It’ll come as no surprise to Manitoba producers that the major pests to watch for this coming growing season are flea beetles in canola as well as grasshoppers and cutworms across all Prairie crops. All three are well established in Manitoba, all three overwinter in the province and all three showed high populations last year. […] Read more
Features
Higher grasshopper nymph populations expected this spring in Manitoba
Manage nymphs in hatching areas before they disperse into crops
Expect flea beetle and cutworm issues in Alberta fields
Grasshopper population levels will depend on weather, for one
Spring is finally coming to Alberta crop fields. Unfortunately, insect pests won’t be far behind. Weather, natural population cycles and wind conditions are just a few factors influencing insect pest numbers this season. Grasshopper Alberta is home to 85 species of grasshoppers, three of which caused economic damage to Alberta fields last year. In the […] Read more
Crop advisor casebook: Seeding issue makes for unhealthy wheat plants?
A Crop Advisor's Solution from the May 12, 2020 issue of Grainews
In early June, I got a call from Keith, who owns a mixed cattle and grain farm near Grandview, Man. He’d been out checking his crop for herbicide timing when he noticed there were parallel stripes of yellowing plants running all across the field. Keith, who also grows canola, oats and mixed hay on his […] Read more
How to use remote sensing for crops to its fullest potential
Images from drones and satellites can be part of a much bigger picture
Remote sensing tools can produce a lot of valuable information about what’s happening on farmland and within your crops, but the full potential has yet to be properly harnessed, says a north-central Alberta agronomist after studying the technology for a couple years. Satellite imagery, aerial photography and images captured by unmanned drones are all forms […] Read more
How often should you check tire pressure and why does it matter?
You could be risking your soil health, crop yield and operating efficiency
Quick quiz: when was the last time you checked your equipment’s tire pressure? Very few farmers manage the recommended weekly tire pressure checks; even fewer meet the ideal of a daily pressure check. The result? Tire experts agree that almost all western Canadian farmers routinely operate at damagingly incorrect p.s.i. The results are quietly costing […] Read more
What weed experts say you should have your eye on in 2020
A province-by-province look at what you need to know about weeds this growing season
Three provincial weed specialists offer their insights on the weeds farmers may find in their fields this growing season and what can be done about them. Manitoba Tammy Jones, a Manitoba Agriculture weed specialist, lists redroot pigweed, lamb’s quarters and green and yellow foxtail as the biggest weed threats this year. Winter annuals like stinkweed […] Read more
Crop advisor casebook: Crop circles in Manitoba soybeans
A Crop Advisor's Solution from the April 21, 2020 issue of Grainews
Like most people, I’ve heard of those mysterious formations in farmers’ fields known as crop circles, but I never thought I’d run into one. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it when I got a call last June from a farmer who said he’d spotted some circular patches in one of his soybean […] Read more
What to do about volunteer canola in 2020 after “harvest from hell”
Here are some management steps to control this weed in your fields
Volunteer canola is a significant weed across the Prairies, and given the difficulties with the 2019 harvest, it will likely be a larger issue in the spring of 2020, says Ian Epp, Canola Council of Canada (CCC) agronomy specialist for northwest Saskatchewan. “Fields with overwintering canola or canola that came off late in harvest will […] Read more
Watch for expansion of waterhemp, Palmer amaranth and kochia in 2020
Serious weed threats continue to advance and grow, farmers urged to test for resistance
For growers in Manitoba, waterhemp is a serious threat in 2020, reports Tammy Jones, a Manitoba Agriculture weed specialist. This weed was present last year in both eastern and central Manitoba, and Jones’ “biggest fear” is that more will be found in the province this year. And, as reported by Canola Council of Canada (CCC), […] Read more
How to minimize soil compaction on your farm
Compaction facts, how to tackle it and its effect on your farm’s bottom line
If you’re driving alongside your field before your crop comes up this spring, it will likely be very easy to see the paths your grain carts and combine drove last fall. Look a little closer and you might be able to see the lines your sprayer and even your seeder drove months before harvest. The […] Read more
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