Planting in to cool and especially cool and wet soils is not ideal for soybeans. But that description applies to most planting conditions in Ontario and perhaps most of Canada. Because of this reality, fungicide seed treatments are an invaluable tool in the establishment of healthy, vigorous, soybean stands. Albert Tenuta, provincial field crop pathologist… Read More
Category: Pests
Well, if you’ve got mad skill on the paintball course and an intense interest in ecosystems/agriculture, you’ll be intrigued to know the two have collided. Developed by Dr. James Leary of the University of Hawaii, Herbicide Ballistic Technology (I know, just when you thought it couldn’t get better), or HBT, gives sharp-shooting scientists the ability… Read More
Well, it’s official. The busy winter conference season is upon us, and I, for one, couldn’t be happier. This week, the RealAgriculture.com team took in Agri-Trade at Red Deer, Alta., and the first-ever Cereals North America conference. Also on this week was the Royal in Toronto, and though we didn’t make it there, we did… Read More
Ah, Artemesia absinthium. If you’ve ever had the misfortune of being acquainted with absinth wormwood, you’ll likely never forget it. Many describe the plant by its appearance and odor, both likened to pasture sage. Absinth’s odor is strong, however, and in my experience, the pollen profoundly irritates the respiratory system. In fact, you can quite… Read More
It seems whenever a new disease or pest rears its head, the old wives tales and myths follow closely on its heels. Take, for example, the advent of clubroot being found in Alberta about 10 years ago. Never fear, said many in the more eastern parts of the prairies, our high pH western Canadian soils… Read More
Can you spot a chemically damaged wheat seedling from a healthy one? Unlike some other damage or infection, chemically damaged cereal seedlings don’t always look that bad off in the very early stages. In fact, seedlings can even put out a mostly healthy shoot, but upon further investigation the trained eye will notice that the… Read More
If Canada thistle is a headache in an annual cropping system, it’s a migraine in perennial crops, where control strategies tend to be expensive and rumours about what works and what doesn’t spread as quickly as the weed itself. Canada thistle is not only a prolific seed producer, it also proliferates through its creeping root… Read More
Swede midge larvae and symptoms were spotted in much of northeastern Saskatchewan this summer, concerning producers and agronomists alike. This isn’t the first time there has been concern over their movement, however. Three adult midge were found in Saskatchewan in 2007, only seven years after first being identified in Ontario, where their spread has been… Read More
A clean start at planting can mean a fall herbicide application, even well into October if conditions are right. Fall weed control is the equivalent of a pre-plant burn-off for winter wheat, for one, but it’s also the best time to get a hold of several weeds, including perennials like dandelion and constantly germinating Canada… Read More
No longer only the concern of Alberta canola growers, clubroot symptoms have been found in at least two Manitoba canola fields. This is a disease that, once established, is not easily controlled and is essentially impossible to eradicate. All canola growers in the Prairie Provinces need to be on the look out for this disease… Read More
Ah, Canada fleabane. This nasty weed isn’t just an issue because of confirmed glyphosate resistance — its very nature of germinating whenever the heck it feels like it means that it’s one weed that can’t be well controlled by just one or even a few control methods. Canada fleabane control and resistance management requires a… Read More
The Canadian Grain Commision (CGC) launched two online, dichotomous keys to help producers identify stored grain insect pests today. I took a test run of the keys, and found them to be fast, simple and totally within my budget (free) — so, nothing like their paper counterparts. A dichotomous key is relatively simple to use,… Read More
Post-harvest spray applications are an effective way to deal with hard-to-control perennial and winter annual weeds like Canadian thistle, foxtail barley and dandelion. But, whether you’re dealing with frost, labour shortages or incredibly dry conditions, spraying in the fall can be a challenge. A dry fall can not only limit the active growth of weeds,… Read More
With concern over bee health and the potential impact of seed treatments that contain neonicotinoid products increasing, the seed industry is taking steps to offer farmers choices in seed treatment options for 2014. How do you decide if you need to order seed with or without an insecticide seed treatment? Greg Stewart, corn specialist with… Read More
Manitoba has its first two cases of confirmed clubroot symptoms on canola — prior to now, only viable spores had been found in Manitoba soil. The provincial government announced yesterday that two unrelated fields have tested positive for this destructive disease. There is no mention of where the fields are located, but earlier this summer… Read More