When it comes to planting no-till wheat, Phil Needham, of Needham Ag Technologies, says farmers need to think first about the combine before rolling out the drill. “You can buy the best piece of seeding equipment on the market, but it’s only going to be as good as the residue management (in a no-till system)… Read More

Protecting honeybees and pollinators is a key focus for Ontario farmers. Limiting exposure of the bees to certain insecticides, namely neonicotinoid-based corn and soybean seed treatments, plays an important role in a thriving bee population in the province. Corn planter air exhaust has been identified as a possible risk to moving neonicotinoid particles off the… Read More

It’s nothing personal, Stratego fungicide, but it’s time for a sprucing up. Winter wheat and soybean growers should soon have access to Stratego Pro, says Allan Kaastra, with Bayer CropScience. The new formulation swaps out propiconazole with prothioconazole, and should be available for farmers to use by 2015, pending appropriate regulatory approvals. Kaastra says Stratego… Read More

Palmer amaranth could be the next glyphosate resistance weed problem for Ontario farmers. University of Arkansas weed scientist Jason Norsworthy calls it “pigweed on steroids.” Norsworthy, who first saw glyphosate-resistant palmer amaranth in Arkansas in 2006, says the weed can grow two to three inches a day after it reaches four inches tall. “You can… Read More

With 2,500 acres of identity preserved (IP) soybeans in the ground, Sheppland Farms, based at Selkirk, Ontario, is one of the largest IP soy growers in Ontario. For Scott Sheppard, who farms with his father and brother, IP soys have turned out to be a great fit for the farm. The heavy clay soil makes… Read More