Timing a white mould fungicide application in soybeans can be tricky business. The typical recommendation is to spray a first-pass fungicide at the R2 to R2.5 stage. Most Ontario soybean fields, however, are highly variable and can contain plants progressing at different growth rates within the stand. How can you tackle this challenge? BASF technical… Read More
If above average moisture continues through June, growers should start scouting early for northern corn leaf blight (NCLB). Rob Miller, BASF’s technical development manager for eastern Canada, says NCLB can appear as early as the 8-10 leaf stage in a wet season. Lesions appear on the lower leaves and move upwards, as the infection often… Read More
Growers and custom applicators will need to be vigilant this spring to ensure dicamba herbicide hits targeted, glyphosate-tolerant Xtend soybeans — and then stays put. In Part One of our series on dicamba stewardship, Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin and BASF Canada technical development manager Rob Miller discussed how a pre-plant application is the best strategy… Read More
In Canada, hundreds of thousands of acres will be planted to dicamba- and glyphosate-tolerant Xtend soybeans this spring. That means growers and custom applicators will need to be vigilant in their stewardship efforts to ensure dicamba herbicide hits the target when sprayed and stays put. See Related: EU Approves Imports of New Soybean Genetics In… Read More
Soybean growers will get their first opportunity to grow Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans in 2017. They’ll also get to see how Engenia, BASF’s new dicamba formulation, performs with the new seed technology. In this episode of Real Agriculture’s Soybean School, we travel to BASF’s research farm at Maryhill, Ont., to check out Engenia Roundup… Read More
Dry conditions can be tough on soybean residual herbicides, but with a little rain, they’re up to the task, says BASF field biologist Rob Miller. He concedes that in a dry year like 2016 in Ontario, residuals can be less effective, “but you’re still seeing the value of residual weed control, especially with burndown. Even… Read More
What impact can fungicide have on corn that’s suffering through the dry Ontario summer? It all depends on your crop’s yield potential, explains BASF technical development specialist Rob Miller. Quite simply, fungicide applications are designed to protect yield potential throughout the grain fill period. Maintaining healthy plants that stay green allows for a greater amount… Read More
If you haven’t already applied a fungicide to your soybean acres, it may be time to consider it, as white mould and septoria are already surfacing in fields across the country. And proper timing is essential. “What we’ve seen for the most economical yield response is at that R2.5 stage, or at that early pin bean… Read More
For the lucky soybean growers who still have maturing and not frosted soybeans on their hands, this post on pre-harvest management of the crop is for you! (And for you farmers in the east stung by the September frost, we’re sorry, and maybe keep all this info in mind for next year.) There are solid… Read More
Sweeping changes are taking place in crop protection, especially when it comes to traditional chemicals. I believe these changes are for the best, but they’re going to take some explaining to consumers. Here’s what’s happening. At the BASF media summit in North Carolina this week, the company announced it was introducing an eye-popping 20 new… Read More
Disease control timing in soybeans is coming up quickly, and wet conditions in many parts of Ontario could mean high pressure in some areas. Optimal fungicide timing is crucial for best and cost-effective control, and with that in mind some farmers may be interested in tank-mixing products in with fungicides to save a pass over… Read More
At the end of the year, when all is said and done and you’re looking at what your corn crop produced, it’s a really good exercise to think about where yields are now vs where they were. Then start to stack up everything that went up against it from late planting to cool temperatures, hot… Read More
We’ve talked about the importance of pre-plant control of Canada fleabane, and how to avoid letting this weed get a foothold in your field, but what are your options when it is there? There are several options, but the effectiveness of both tillage or herbicides is influenced by many factors. Tillage is only about 70%… Read More
Protecting the almighty flag leaf of a wheat crop is paramount, as this single, fat leaf contributes the vast majority of energy to fill those kernels. Timing a fungicide application to protect against leaf diseases like tan spot or septoria must happen before heads emerge to really benefit the crop. Of course, as heads start… Read More
With recent dry conditions slowly sapping the potential from the Ontario corn crop, producers want to protect their corn in any way they can. Leaf disease on top of heat stress can add insult to injury taking even more of your yield potential. A well timed fungicide application, when it makes good economic sense, can… Read More