Last week's insect alert of weevil hitting second-year alfalfa fields has now been expanded to include the potato leafhopper and more acres. Leafhopper can be especially hard on newly-seeded alfalfa, even if it is a resistant variety. The resistant trait is not expressed in the first growing season, explains Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture.... Read More

Several reports of poor regrowth on second- or later-year alfalfa in the Niagara and other Ontario regions seems to be caused by one culprit: alfalfa weevil. Agronomists are reporting scouting fields that have already reached threshold for the pest (see photos below). Because of early season heat, some established fields of alfalfa were cut relatively... Read More

Saskatchewan-based Croptimistic Technology Inc. has announced $3.5 million in Series A investment from Forage Capital Partners to complement an additional $1.7 million in funding from the founders and institutional debt. The new capital will help accelerate the growth of Croptimistic's SWAT MAPS technology, which provides farmers and partners with high resolution foundation maps to execute... Read More

Widespread late-May frosts across Ontario have many growers assessing soybean crops for injury and wrestling with the question of whether replanting is necessary. On this episode of the Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner is preaching patience when it comes to determining whether a replant is necessary.... Read More