Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency released a notice of intent in September 2013 to change label requirements of neonictoinoid seed treatment products used on corn and soybean seed after it was determined that "...current agricultural practices related to the use of neonicotinoid treated corn and soybean seed are not sustainable." The notice of intent... Read More
Category: Agronomy
Planting in to cool and especially cool and wet soils is not ideal for soybeans. But that description applies to most planting conditions in Ontario and perhaps most of Canada. Because of this reality, fungicide seed treatments are an invaluable tool in the establishment of healthy, vigorous, soybean stands. Albert Tenuta, provincial field crop pathologist... Read More
Smart technology "follows" us into our combines, sprayers and grain bins, yet when it's time to treat seed, it's still very much a guessing game. But there appears to be a pretty darn intellectual auger on the market. With a touch-screen input and pre-programmed recipes for Bayer CropScience seed treatment products (and the ability to... Read More
No, you didn’t read that title wrong — fertilizer impregnation is a real thing. In fact, it isn’t even a new concept and many will have heard of this before but likely in the context of added pesticide products to fertilizer prills. The type of impregnation I want to talk about today is impregnating fertilizer... Read More
What's your process for tracking what you do in each field? Most farmers have some combination of pen and paper, app, Excel documents and more for recording the activities carried out in each field. But what process do you have in place for diagnostics? For tracking what you've noticed, the possible causes, the decided-upon cause... Read More
Well, if you've got mad skill on the paintball course and an intense interest in ecosystems/agriculture, you'll be intrigued to know the two have collided. Developed by Dr. James Leary of the University of Hawaii, Herbicide Ballistic Technology (I know, just when you thought it couldn't get better), or HBT, gives sharp-shooting scientists the ability... Read More
Hybrid selection is a critical piece of the corn crop management puzzle — one mistake could cost as much as 80 bushels per acre in yield. Really, you say? Well, that's perhaps the most extreme case, but it's a valid possibility if you take a look at the top and bottom varieties in the GoCorn.net... Read More
We all know that farming is a very rewarding career but it is has some very difficult moments. As we discussed in Episode 1 of the TechTour, there are many hours committed to rolling up and down the field in the sprayer. One of the goals of the TechTour is to try and save you... Read More
Imagine a machine that carries all the chemical necessary for a given field, can be filled at your water station within minutes and you don't even have to leave the comfort of your cab! Well, you don't have to imagine anymore. John Deere is introducing the R-series of sprayers with new nomenclature and improved features... Read More
Seed labs, the services they offer and the role they play in crop production is changing. Within the year, changes to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will shift certain roles and responsibilities to the private sector. Crop inspection services and some analytical services will move outside of the CFIA and seed testing labs are... Read More