The 2022 growing season was a “monstrous” year for canola farmers battling flea beetles in some parts of the Prairies. James Tansey, an entomologist with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture, shared that assessment with a crowd of producers, agronomists, agri-retailers and other industry representatives at Saskatchewan’s Agronomy Research Update 2022, held last December in Saskatoon. […] Read more
Efficacies of insecticide seed treatments on flea beetles
The latest findings on flea beetle control products
FHB risk assessment tool created for Western Canada
With real-time data, the new tool shows the risk of FHB in small grain cereal crops on a specified date
A new online tool developed by a team of scientists and researchers in Manitoba could soon make fusarium head blight (FHB) risk management in cereal crops easier for Prairie farmers. For the past five years, staff in the department of soil science at the University of Manitoba (U of M) have been working on a […] Read more
How to reduce pesticide waste on your farm
Tom Wolf's simple steps to significantly reduce losses to the ground
With chemical costs continuing to make up a large share of on-farm expenditures, it’s important to prevent any of those compounds from going to waste. That’s especially true when it comes to pesticides. According to the Farm Inputs Price Index from Statistics Canada, total input costs for Canadian farmers rose by 17.4 per cent in […] Read more
Tips and strategies for pre- and post-harvest weed control
While in-field scouting tops the list, also consider post-spray followups, detailed record keeping, weed assessments, water quality and more
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. Breanne Tidemann, an Alberta-based researcher with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), says boots on the ground remains one of the most effective strategies when it comes to weed control. “Don’t rely, especially in the spring, on the 80-kilometre-per-hour drive-by. Get out and get those boots on the […] Read more
Take verticillium stripe in canola seriously
A Manitoba farmer warns others about the threat this disease poses to canola production
Last year, Collin Shirtliff knew the threat to his canola crops posed by verticillium stripe but he wasn’t overly concerned. However, that changed late in the summer when he began harvesting the crop on the 3,600-acre farm he and his family operate near Starbuck, Man. What looked like an extremely promising crop weeks earlier suddenly […] Read more
Root rots in pulses update for 2023
Scientists and plant breeders are hopeful they can provide solutions, but long and diverse crop rotations are still the best management options
Over the last decade, root rots have become widespread on the Canadian Prairies and are now a fact of life for many pulse growers. Grow the same crop long enough, experts say, and it’s almost certain root rots will show up in your fields. And it’s no small problem for farmers in Western Canada. Some […] Read more
Prairie crop disease outlook for 2023
Your provincial experts guide you through disease pressures and risks for this season
Predicting the crop disease outlook for the Canadian Prairies is never easy. With the wild swings in temperatures and precipitation the region faced over the past couple of years, the task has become even more challenging. “It’s always fun to speculate about what we might see,” says Michael Harding, a plant pathologist and crop health […] Read more
Application timing of PGRs
When to use PGRs and application guidelines
It’s said timing is everything and that is especially true when it comes to the use of plant growth regulators. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are hormone-based compounds used primarily as a harvest management aid to modify plant growth and development. They help produce plants with shorter, thicker and stronger stems and reduce the risk of […] Read more
Phosphorus fertility studies reveal best placement
Proper placement of phosphorus fertilizer is crucial to meet the nutritional needs of plants
Like most Canadians these days, farmers are looking to get the most bang for their bucks. That’s especially true when it comes to applying phosphorus fertilizers to their fields. Jeff Schoenau, a professor of soil fertility at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S) and chair of soil nutrient management for the Saskatchewan Ministry of […] Read more
Your provincial weed outlook for 2023
Make sure these weeds are on your radar this year
For as long as agriculture has existed in Western Canada, farmers have been waging a battle to control yield-robbing weeds in their fields. It will be a similar story in 2023. The difference this time around is that battle could be shaped largely by the location where it is being fought. While Manitoba received significant […] Read more
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