Category: Crop Production

With the wet weather across the prairies getting all the media attention, you would assume that most farmers would be dealing with pests that come with an over abundance of moisture. With the majority of the west being wet except for the Peace, pests that love moisture will become a real problem. The interesting thing... Read More

The "big picture" is very important when it comes to evaluating plant stands, especially in winter wheat. The first place a farmer will naturally be drawn to is the visually accessible poor spots in the field. Those areas should be looked at, but always in the broader context of the entire field. If they aren't,... Read More

Farmers looking to kickstart their winter wheat crop are very careful in timing their nitrogen application. Applying nitrogen at the wrong stage in plant development can lead to yield loss down the line. That being said, farmers have to take into consideration the difference in conditions this year vs last year. Whereas last years conditions... Read More

With the discovery of glyphosate resistant ragweed last year in Ontario, many researchers and farmers are growing concerned about the potential impact of glyphosate resistance. The is not just a problem for Canada but around the world where glyphosate tolerant traits are planted. By no means is this a wide spread issue as it seems... Read More

Rain isn't the only thing those constant storms have been carrying into Ontario. States south of Ontario have reported large captures of black cutworm moths, and some of those same moths have been riding the storm fronts into Ontario and laying eggs. The black moth eggs hatch and the larvae then move from the annual... Read More

When the conditions are right, flea beetles move quickly and devastate quickly. The bugs are the most chronically damaging insect pest of canola in Western Canada. They inflict the most damage on canola at the seedling stage, inhibiting proper plant growth and delaying maturity. They will feed on more mature plants, but canola at later... Read More

In some areas of the country, whether on time or late, farmers will have to deal with seeding into cool, wet soil conditions. As we approach the 1st of May, farmers who haven't seeded yet may be looking at planting canola in less than ideal conditions just to get the crop in the ground. The... Read More

If you've lived out west for any length of time, one of the things you've probably noticed is that farmers are pretty good at taking advantage of any opportunity they have to get their crop in the ground early. Around the clock seeding, multiple drills in fields and rotating shifts in the tractors are just... Read More

Establishing a seeding rate brings with it some rituals. One of those rituals can be observed when a farmer comes to pick up their seed out of a bin. Without fail, the first thing that farmer does is run his into the stream of seed and take a good hard look at it. Seeing is... Read More

Wheat midge is something that traditionally, farmers in Alberta have not been too concerned about. It was always more of a Saskatchewan issue. Over the past few years however, as we have moved to wetter springs and summers, conditions have changed enough for the pest to become a greater concern. Wheat midge is a pest... Read More