For many farmers, seeing corn production top 200 or 250 bushels an acre simply leaves them wondering, "Why can't wheat get over 100, 150 bushels an acre?" Winter wheat can, and certainly spring wheat does now and again, but not consistently enough to pull the averages up even into the high 90s for many farms.... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Swede midge larvae and symptoms were spotted in much of northeastern Saskatchewan this summer, concerning producers and agronomists alike. This isn't the first time there has been concern over their movement, however. Three adult midge were found in Saskatchewan in 2007, only seven years after first being identified in Ontario, where their spread has been... Read More
No longer only the concern of Alberta canola growers, clubroot symptoms have been found in at least two Manitoba canola fields. This is a disease that, once established, is not easily controlled and is essentially impossible to eradicate. All canola growers in the Prairie Provinces need to be on the look out for this disease... Read More
Ah, Canada fleabane. This nasty weed isn't just an issue because of confirmed glyphosate resistance — its very nature of germinating whenever the heck it feels like it means that it's one weed that can't be well controlled by just one or even a few control methods. Canada fleabane control and resistance management requires a... Read More
The seed drill does its most precise job if running through uniform residue and soil. While there's little you can do about soil variability, residue management is well within your power. As Peter Johnson says in this video, start your winter wheat planting pass from the combine by spreading residue uniformly. (Click here to see... Read More
Oilseeds are riskier to store. That's just a fact, and canola is no different. In fact, the higher the oil content — a plus for the canola crop — is also a liability when it comes to safe storage. In the last Canola School, Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, went... Read More
Side band? Top dress? Add micros or not? When it comes to wheat production many farmers are looking to closely match crop needs with fertilizer applications, but exactly how to meet those needs brings up a host of questions. Never fear, as Peter Johnson, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, is... Read More
Post-harvest spray applications are an effective way to deal with hard-to-control perennial and winter annual weeds like Canadian thistle, foxtail barley and dandelion. But, whether you're dealing with frost, labour shortages or incredibly dry conditions, spraying in the fall can be a challenge. A dry fall can not only limit the active growth of weeds,... Read More
With concern over bee health and the potential impact of seed treatments that contain neonicotinoid products increasing, the seed industry is taking steps to offer farmers choices in seed treatment options for 2014. How do you decide if you need to order seed with or without an insecticide seed treatment? Greg Stewart, corn specialist with... Read More
Is the soybean setting on the combine really where you should start when setting up the combine for harvest? And is a flex header really necessary or just a nice-to-have sort of piece of equipment? The answers are yes and yes, and in this video, Harvey Chorney, of the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute and a... Read More