Harvest weed seed control isn’t necessarily new to the agriculture industry. Farmers in Australia have been using seed control units on the backs of their combines to reduce weed seed return to the soil for several years. There are different methods to control weeds with a seed control unit — everything from cost-effective things like… Read More
It’s always amazing to see how much can transpire in just one week. Since Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson returned from Montana last week, much of Ontario and the Prairies got a foot of snow or more, someone fell asleep on the listener line, and Pete owes someone a steak dinner over Ontario’s average corn yields…. Read More
Boasting “season-long” control of some major weed pests, Bayer Crop Science has announced the registration of Corvus herbicide for corn in Eastern Canada. According to the label, Corvus is effective against waterhemp, lamb’s quarters, velvetleaf, sowthistle, yellow and green foxtail, and barnyard and crab grass. Corvus offers three ways of dealing with weeds: as a… Read More
Corn rootworm resistance to Bt proteins and hybrids is a growing concern for Ontario corn producers. In this video report from Ontario Diagnostic Days 2021, University of Guelph research scientist Jocelyn Smith helps growers understand corn rootworm’s life cycle and how to rate corn roots for rootworm injury. She also discusses how growers can work with researchers to… Read More
This past summer, a diligent agronomist in southern Alberta was suspicious of downy brome that was not being controlled by glyphosate. The population in question was widespread in a glyphosate-tolerant canola field in Taber County, Alberta, and was not controlled following multiple applications of glyphosate, says Charles Geddes, weed scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada,… Read More
When glyphosate-resistant waterhemp was first discovered in Lambton County in 2014, University of Guelph weed scientist Peter Sikkema never imagined the course the weed would take across Ontario, or the speed it would travel. Fast forward to 2022 and glyphosate-resistant waterhemp has moved 700 kilometres east to Leeds & Grenville County. The invading resistant weed, often… Read More
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has completed its national survey for potato wart ahead of schedule, the federal government says. Potato wart was not detected. The national survey conducted this fall involved soil testing across areas of Canada that grow seed potatoes (except Newfoundland) to confirm that unregulated areas of Canada remain free from… Read More
Every selection tool shifts the weed spectrum, and that includes farmer-controlled decisions such as tillage, crop rotation, and seeding rate. It also includes non-farmer controlled selection tools, such as wet or dry weather cycles. To unpack what we can learn from shifting weed patterns, we go to Mike Cowbrough, weed specialist with the Ontario Ministry… Read More
Lentils are one of those crops that can be difficult to keep free of weeds. Lentils are a poor competitor with weeds not just as seedlings, but throughout the growing season, as well. Over the past five years, the Western Applied Research Corporation (WARC), has been doing research trials that look at herbicide layering to… Read More
The Prince Edward Island Potato Board has expressed its shock over the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s (CFIA) decision to suspend all seed potato exports out of P.E.I., and all potato movement from P.E.I. to the U.S., following a ministerial order announced Monday, November 22. Potato wart is a soil-borne fungus that can lay dormant for decades…. Read More
Seed potato movement out of P.E.I. to the U.S. has been suspended, following the finding of potato wart fungus in two fields in the province. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has also suspended the movement of fresh potatoes from P.E.I. to the U.S., which includes table stock potatoes and processing potatoes. The suspension does not apply… Read More
Protecting your corn crop from disease throughout the growing season can be a challenge. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plant pathologist Albert Tenuta and University of Guelph associate professor Dave Hooker team up to offer tips on how to select a fungicide and stage the… Read More
The escalation in the cost of crop inputs, including glyphosate and glufosinate, has some farmers looking for ways to save money. Some farmers have asked if trimming back herbicide rates is a viable option. Going in with a half rate might seem like a good idea, but in the long run it can be a… Read More
It’s time for the season finale of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. On this live broadcast, University of Guelph professors Dave Hooker and Francois Tardif join host Shaun Haney to talk three hot topics that are sure to grab growers’… Read More
Clubroot has been confirmed in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, and can cause yield losses between 30 and 100 per cent. Sanitation, crop rotation, using resistant cultivars, and managing susceptible weeds are all useful strategies in the clubroot toolbox to mitigate infection, but what other strategies are there, and how effective are they for controlling clubroot… Read More