Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used to control or modify plant growth processes. There are a few products on the market, and in the case of cereals, the most common PGR is used to influence the hormones responsible for cell elongation, which results in shorter, thicker stems. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, Agronomic Research Scientist, Sheri… Read More
Mother Nature is perhaps not always that motherly, but every now and again she does throw us a bone. This last week in Ontario was pretty good on the average, with some timely rains in some areas and some first-cut haylage wrapping up. But the timely rain has also brought along some storms, and heat,… Read More
The decision to re-seed a canola crop can be a difficult one, and the reasons to re-seed can be numerous: wind damage or sandblasting, especially in sandier soils, insect damage from cutworms or flea beetles, or overall low plant density. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School, Kara Oosterhuis chats re-seeding decisions with Autumn Barnes,… Read More
Crop researchers and agronomists are encouraging Ontario farmers to continue to follow established stewardship recommendations when using dicamba herbicides. Last week, a U.S. court decision to cancel the registration of in-crop use of dicamba herbicides left regulators, product manufacturers, herbicide applicators and farmers scrambling to understand the ramifications of the ruling and the implications for… Read More
In gale force winds, it’s pretty easy to make the call to park the sprayer; but on days that are a little breezy, and if time is tight, there are things you can do to manage drift risk and do a better job of spraying in less than ideal conditions. Of course, time is a… Read More
Fungicide formulation, timing and application. Get all those right and chances are you’ll have effective suppression of fusarium head blight (FHB) in your winter wheat crop. Syngenta Canada formulations and applications manager Doug Baumann notes that these three components of control all have to work together for growers to achieve optimum FHB control. On this… Read More
Every field is an ecosystem — complete with hosts, habitat, pests, and predators. Farmers are focused on fostering the best conditions for the desired crop and are keenly aware of threats, such as insect pests. But, as with any ecosystem, the removal of any one part of the system has dramatic impacts on others. In… Read More
Rolling right after planting has become a common practice on soybean fields in Western Canada over the last decade, but there are some good reasons to consider delaying the timing of rolling until after the crop is up. Rolling right behind the planter or drill improves seed-to-soil contact and is definitely less unnerving than rolling… Read More
When deciding on a forage species or mix for hay or pasture, the options can be overwhelming. A new resource can help make the decision easier and can assist in determining seeding rates, weed management, and more. The Forage U-Pick tool, created by the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC), matches forage species to growing conditions,… Read More
Update, as of 6pm June 8: The EPA issued an order late Monday that prohibits the sale and distribution of the three dicamba herbicides. Farmers and applicators may use existing stocks that were in their possession on June 3 until July 31, 2020. We are seeking clarification on what this means where state governments have… Read More
It’s time for T3 fungicides to control fusarium head blight in Ontario’s winter wheat, but growers may also have another troublemaker in the cereal crop that they’ll need to tackle this time of year. There have been growing reports of cereal aphids in the Ontario winter wheat crop this spring, and growers need will to… Read More
As we enter into post-emergent herbicide timing in parts of the Prairies, crop staging becomes key in deciding when to spray or not to spray. Particularly with pulse crop staging, it can be confusing to compare what’s on an in-crop product label with staging guides from Alberta Pulse Growers, Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, or the Manitoba… Read More
Every year there is a hot spot of adversity for farmers, where it feels like Mother Nature does not cooperate and farmers must adjust and shift their agronomic strategies daily. In 2020, the winner of the awful adversity prize seems to be the Peace River region of Alberta. A late harvest in 2019 that is… Read More
At least three out of four dicamba-containing herbicides have had U.S. registrations pulled effective immediately. The current registrations for Engenia, FeXapan, and XtendiMax were set to expire in December of this year after being extended once. The recent U.S. Court of Appeal ruling put an end to the sale of dicamba herbicides for the 2020… Read More
Soil compaction is always going to be a hot topic following a trying harvest season. That holds true for much of the eastern Prairies and northern U.S. states this spring. Aaron Daigh, assistant professor of Soil Physics at North Dakota State University says that the 2019 growing season started off wet in the spring, which… Read More