Beating herbicide-resistant weed populations means making a plan with clear goals and objectives and staying on top of it — and that means not allowing weeds any opportunity to set seed in big numbers.
Farm gets aggressive on wall-to-wall resistant wild oats
Agronomist says managing herbicide-resistant weeds is like starting a fitness routine: make a plan, set goals, stick with it
FEED ME: Can well-fed plants fend off diseases and insects?
We examine an Idaho farmer’s program for crop self-defence
Blake Matthews works with agronomist Jared Cook on an intensive cropping program that improves plant health and soil health, reduces pesticide use and somewhat increases profits. We check in with Prairie experts to see how that program’s principles could work in this region.
Steps to stop blackleg in canola
Agronomists and canola growers have many proven steps to manage blackleg disease in canola. Genetic resistance has been an extremely effective tool, and will remain so — as long as that resistance matches the blackleg races in a field
Blackleg disease, caused by the pathogen Leptosphaeria maculans, is common in canola across the Prairies. It can cause very high yield loss in cultivars susceptible to the predominant blackleg races in a field. The two best defences are: Seed treatment and early-season fungicides can also help, especially if the first two are compromised. This article will […] Read more
It may be time for lime on acid soils
Liming may be an expensive option — but it’s the only proven method to raise soil pH
Acidic soil can plague crop producers with nutrient deficiencies and poor root growth, leading to reduced yields. Lime can be expensive, but may pencil out as the most important fertilizer treatment for those soils.
A crash course on verticillium stripe
It’s important to know how to identify this newcomer to western Canadian canola crops and distinguish it from other diseases
Verticillium stripe of canola is causing yield loss in Manitoba and probably other areas of the Prairies. And it’s getting worse. The disease, caused by the Verticillium longisporum pathogen, was first reported in Manitoba in 2014. In 2015, Canadian Food Inspection Agency surveyors found the pathogen in six provinces, including all three Prairie provinces. The […] Read more
Flea beetles: how to improve spray results
Five important tips when applying foliar insecticides
You’ve probably heard this before: the best defence against flea beetles is a canola crop that emerges uniformly, with five to eight plants per square foot, and grows quickly to the four-leaf stage. Weather conditions often conspire against these best laid plans, pushing canola growers to plan B: foliar insecticide. Farmers get particularly frustrated when […] Read more
Deliver every canola seed at No. 1 grade
This Canola Council of Canada quiz can help you reach that goal
Everything done to produce a high-quality canola crop can be undone at harvest and in storage. One Canola Council of Canada (CCC) agronomy priority is to deliver every seed at No. 1 grade. That means giving all seeds time to mature, harvesting with minimal losses and storing canola without spoilage. For maximum yield, canola should […] Read more
Put a stop to canola yield robbers
This Canola Council of Canada quiz can help
A big step to improve yield in canola comes down to managing the major “yield robbers” — diseases, weeds and insects. Pest management begins with regular scouting. In a survey of 1,000 canola growers last year, the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) learned 45 per cent of those surveyed scout their fields at least once […] Read more
Canola plant establishment quiz
Find out how much you know with this CCC quiz
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) recommends a canola stand of five to eight canola plants per square foot. This is based on hybrid canola studies from Western Canada, which show canola crops need a minimum of three to four plants per square foot to maintain yield potential. Crops with plant populations lower than this […] Read more
How much do you know about canola seed traits?
Take the Canola Council of Canada quiz to find out
Through my @CanolaWatch Twitter handle, I put up a poll in January with the question, “Canola growers, how many different hybrids will you grow this year?” The options were one, two, three or four-plus. “Two” was the most common answer, with 35.7 per cent. “One” was second, with 27.9 per cent. When I shared the […] Read more
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