While fusarium head blight is an annual threat to winter and spring wheat crops each year in Ontario, the U.S. and parts of Western Canada, wet and humid weather can cause the disease to flourish even more than average, consuming yield and knocking down grades. This year has proven no different, and, as the winter... Read More
Category: Agronomy
Disease control timing in soybeans is coming up quickly, and wet conditions in many parts of Ontario could mean high pressure in some areas. Optimal fungicide timing is crucial for best and cost-effective control, and with that in mind some farmers may be interested in tank-mixing products in with fungicides to save a pass over... Read More
Two years ago if you had asked the average Saskatchewan canola grower what aster yellows was, they likely wouldn't have been too concerned about it, if they had ever heard of it at all. That's because aster yellows, a disease carried by the aster leafhopper insect that mangles the buds/pods of a plant, typically occurs... Read More
A total of 28 research projects focused on expanding or improving barley's use as feed, food and malt will receive funding under a new Barley National Research Cluster, spearheaded by the Alberta Barley Commission. Newly re-appointed federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was on hand last week to make the $8 million announcement. “This is a... Read More
Many are patiently (or not so patiently) awaiting hybrid wheat development. All varietal development requires investment, and hybridization is no different. Investment only occurs if there is a mechanism for cost recovery and return on investment. In many parts of the world, including Canada, royalties through a certified seed system are the only way to... Read More
Unlike bertha armyworm, which is discussed here, diamondback moths are quite small and are carried on winds that come up from the south. This makes monitoring and scouting for the pest somewhat more difficult than others, as pests that overwinter have a more easily anticipated emergence timeline. Beyond monitoring, there are some very telling ways... Read More
With high fusarium levels threatening the quality of this year's wheat crop, Peter Johnson, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, is urging farmers to take the grain off early so as to minimize the growth and spread of the disease. That's all good and well, say farmers, but the crop is... Read More
What's above ground is a direct reflection of what's below when it comes to crop development, but under excellent growing conditions you may not notice significant differences between plants with good root development and those with poor development. At the onset of drought or nutrient stress, for example, you'll start to see a difference right... Read More
Thriving in wet, soggy soils (and thus seldom acknowledged as a problem-pathogen in Canada), aphanomyces is difficult to differentiate from other root rot microorganisms based on symptomology alone. Molecular techniques and identification of spores in the lab are the best means of identification, and as of right now, there is no commercial test available for... Read More
The hybridization of crops is one of the first big stepping stones to major advancements in crop yield, as hybrid vigour really does create offspring greater than either of the parents. Hybrid breeding of corn and canola varieties has led to yield jumps in the leaps vs. the incremental gains made through straight crosses. But... Read More