Goss's Wilt, a bacterial infection caused by gram positive bacteria, Clavibacter michiganensis subsp. nebraskensis (CMN), is on the move in Manitoba. The disease was first found near Roland in 2009, and in 2015, 35 of 64 corn fields surveyed tested positive. In this episode of the Corn School, Pratisara Bajracharya of Manitoba Agriculture describes some... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Did you apply sunscreen on your wheat? Your crop could probably use it. Every summer RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is deluged with questions about diseased wheat when the crop is actually suffering from physiological fleck caused by the sun’s UVB radiation – just common sunburn. Johnson says growers call him up wanting help identifying the... Read More
If you attended this year's canolaPALOOZA in Lacombe, you might still be singing Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles. The 1966 release drifted through the air alongside hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny iridescent soap bubbles. The bubbles — and the hit earworm — were part of a spray demonstration that was organized to help producers visualize... Read More
As the list of herbicide-tolerance traits in soybeans grows, so does the risk of off-target herbicide applications. For many years, most soybeans in North America have been glyphosate-tolerant, with the exception in areas that grow conventional soybeans for the food market. But LibertyLink glufosinate-tolerant soybeans are being planted on some acres and Monsanto plans to... Read More
When soybean aphids start multiplying in soybean fields, the decision to spray is typically triggered by the number of aphids found on each plant. The threshold for growers in Western Canada is usually reached when there are an average of 250 aphids per plant on 80 percent of the plants. The population should still be... Read More
"Herbicide layering" looks to be an effective approach to managing hard-to-control cleavers in pulses. As Eric Johnson, weed scientist at the University of Saskatchewan, explains in this Pulse School episode, herbicide layering is the application of different modes of action sequentially. It usually involves a pre-seed soil-applied herbicide, such as sulfentrazone, ethalflurolin or pyroxasulfone, ,... Read More
Pea aphids populations have been reaching problematic levels in some parts of the Prairies over the last few weeks. In this Pulse School episode, Dennis Lange, provincial pulse specialist in Manitoba, says they're still a concern in some areas. "We're at the stage where some of the later seeded pea fields are in the late... Read More
It’s been more than a year since the Canadian government’s decision to implement UPOV ’91 standards for Plant Breeders’ Rights. When it was ratified, the seed industry touted the agreement as a significant driver of new investment in crop breeding and genetics for Canadian farmers. In this Wheat School episode, Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter... Read More
Growers topdressing melted urea to boost wheat protein should be asking their supplier whether it contains a contaminant that's toxic to wheat, suggests a soil scientist at the University of Manitoba. With the introduction of higher yielding wheat varieties, there's been new interest in applying post-anthesis nitrogen to wheat to boost protein content in Western... Read More
Are spider mites poised to infest your soybean fields? With drought conditions persisting across Ontario, Huron Commodities agronomist Wayne Wheeler says “it’s not a case of whether spider mites will show up, but when.” In this episode of Real Agriculture Soybean School, Wheeler explains that one of the major attractions for spider mites are well-groomed... Read More