Category: Crop Schools

With winter wheat progressing rapidly through its growth stages in Ontario, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is advising growers to keep a close eye on the crop. With crop development running 10 days ahead of schedule, Johnson says wheat fields need to be scouted to make critical management decisions to optimize yield. On this episode of... Read More

It's still early days, but as we wait for soil temperatures to warm up in parts of the Prairies and for canola seeding to roll in full force, it's good to review the potential for canola diseases. Root rot pathogens pose a certain amount of risk to a canola crop early in the season. Justine... Read More

We rely more and more on artificial intelligence and powerful computers to accumulate and process information. Can artificial intelligence help us grow a better soybean crop? In this Soybean School episode, Bernard Tobin is joined by Shawn Conley, University of Wisconsin-Madison soybean extension specialist, to talk about his research in artificial intelligence derived management systems... Read More

Resistance to Group 2 herbicides has been common and assumed in many cases with kochia in Western Canada for years, but weed survey results show glyphosate (Group 9) resistance in the invasive tumbleweed species has exploded in recent years. In 2013, less than 1 per cent of kochia populations sampled by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada... Read More

With canola prices where they're at, producers want to hit those optimum yields. There are a few hurdles to overcome this year though, as high fertilizer prices and dry conditions might limit starter fertilizer rates. In this Canola School episode, Kara Oosterhuis is joined by Jack Payne, grow team advisor at Federated Co-operatives Ltd., on... Read More

Flea beetles are a common insect pest in early growing canola across the Prairies. There are two important species of concern for canola (and mustard) growers: the striped flea beetle and the crucifer flea beetle. "The feeding is indistinguishable, but the striped flea beetle comes up earlier," says James Tansey, provincial entomologist with Saskatchewan Ministry... Read More

Kochia is one of the first weeds to emerge in spring. There are reports that 80 per cent of the kochia population emerges before anything else in a field. The fact that it emerges so early puts a lot of pressure on the pre-emergent herbicide options out there. In this Wheat School episode, Kara Oosterhuis... Read More

For decades, soybean acreage has increased in Canada and has been internationally fuelled by growing world demand for the oilseed crop. Soybeans have also proven to be a friend to farmers, making a profitable contribution to the bottom line and adding another cropping option to diversify and extend rotations. But what happens when farmers plant... Read More

Any time you're growing canola, and any field you're growing it in, clubroot should be on your mind. For Leighton Blashko, senior technical specialist at BASF Canada, the two most important things when it comes to this yield-robbing disease are sanitation and avoidance. In this Canola School episode, Blashko and field editor Kara Oosterhuis talk... Read More

Seed and soil-borne diseases should be on the radar of every grower this time of year. Getting a handle on the diseases present on your seed means being able to pick an effective seed treatment. "As we go into seeding, there are four common pathogens or diseases that your seed is going to encounter," says... Read More