayer Digital Farming launched Zone Spray on Friday. It’s a program within the company’s Field Manager platform that creates prescription maps for fungicide in… Read more »
If grass is green, soybean white mould is keen
Timing a white mould fungicide application in soybeans can be tricky business. The typical recommendation is to spray a first-pass fungicide at the R2 to R2.5 stage. Most Ontario soybean fields, however, are highly variable and can contain plants progressing at different growth rates within the stand. How can you tackle this challenge? BASF technical… Read more »
Fill the heads, protect the quality — the two-pass fungicide plan
Crop input decisions would be made so much easier if only one year’s weather would predict the next. But we know that one dry year doesn’t make a trend, so while 2018 is looking dry in Western Canada will it stay dry for the growing season? Will crop disease be less of a threat because… Read more »
Blackleg risks, management, and a yield loss calculator
There’s this thing about nature — it adapts. Many canola growers are getting a real taste of this in recent years by a slow but steady resurgence of blackleg showing up and stealing yield. For those who think, “hey, we have genetic resistance, didn’t we deal with this already?” read and listen on. Record canola… Read more »
Transport Canada grants certificate for spraying with a drone
The use of drones for spraying cleared a major regulatory milestone last summer, as Transport Canada issued its first approval for commercial spraying with an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), according to the Elie, Manitoba-based company that received the permission. To fly any aircraft — manned or unmanned — for commercial purposes in Canada, you must… Read more »
Soybean School: How wide is your spring burndown window?
If you have weeds pop up prior to planting soybeans you can control them with a burndown herbicide application. But what happens when rain and wind conspire to prevent you from applying a burndown and you have to control weeds after planting? In this episode of the Soybean School, OMAFRA weed control specialist Mike Cowbrough… Read more »
Soybean School: Ontario growers better positioned to manage dicamba
In 2017, many U.S. growers struggled to manage dicamba use with increasing acres of dicamba-tolerant Xtend soybeans. The dicamba story in Ontario, however, was much different, as growers had few issues with managing the marriage of the herbicide and the new trait. In this edition of RealAgriculture Soybean School, OMAFRA weed specialist Mike Cowbrough explains… Read more »
Dutch spraying drone applies up to 250 litres per flight
With the ability to lift up to 300 kilograms into the air, the Drones4Agro quadcopter drone on display in the Multi Tool Trac exhibit at Agritechnica was much larger than the average drone we see on farms today. But with that payload, it can also carry much more than the small camera that most drones… Read more »
Micron Woman and the world of spray droplets
You just finished a great spray day. Your timing and product choice were bang-on, the weather was good, and your sprayer was calibrated. But do you know what happened to the spray once it left the nozzle? The Spray Guys — Jason Deveau and Tom Wolf — find out in this premiere episode of Micron Woman…. Read more »
EPA defines U.S. label changes for dicamba in 2018
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has reached a deal with companies selling dicamba to implement new requirements aimed at minimizing the risk of drift damage to neighbouring crops in 2018. The EPA says Monsanto, BASF and DuPont have voluntarily agreed to label changes for “over the top” use of Monsanto’s XtendiMax, BASF’s Engenia and DuPont Pioneer’s FeXapan… Read more »
Monsanto and weed scientists hold frank discussions about dicamba
Monsanto invited several dozen weed scientists and researchers to St. Louis last week to present data and discuss views on what led to off-target movement of dicamba on several million acres of soybeans in the U.S. this year. While the manufacturers of new dicamba formulations, including Monsanto and BASF, have cited improper application and the… Read more »