Category: Agronomy

Plant health is affected by a multitude of factors, making identifying problems in a field a daunting task. Nobody is capable of identifying every nutrient deficiency, disease symptom, insect species or weed present. But, anyone involved in production should clearly understand the ins and outs of scouting, and what you'll need in order to ask... Read More

In recent years, wheat midge has caused yield losses to fields across the prairie provinces, and has been blamed for wheat quality losses as well, including: aborted kernels, feeding lines and bran rupturing. So we know wheat midge is a significant pest, but did you have any idea that once anthers are present, the plant... Read More

When it comes to marketing your hard red winter wheat, quality is the name of the game. That means protein. Increasing that protein in your wheat predominantly means nitrogen management. SEE MORE WHEAT SCHOOL EPISODES. In this episode of the Wheat School, Peter Johnson joins us to talk about the relationship between nitrogen and protein... Read More

While the name suggests it's a pest of bean crops, the western bean cutworm isn't the most discerning of pests — corn will do just fine, thank you very much. Since 2008, western bean cutworm has been on Ontario's radar, as pest numbers are building and farmers may need to spray to control this pest... Read More

Soybean aphids don't always cause a problem thanks, in part, to effective control products. But aphid numbers are cyclical despite good control and additional control is sometimes needed. That said, the pest can be kept in check with high populations of beneficial insects present, making scouting and re-scouting a critical means of protecting the soybean... Read More

Ascochyta blight is a disease caused by three species of fungi, which are very difficult, if not impossible, to differentiate in the field. Fortunately, diagnosis of a specific pathogen causing ascochyta symptoms is not usually necessary, as control measures are very often the same. Out scouting? Look for purple-brown lesions on the stem, tendrils and... Read More

Manitoba has the not-so-great distinction of being the fusarium hot spot of the Canadian Prairies. This year, ample moisture and recent heat have combined to create a high-humidity soup pot of fusarium head blight growth and spread. Farmers in other provinces need to be on the look out as well, as the disease spreads west.... Read More

Pollinators, including honeybees, are essential to food production all over the world. It's why farmers are always encouraged to chose insecticides that are as pest-specific as possible and to avoid applying them when pollinators are flying. Pollinators are not just good for bumping yields, they are necessary for some crops to even set seed. Recent... Read More

Guessing per cent bloom of a canola field from the field margin is a fantastic game to play for fun, but when it comes to sclerotinia control, if you're off even by 10% it could mean you miss the critical period for protecting petals. With warm to hot temps rolling across the Prairies, crops are... Read More

In years gone by, seeding overlap fell into the same category as new vehicle depreciation. It was just something you didn't think about as you drove off the lot. You still can't do anything about losing 10 grand as you drive away from the dealership, but you do have some pretty fantastic options when it... Read More