2018 marks the first growing season where farmers across Canada can apply the plant growth regulator chlormequat chloride — a.k.a. “Manipulator” — to wheat without having to worry about problems marketing the wheat after harvest. The U.S. established a maximum residue limit (MRL) for chlormequat chloride in cereal crop imports this spring, clearing the way… Read More

Wheat has been progressing rapidly thanks to seasonally high temperatures in many areas over the past few weeks, quickly moving into and through the early flowering stage. Early flower is when a fungicide application to prevent fusarium head blight (FHB) is recommended. “Typically we’d expect flowering to start three days after head emergence, and flowering… Read More

The introduction of protein price discounts by at least one soybean buyer in Western Canada this past winter has left soybean growers wondering what can be done to ensure Prairie soybeans are high enough in protein content. Unfortunately, there’s no quick or easy management fix, says Dennis Lange, pulse and soybean production specialist with Manitoba… Read More

Construction has started on a large pea processing plant in central Manitoba that’s designed to process more than 100,000 tonnes per year starting in 2019. The new processing facility at Portage la Prairie will undoubtedly boost demand for peas on the eastern side of the prairies, however, there’s a big question that has yet to be… Read More

Soil compaction — as many other topics and issues in agriculture — has no simple solution. Marla Riekman, soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, says in this Canola School episode that soil compaction is “one of the hardest topics to discuss with farmers.” She says this is because the easiest solution is to stay off the field,… Read More

Do wheat varieties perform in line with the ratings provided during the registration process? When it comes to fusarium head blight tolerance, the short answer is yes, but the long answer is it depends on the year. Holly Derksen, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, explains that the province has been tracking resistance performance of wheat… Read More

A wet harvest has led some Western Canadian farmers to make the switch from tires to tracks on combines, tractors and grain carts. “The tracks are going to give you the decrease in slippage and a bit of extra floatation, and that’s what people are looking for right now,” notes Marla Riekman, soil management specialist with… Read More

To understand what happens with nutrients in the soil and how to manage zones within a field, you have to pay attention to how the soil handles water. If that wasn’t obvious enough, it becomes clear when you visit Mitch Timmerman and his ‘rainfall simulator’ trailer. “Water can influence the fate of nutrients, the development of… Read More

Wet conditions at harvest inevitably result in a mess, as heavy combines and grain carts leave their mark in the soft soil. With above normal rainfall extending into harvest in parts of Western Canada, we’re seeing some deep ruts and serious compaction from harvest equipment. “That wheel traffic compaction can go as deep as three… Read More