Category: Crop Schools

Is wheat falling behind when it comes to research advancements and attracting investment? That depends, answers Bryan Gerard, president of Gerard Seed Solutions based in Indiana, if you’re comparing the dollars and cents to totals spent on corn and soy, or comparing the historic value invested in the crop. RealAgriculture’s Bern Tobin caught up with… Read More

There are still lingering questions as to how farmers access, pay for and use seed varieties under UPOV ’91, which Canada adopted with the passing of Bill C-18 back in March of this year.For those that claim that under the act farmers lose their right to save seed, Patty Townsend, executive director of the Canada… Read More

White mould is a fungus caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and tends to cause a bleached area of the stem, with black oblong sclerotia developing in the centre of the affected area, and inside the stem. But, we don’t want it to get that far. Enter fungicides.“The number one problem that growers have in timing fungicides is putting… Read More

Soybean growers could soon have access to a new tool for weed control as plans are in place to introduce varieties that are tolerant to both dicamba and glyphosate to North America in the next year or two.Dicamba tolerance will be valuable in giving farmers the ability to use multiple modes of action for weed control, particularly in fields… Read More

Pulse growers have some decisions to make regarding fungicide applications this summer. On one hand, dry conditions generally translate into lower disease pressure, but on the other hand, peas and lentils are in relatively good shape compared to some other crops affected by the dryness across much of Western Canada. Add the fact they’re selling for decent prices, and they might… Read More

We’re approaching a critical stage for corn — tasseling — and weather conditions in some areas are conducive to high disease development.Recently in the Corn School, we’ve talked prioritizing fields for a fungicide application and where and how to scout for leaf disease in corn, but did you know that there’s another factor at play… 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

Following frost and challenging weather conditions, it’s not uncommon to find wide staging variability in Ontario corn fields this year.Uneven development will complicate timing of fungicide and insecticide applications, notes Dale Cowan, senior agronomist with AGRIS Cooperative, in this installment of the Corn School.“You have to get an idea of what percentage of the field is… Read More

It should come as no surprise to insect geeks that the ash-grey insect above with a rather distracting snout is a weevil. More specifically, it’s a cabbage seedpod weevil (Ceutorhynchus obstrictus), an insect pest that has been infecting canola crops (and other Brassicaceae species) in Alberta since the mid-1990s, and it has since moved across the southern portion… Read More

Several factors converge to increase the threat of diseases on a corn crop, from the history of a disease in the field, to the amount of residue, to the weather. Unfortunately, several corn diseases are carried by wind and can end up in your field whether you practice good rotation practices or not.Related: How do… Read More