Category: Crop Schools

With changes to the way wheat is marketed and the arrival of higher-yielding varieties, there’s growing interest in boosting wheat protein content with in-season nitrogen applications in Western Canada.The basic recipe is 10 gallons per acre of 28-0-0 with 10 gallons of water applied with a flat fan nozzle shortly after anthesis or flowering, explains Brunel Sabourin… Read More

As a diverse set of volunteers in the agriculture industry, it’s hard to assign a worth to the work beneficial insects accomplish, but their absence can speak volumes, if you’re listening.To showcase that, Jim Broatch, pest management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, talks root maggots in this Canola School, and how an insecticide application targeting… Read More

You have several corn fields and only one of you — how do you prioritize which field gets fungicide first?2015 is shaping up to likely be a high disease pressure year, says Albert Tenuta, field crop plant pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and a little planning now could… Read More

You know the weeds are going to be there eventually, but a really dry start to the 2015 growing season means not just the crop is struggling to emerge and take off. While decreased weed pressure is a good thing, some pulse producers are having to navigate a tricky situation — the weeds are finally… Read More

Stripe rust was reported in early spring in Alberta, likely having over-wintered in the southern part of the province, and now there are reports in Manitoba of the fungus arriving on winds from the U.S.In this Wheat School episode, Holly Derksen, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, describes how stripe rust inoculum moves north from the southern… Read More

Poor emergence or damping off of young soybean plants can be a sign of a seedling disease or root rot problem, especially following cool, wet weather as experienced in much of the soybean growing part of Western Canada this spring.As Holly Derksen, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, explains in this Soybean School West episode, there are four… Read More

Skipped plants in a corn row aren’t always due to mechanical error or seedling blights. Early insects like wireworm or grubs can kill plants rather stealthily, leaving gaps in a row or neat leaf damage, while cutworm can clip off a patch of plants overnight. Knowing which insect causes what damage is important when assessing… Read More

Other Episodes: Wheat School: Seed treatments are like putting a “bunny hug” on seedWheat School: Seeding ultra early helps wheat beat the heatWheat School: How stress can increase winter wheat yieldWheat School: More than just germ — leveraging value from a seed testWheat School: Winter wheat packs potential for 2025Wheat School: Drought mitigation starts long before… Read More

Other Episodes: Wheat School: Seed treatments are like putting a “bunny hug” on seedWheat School: Seeding ultra early helps wheat beat the heatWheat School: How stress can increase winter wheat yieldWheat School: More than just germ — leveraging value from a seed testWheat School: Winter wheat packs potential for 2025Wheat School: Drought mitigation starts long before… Read More

The initial frost damage assessment within days of the late May frost had many farmers breathing a sigh of relief, as damage seemed to be limited to just the first few leaves and regrowth was evident.Within a week, however, more than a few farmers were beginning to get concerned about whether or not that inch… Read More