Is your planter ready to roll? Corn planting season will soon be here for growers in Ontario and Western Canada. While it's been a cool spring in Ontario, an early melt in Western Canada meant some fields were dry enough to plant several weeks ago. However, the date on the calendar and the temperature reading... Read More
Category: Agronomy
Soil conditions in the heart of the soybean growing area on the eastern prairies have been dry this spring, leading to questions about planting deeper than normal to ensure the seed has access to moisture. This Soybean School West episode takes us to the middle of a windy field near Portage, Man., where Dieter Schwarz... Read More
With corn planting season around the corner, the annual routine of getting planting units ready for a new growing season is well underway. The planter setup and calibration process should account for the size of corn seed going through the planter, notes Dieter Schwarz of Pride Seeds in this latest Corn School episode. "Look at... Read More
Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz has announced the government’s commitment to “streamline and modernize” the way crop varieties are registered in Canada. These proposed changes will now enter into a consultation period ahead of the actual regulatory changes being drafted. Most major field crops grown in Canada are subject to Variety Registration, such as wheat, canola,... Read More
The pictures are rolling in and it appears that the wheat that did get in the ground last fall (or was it winter?) did actually make it. Maple syrup season has wrapped up, to mixed reviews on volume (but you can bet it still tastes great), but that also means it’s warming up — and... Read More
Do you manage your corn crop differently, based on whether or not you'll be using a fungicide or topped-up nitrogen rates? That may end up being a new recommendation, as research is beginning to offer clues on how each input works with the other — sometimes providing not just additive benefits, but synergistic ones (think:... Read More
How good is your weed identification? If you had to answer if a weed was a "late flushing" weed or a winter annual, could you answer? While no weed specialist expects every farmer to be a weed expert, knowing a few specific details about your enemy is actually quite helpful in the war on resistance.... Read More
Ergot (often refered to as “Ergot of Rye”) is a disease caused by the plant fungus Claviceps pururea. It’s history with humans is rich and painful, believed to be a contributing factor in the Salem Witch Trials, and the diagnoses of “Holy Fire,” later termed “St. Anthony’s Fire.” Today, it is regarded as a highly... Read More
Soil moisture conditions across Western Canada are "in reasonably good shape" heading into the 2015 growing season, but there are areas where farmers who might not be accustomed to farming in dry conditions are preparing for a dry start to the year. As Bruce Burnett, weather and crops specialist with CWB, explains in the audio... Read More
Emergency use registration will now allow producers in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to use Intego Solo (ethaboxam) for the suppression of Aphanomyces euteiches in field peas. “Pulse production in Western Canada is now under serious threat from Aphanomyces – the most devastating disease in peas worldwide, according to the American Phytopathological Society,” Graham Collier, technical... Read More