August marks the beginning of the crop year, and for many farmers in Western Canada, it marks a significant anniversary — the removal of the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly in 2012. The Conservatives had two minority governments leading up to eventually winning a majority in 2011. As Gerry Ritz, then federal minister of Agriculture and… Read More
Ah, August in Ontario, when the days are hot and the nights are…well, a little cool, to be honest. As a slightly delayed winter wheat harvest nears its end, all eyes are turned to the corn crop that’s just not fully tasseling in most parts of the province. Tasseling has more than a few farmers… Read More
If new genetics have higher yield capacity, making higher nitrogen rates make economic sense, how do you manage the increased lodging risk? Amy Mangin, research agronomist and Ph.D. candidate at the University of Manitoba, is building off her Master’s project that looked at nitrogen rates for new wheat genetics. In this latest trial, she’s comparing… Read More
The Ontario Cereal Crops Committee is citing extensive winter and spring kill of the 2019 winter wheat trials in its decision to not release a performance evaluation report this year. This is the first time this has happened, says Joanna Follings, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. All of… Read More
Using glyphosate before harvest can make for an effective perennial weed control strategy, but to protect crop quality (and international market access), producers should be leery of timing. “I want to remind producers that if you are going in with pre-harvest glyphosate, it is not a desiccant – it is a pre-harvest glyphosate,” says Jeremy… Read More
Across Ontario, a growing percentage of soil tests are testing lower for nutrients. It’s a trend growers need to be aware of, and there’s a role for wheat to play in addressing the decline. Jack Legg, SGS Agri-Food Laboratories agronomist based at Guelph, says his lab and the International Plant Nutrition Institute, which conducts sampling… Read More
What’s good for wheat growth is good for wheat midge, says research scientist Tyler Wist, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, based at Saskatoon, Sask. What’s more, these tiny pests can cause big issues, even in very low numbers, so scouting is one key aspect of management. In this edition of RealAgriculture’s Wheat School, Wist also… Read More
There’s been a mixed bag when it comes to weather across the country. Some places can’t beat the heat while others are getting poured on —up to five inches in an hour! In this week’s Word, Peter Johnson covers what to do when it’s wet as it’s a disease year, when to spray when leafhoppers’s… Read More
Alberta Wheat Commission, Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission and Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association have invested $1.9 million to further research that will, “accelerate the future development of higher yielding, stress resistant wheat varieties for Canadian farmers.” This money is part of the $11.2 million investment made by Genome Canada, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the… Read More
Farmers across Canada will have five new fungicides in their disease management toolbox in 2020. This week, Syngenta Canada rolled out Miravis, a new fungicide umbrella brand that will offer five new products growers can use to fight disease in a range of crops. In this video, Eric Phillips, Syngenta Canada’s fungicides and insecticides product… Read More
The Ontario government announced $1.3 million in funding through the Ontario Agri-Food Innovation Alliance, a funding partnership with the University of Guelph. The research projects at the University of Guelph will focus on increasing production and decreasing economic losses caused by crop diseases and pests on Ontario farms, including: Surveillance for blight management decisions in… Read More
With two potential new models for collecting seed royalties on the horizon, farm groups across the Prairies are wanting to hear from producers as to what their preference would be. Currently, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have put their consultation process on hold with farmers. This comes after… Read More
New Zealand doesn’t share a lot in common with Canada, however, when it comes to growing high-yielding wheat Kiwi growers do count on similar management practices to put big-bushel wheat crops in the bin. Syngenta commercial products lead Sam Livesey, a New Zealand native, concedes that the country’s wheat industry is diminutive (135,000 acres) but… Read More
Fusarium head blight is one of the most harmful diseases of wheat and also one of the most challenging to manage. Researchers are continuously trying to figure out the best control methods since it’s one of those diseases that if you see it in your crop, you are most likely too late. In this Wheat… Read More
Is 2019 the year of the weird? Maybe, says host Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson in this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. From planting conditions, to strange looking plants, and on to excessive and strange insect and creepy crawlies — this growing season is nothing short of odd. Johnson tackles what’s going on with things like… Read More