Insecticides are some of the most toxic chemicals used on Prairie farms. Remind yourself or someone you love about these 6 steps to insecticide safety
Some farmers may never spray an insecticide. Others may spray for grasshoppers or flea beetles in an emerging crop, but later season pests such as bertha armyworm, diamondback moth or aphids are often aerially sprayed. “There is not a lot of focus on insecticides generally because they are not used every year as herbicides are,” […] Read moreWhile there haven’t been major outbreaks of bertha armyworms in recent years, this might be the year you hav e to decide whether or not to spray them on your farm
The Prairies haven’t seen sweeping bertha armyworm outbreaks for a few years, but canola farmers need to watch for the voracious pests this growing season. Right now it’s difficult to say what the bertha armyworm population will be like in 2012, says Sean Miller, integrated pest management agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “It is a bit […] Read moreFarmers in Alberta and Saskatchewan could see grasshopper infestations this year. But before spraying, make sure the hoppers in your crop are actually pests
Of the 80 grasshopper species on the prairies, only a few are pests. Some non-pests will eat weeds, including kochia, Russian thistle, and ragweed. The two-striped, Packard’s, lesser migratory and clear-winged grasshoppers are the most common grasshopper pests on the Prairies. “If it’s flying in the spring, it’s not a major pest species. If it’s […] Read moreVariable rate irrigation is just getting started, but it could be the future of a more efficient way to use water and manage high-value irrigation crops
Variable rate technology is already enabling more efficient use of fertilizer. “Variable rate irrigation could be as big a boost to water use efficiency.” That’s the opinion of Dana Williams-Freeman, manager of Oliver Irrigation in Lethbridge. “It lets us avoid over-application of water,” he says. “That means better crops, and more efficient use of water, maybe 30 per cent savings, just by not […] Read moreThere’s no “one best way” to manage fusarium. For best results, try an integrated management strategy that includes several steps
Fusarium head blight (FHB), also known as scab or tombstone, is a fungal disease that causes yield loss and grade loss. FHB can infect most cereal crops and some grasses, especially in areas that experience humid weather. The fusarium fungus is endemic in parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan and given the right environmental conditions, disease will develop. Weather patterns are […] Read moreThere seems to be a certain amount of “gut feeling” that supports the use of micronutrient treatments on grain, oilseed and pulse crops according to western Canadian farmers
The benefits may not show as dramatic yield increases, but the crops look better, the maturity seems to even out, and if you dig in the soil, there appears to be improved root development on treated plants — those are all features that suggest that micronutrients are doing something. Some farmers contacted for this Farmer Panel say they see at least […] Read more
