A cool, wet spring has slowed fieldwork and dreams of early planting appear to be disappearing as the calendar turns to May. But the backward conditions have not stalled weed growth in fields across Ontario. That means growers will need to keep a close eye on winter annuals and mounting weed pressure in soybean and corn… Read More
Category: Weed control
Glyphosate supply has been a hot topic this winter as growers look for ways to navigate through short supplies of this critical weed control tool. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter Sikkema joins Bernard Tobin to discuss best practices and strategies to help growers make the most of… Read More
What can growers do to reduce crop injury in soybean fields where they rely on soil-applied herbicides for weed control? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough sees this type of injury every year in soybean fields, but he says there are always other factors at play including untimely rain, compaction… Read More
Precision Planting, a company well known for innovative planting technologies, has set its sights on the sprayer market, revealing projects focused on improving the operation and data collection of sprayers. In January, the company announced it was working on three sprayer technologies it will be testing this summer and releasing over the next couple of years…. Read More
There is certainly no lack of concern in the marketplace right now when it comes to the supply of crop protection products and crop inputs. Going back a couple just a few weeks and even months, we first heard about glufosinate shortages, followed by glyphosate. Most recently, glyphosate announced a signifiant issue, when a supplier… Read More
There are more than a dozen decisions to make before the sprayer hits the field. Are conditions right? Are the tank-mix partners correct? Do I have the right nozzles? How’s my water? Should I be adding in something more? The key to making the right call for these and all the other decisions that go… 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
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
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
Stacked traits are quite common in corn and increasingly more common in soybean as well, but the concept is still quite new for the balance of Western Canada’s crop mix. Managing with stacked traits adds significant flexibility, says Bayer Crop Science trait and trait launch manager, Andrew Chisholm, and making the most of that added… Read More
North America’s most notorious weed has been found in Manitoba. DNA testing has confirmed the discovery of a pair of Palmer amaranth plants in the Rural Municipality of Dufferin, which surrounds Carman. “We knew it was just a matter of time before we see something. These weeds are moving quite rapidly, and unfortunately, we did… Read More
Perennials and winter annuals like dandelions, shepherd’s purse, and even chickweed can be tough to control at the best of times. So, what can make a perennial and winter annual weed control strategy more effective in corn? Going back to a previous conversation between Rob Miller, agronomist at BASF, and Bernard Tobin about using tillage… Read More
It’s time for agronomy hot topics on Day 4 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Crop nutrition, weed control and planting depth and timing are the focus of this episode. We kick it off with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food… Read More
It’s evolving into a rather odd year for pre-harvest weed control in parts of Western Canada as a return of some moisture has meant sprouting swaths, and monster weeds. In Ontario, an accelerated season means plenty of farmers are making the dry-down decision on edible beans this week. From pre-harvest weed control, to swapping to… Read More
Corn is often described as a diva. It can thrive in the right conditions, but it does not like competition. That’s especially evident when corn plants have to compete with weeds for moisture in dry conditions, as seen in Western Canada and the Northern Plains of the U.S. in 2021. “There have been many studies… Read More