Advancements in RNA interference (RNAi) technology could soon unlock new tools for managing canola pests and pathogens, such as sclerotinia and flea beetles. RNAi — ribonucleic acid interference — involves targeting specific RNA sequences in a disease or pest, rather than targeting entire proteins or enzymes, as is the case with current pesticides. It’s a… Read More

Wireworm is a destructive pest of potatoes, wheat, barley, and other crops. It’s also a below-ground feeder, making it difficult to scout for and even harder to control. Changes to available insecticide seed treatment ingredients has also made it more challenging to protect crops from feeding. Research from Eastern Canada has made significant discoveries into… Read More

Volunteer corn or canola aren’t just a plant out of place — both can eat yield and quality, depending on the following crop. Managing volunteers benefits from several layers of cultural practices, such as harvest settings and row spacing, and a well thought-out herbicide strategy. To delve into the challenge of volunteers, this episode of… Read More

There’s plenty of research data that shows applying a T3 fungicide to winter wheat will deliver a yield benefit, even in a dry growing season. RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says dry growing conditions tend to drive down fusarium head blight and other disease pressure, resulting in less yield loss, but the fungicides also increase the… Read More

In recent years, the search for new methods of controlling agricultural pests has led to significant advancements in bio-insecticide technology. One such development is the emergence of peptide-based insecticides, which seek to balance effective pest control and environmental stewardship. Peptides are essentially amino acids, the building blocks of proteins. In the context of insecticides, peptides… Read More

Pop quiz: do dry conditions automatically mean a dialling back of nitrogen rates on corn? This is a tricky question to answer as very dry conditions for prolonged periods can impact yield potential, but dry conditions also mean nitrogen is less available to the plant, so it’s a tough call. For the answer to why… Read More

Verticillium stripe — a disease first discovered in Western Canada in 2014 — appears to be taking advantage of the stress to canola plants caused by an old, familiar disease pathogen. While research to understand Verticillium longisporum in the Prairies is still in its early stages, there’s a hypothesis that its prevalence in a canola… Read More

 

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