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Agronomists are finding swede midge in Prairie canola fields. Add this new pest to your 2013 field-scouting list
The Swede midge, a gall midge native to Europe and Asia, was first identified in Ontario in 2000. In Europe, Swede midge is a common threat to cruciferous vegetable crops like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. Its first discovery in Ontario was in vegetable crops, and it has been closely monitored since because of its potentially […] Read moreAs the CFIA backs away from regulating fertilizer efficacy, Chris Holpzafel recommends that farmers look to third-party research
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) will stop regulating efficacy for fertilizers and supplements in April 2013. Whether loosening the regulations will benefit farmers by lowering costs and allowing sellers to bring new products to market quickly, or allow some companies to sell products without backing their claims, remains to be seen. As an interim measure the CFIA […] Read moreYour crop will take up nutrients in either liquid or granular form. How you decide to provide those nutrients is up to you
History, routine and that’s the way it’s always been done. The smartest, most savvy farmers among us are susceptible to ruts, mentally and practically. The liquid versus granular fertilizer debate, if there is one, is, at its core, a question of science, finances, tradition and geography. Crops need specific nutrients during specific stages of growth. And those nutrients need […] Read moreMany farmers are dealing with seed infected with fusarium head blight (FHB). This four-step management plan can help keep it under control
When farmers pick up their cereal seed this year, what’s on their mind will largely depend on where they live, especially when it comes to concerns about fusarium head blight (FHB). Fusarium on the Prairies In Alberta, farmers purchasing seed from retailers can be confident that seed is not infected with Fusarium graminearum, the species […] Read morePlants can’t always use the phosphorus in your soil. Here are six factors that determine available levels
Most soils on the Canadian prairies are phosphorus deficient — 80 per cent of the fields in Saskatchewan, according to Dr. Don Flaten, soil science professor at the University of Manitoba. In Manitoba, 60 per cent of fields were found to be lacking in phosphorus; 50 per cent in Alberta. There are two major causes […] Read more
