Waterhemp, the invading resistant weed, often misidentified as redroot, green, or smooth pigweed, continues to build resistance against herbicide control in Ontario. University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter Sikkema and his research team have now confirmed waterhemp resistance to Group 27 herbicides in the province. He shared the news earlier this week during a... Read More
Category: Crop Production
As I sit in my home office and listen to my house get sandblasted, while patio furniture flys around the yard, and watching topsoil swirl left and right, I can't help but think — is this what The Dust Bowl looked like? Despite many areas of Canada experiencing too much moisture and cool temperatures —... Read More
Perhaps the only area of Canada really rolling full steam ahead on seeding or planting is southern Alberta, and that's not because conditions are great — it's just extremely dry. In Ontario, a slow start to the spring warm up and some wetter conditions have kept farmers from really getting going until just this weekend... Read More
Producers in southern Ontario and throughout eastern Canada are likely to experience a cool and wet spring followed by a summer with lower than normal temperatures, as they push through to harvest. Temperature and all things weather however, are a matter of perception. Keeping in mind a dry spring for Ontario is 8 to 12... Read More
With over 30 species of wireworms across the Prairies, the chances of you seeing some in the springtime are pretty good. For the most part, it does get narrowed down into three main species of wireworms that seem to cause the most issues in our cereal crops: the bicolor, the destructor, and the californicus. Lyle... Read More
When it comes to determining the right rate of nitrogen for your farm there's nothing better than on-farm data. After a winter of talking with growers about escalating nutrient prices and the most economic rate of nitrogen (MERN), Ben Rosser, corn lead with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) is encouraging... Read More
Don't let the soil temp keep you from putting corn or beans in the ground, however, you will want to make sure the forecast isn't calling for cold rain. That's right, it IS May and that means that soil temperature as a guide to planting gets thrown out the window, but a cold drink of... Read More
As tillering winter wheat moves into stem elongation it's time to assess the lodging potential of the crop and determine whether a plant growth regulator (PGR) should be applied. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Wheat School, Syngenta agronomic service representative Marijka Vanderlaan offers tips on identifying plant growth stages and how plant growth can be... Read More
We've all experienced those fields where the weeds have gotten out of hand. Sometimes weeds getting away on us is because we didn't have a great handle on what was out there to begin with. RongRong Xian, technical service manager with BASF, says scouting before you get into the field with the drill is key.... Read More
There are so many pearls of wisdom in this episode of The Agronomists, such as, sometimes old science is good science; compaction is all bad; and not all manure is created equal. But how should you pay for manure — by the pit or by the load? How much is it worth? Is fall-applied with... Read More