As combines push through the Ontario corn crop, growers are being advised to focus their first harvest efforts on fields where gibberella fungus could produce higher levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) in the grain. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, agronomist Peter Johnson shares tips for identifying fields at higher risk for gibberella and... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Good kernel set — from the tip to the butt of the ear — plays a key role in achieving high corn yield. But every year growers run into environmental and agronomic challenges the can lead to poor pollination, aborted kernels and a significant impact on yield. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School,... Read More
Verticillium has been impacting canola crops in Manitoba for over a decade, but it is now spreading across the Canadian Prairies. According to Jeanette Gaultier of BASF, while verticillium was first detected in Manitoba around ten years ago, it has since been found in every canola growing region of Canada, except the Atlantic provinces. Verticillium... Read More
Weed control is not an exact science, especially when Mother Nature throws curveballs at growers throughout the growing season. BASF agronomist Ken Currah says the extremes of the 2023 growing season are a good example of why it's best to think season-long when planning a weed control program. During spring, as dry conditions continued through... Read More
As canola harvest wraps up for another season, it's an important time for growers and agronomists to get out into fields and scout for disease. Walking fields in the weeks after harvest helps paint a picture of what diseases may be lingering in the soil or crop residue, which can be important when considering a... Read More
Weeds can cause up to 58 per cent yield loss in edible beans compared to 50 per cent in corn and 35 in soybeans. That's just one brick in a wall of weed control insights University of Guelph weed science researcher Dr. Peter Sikkema has accumulated over a 30-year career that includes induction into the... Read More
Tar spot leaf disease has been a little tardy in 2023, but the later-arriving yield robber is still having an impact on the Ontario corn crop. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plant pathologist Albert Tenuta says a dry start to the growing year meant tar spot arrived a little late in 2023... Read More
What if there was a way to boost the number of acres harvested in a day by 20 to 50 per cent while reducing fuel consumption by a similar amount? It may sound too good to be true, but that's been the experience of Darren Maddess after switching his New Holland combine from a conventional... Read More
Pulse crops are notoriously poor competitors against weeds due to their slow growth in the spring. This makes fall weed control essential for establishing a healthy pulse stand in the following year. According to Lyle Jensen of Agro Plus Inc., there are several key reasons why fall is the preferred time for weed control. First,... Read More
When soybean plants lodge, bad things happen. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner says growers are okay with the "power lean" — that's when pod-laden plants tilt slightly under the weight of their bean bounty. "But when they start to get close to the ground, and really lean over,... Read More