By the time symptoms of fusarium head blight (FHB) show up in the crop, it is too late to halt disease development (though you may be able to manage fusarium kernels with the combine). This makes managing the disease a little more complicated, as spray applicators and producers have to assess the history of... Read More
Category: Crop Production
It’s a research project that’s never been done before, because, frankly, there really wasn’t much reason to tackle the question. But now farmers want to know — What’s the best way to condition canola for storage over the summer? This summer, the Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI) is running a trial (funded by the three... Read More
Today, Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced a $1 million investment in a four-year surveillance project to be initiated by the Beekeepers Commission of Alberta. The project will span the country, and will document the health profile of Canadian bee colonies. The project, which will support Canada's position for international honey bee stock trade, will record... Read More
Soybean growers in Manitoba are — so far — rather lucky. While there are diseases in the province that infect soybeans, like downy mildew, white mold (sclerotinia) and brown spot, overall pressure is relatively low. That will change over time, however, as Vikram Bisht, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, points out,... Read More
Growing a bumper crop of corn requires a big meal of plant nutrients. But if you're going to feed a hulk of a plant, you've got to make sure you protect it too. Fungicides may not always be warranted, but if the yield potential is there and conditions are right for disease development, a fungicide... Read More
What's soybean stage R2 versus R4 and why does it matter? Turns out, it matters a whole lot, as does knowing how long you can anticipate the crop being in each stage. Soybeans move through three growth stages: vegetative, when weed control is the priority, to reproductive, when disease control is likely most timely, and... Read More
We're at a critical point in the growing season — some of Canada's pulse crops, specifically lentils, are struggling through excess moisture which could send prices higher. At the same time, those crops destined for markets accessed through the south or east shipping corridors are faced with slow movement, even if export demand is steady.... Read More
Bins have come a long way from the rather leaky wooden buildings of yore. But despite shiny new metal materials, powder coating and hopper bottoms, bins still have a fatal flaw — a lack of substantial airflow through the grain mass. Enter aeration modifications. From big fans, to bigger fans, and large cylinders and screens,... Read More
Ontario's agriculture minister recently announced a move to increased rules and regulation regarding use of neonicotinoid seed treatments on corn and soybeans. As noted, there are no new set regulations on the product's use at this time, however the government is set to begin a consultation process ahead of rolling out changes to the insecticide's... Read More
We’re getting to that point in the growing season where most producers have a general idea of what their crops are looking like. Of course, your expectations are completely dependent on where you farm and there is a fairly wide divergence of conditions out there right now. Eastern Saskatchewan & Western Manitoba continue to be... Read More