Glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane was first confirmed in Ontario in 2010. Fast-forward thirteen years and the weed now has developed resistance to multiple herbicide groups and can be found in Essex County, bordering Michigan, all the way east to Glengarry County, adjacent to the Quebec border. University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter Sikkema has been... Read More
Category: Crop Production
On an episode of Real Ag Radio Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson answered a listener question about the best practices for spreading manure on farmland. Johnson emphasized the importance of considering factors such as soil type, weather conditions, and current soil nutrient levels before determining how often to spread manure. The first step, according to Johnson,... Read More
When it comes to soybean fertility, there are many different pieces of the puzzle we could look at. Tonight's episode of The Agronomists focuses particularly on P and K management. Do starter and pop-up fertilizers make a significant impact on soybean performance compared to just broadcasting the crops' nutrient needs? When do we soil test... Read More
A European corn borer (ECB) population in part of eastern Canada appears to have developed resistance to a Bt protein commonly used in North American corn hybrids for preventing damage from the pest. On April 27th, the Canadian Corn Pest Coalition reported a sample of ECB collected near Truro, Nova Scotia, showed reduced susceptibility to... Read More
The rule of thumb for planting soybeans in Western Canada has generally been to wait until the soil is 10 degrees C — often after canola is in the ground, but there are a number of reasons, including historical yield data, that suggest the crop would benefit from earlier planting. This Soybean School episode, recorded... Read More
A lower seeding rate, narrow rows and attention to detail. They're all management practices grower Jeffrey Krohn employs to grow high-yielding winter wheat on his Elkton, Michigan farm. Krohn's strategy helped him win top honours in the 2022 Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). When all the results were tabulated, Krohn finished first in both... Read More
Several government departments, consultations, and decisions are converging to clear a path for gene-editing technology to be approved as a breeding technique for conventional crops. That's right, if the last hurdle can be cleared — approval of gene-edited plants for livestock feed — a variety or cultivar produced with gene-editing techniques would be considered non-novel... Read More
The Flax Council of Canada has a new president, as Rick Mitzel has been named to the post, effective immediately. Mitzel replaces Wayne Thompson, who has moved on to serve as executive director at the Western Grains Research Foundation. Mitzel will continue his role as executive director of Saskatchewan Mustard Development Commission and CEO of... Read More
Record yields in 2022 after a late start are raising some questions about the assumption that earlier is always better for planting corn in Manitoba and other northern growing areas. Historical averages in Manitoba show a downward trend in yield with each week that passes in May, but the 2022 crop set a new bar... Read More
If a farm has the capacity to buy land, it's often stymied by the lack of land for purchase, not an unwillingness to take on the work or the debt. It's still surprising to learn that about 40 per cent of land being farmed in Canada is being rented, according to Farm Credit Canada (FCC).... Read More