crop spraying Archives

A drone lifts off at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show at Woodstock, Ont., this September. There are no agricultural pesticides currently approved for application with drones, so agronomists must exercise caution when asked for advice on the practice.

Be wary when asked about spraying with drones

Farmers may ask for advice, but answering may get you in hot water

By Jeff Melchior November 9, 2024

It could happen anytime. As drone fever sweeps across Western Canada, a farmer is eventually going to ask an agrologist or crop advisor to teach them how to spray pesticides with drones. What do you do? Igor de Albuquerque advises extreme caution. “If the product in question does not include drone usage on its label, […] Read more

Equipment, Machinery

VIDEO: Drone sprayer offers large carrying capacity

By Greg Berg July 29, 2024

With a tank capacity of 50 litres and a 12-minute charge time, the XAG drone demonstrated at Ag in Motion earlier this month is specifically designed for agriculture. As Canada inches closer to legislating how these new aerial technologies can be used for spraying – not, as of yet, for farm practices – companies such […] Read more

An aerial view of spraying operations at Jake Ayre's family farm near Minto, Man.

Crops, Features

Spraying facts, fallacies and forethought

Experts share tips on what you need to know before you spray

By Jim Timlick April 25, 2024

To spray or not to spray? That is the question many farmers will be asking themselves in the coming weeks. While it’s still too early to say what pest and disease forecasts will look like this season, it’s never too soon to start thinking about temperature and other factors that can help to determine the […] Read more

Precision AI’s drone is powered by a hybrid gasoline-electric engine, which provides up to two hours of flight time.

Equipment, News

Green-on-green tech prepares for airborne launch

A Saskatchewan-based startup is testing precision drone spraying on the Prairies this spring, but there’s no word yet on a regulatory framework to allow full commercialization

By Mark Halsall March 27, 2023

There are a growing number of options for green-on-green herbicide spray application technologies available to farmers. Companies like John Deere, BASF and Bilberry are using artificial intelligence and advanced computer vision to develop green-on-green spot sprayers, some of them capable of functioning autonomously. What about an autonomous, green-on-green spot sprayer that flies? It might sound […] Read more

A combination of high temperatures and low humidity can cause coverage and efficacy issues due to rapid evaporation of spray drops.

Equipment, Features

Use Delta T values for successful spray operations in hot and dry weather

It’s a better indicator than relative humidity for gauging evaporation rate

By Mark Halsall January 17, 2022

In many parts of the Prairies last summer it was hot and exceptionally dry as drought conditions persisted through the season. One of the consequences for farmers was spray operations with pest control applications may have been less effective than usual. Tom Wolf, a sprayer expert and scientist at Agrimetrix Research and Training in Saskatoon, […] Read more

The spray window for fusarium head blight in wheat may only be a few days, so timing is critical.

Features

Four tips for FHB spray applications in wheat

To prevent outbreaks consider spray preparation, double nozzles, coarser sprays and lower booms

By Mark Halsall December 24, 2021

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is one of the most destructive wheat diseases in Western Canada, affecting the yield, grade and end-use quality of infected crops. Fungicides can be very effective in preventing FHB outbreaks, as long as they’re applied on time and sprayed the right way. Tom Wolf, a sprayer expert and scientist at Agrimetrix […] Read more

Spraying when it is too windy can lead to coverage issues, due to lost product, in addition to spray drift; however, it’s better to spray with some wind than none at all, says sprayer expert Tom Wolf.

Equipment, Features

Ten tips for spraying in windy conditions

Here’s how to optimize pesticide coverage and reduce spray drift risks

By Mark Halsall December 20, 2021

Farmers have several things they must think about when choosing the right time to spray. Important considerations include application windows and time of day, but the obvious question is — is it too windy out? “The wind speed is really the single most important factor that everyone uses to determine whether it’s safe to spray […] Read more

To increase capacity and efficiency, Jake Leguee built a rack for the field spraying trailer that can hold up to four of the 800- to 1,000-litre plastic chemical totes. The rack (or shelf) sits against the front water tank on the left side of the photo. Two totes sit on the deck of the trailer, while the other two totes are secured to the shelf above. Leguee can draw chemical from more than one tote at a time if needed to fill the sprayer tank more quickly.

Machinery, News

Save time with spray operation efficiencies

Covering more acres in a day doesn’t mean you need to drive faster

By Lee Hart December 7, 2021

As most farmers today agree, the field sprayer is one of the most important and perhaps one of the most used pieces of farm machinery, so with a lot of butt-time in the sprayer seat there is time to ponder ways to get more acres done in a day. If you are racing against changing […] Read more

Crops, Features

How to maximize the efficacy of your crop protection products

For starters, ensure you have adequate water quality

By Treena Hein June 10, 2020

No farmers want to unintentionally alter the efficacy of their crop protection products because of water quality pumped into the tank. However, farmers may do just that if they do not have their farm water source tested every year and take the appropriate actions based on the results of those tests. There are several factors […] Read more

It’s not very common a pH adjustor would need to be added to a product where there was not a recommendation on the label to do so, says Rory Cranston.

Crops

What to do and what not to do when using adjuvants

How to get the most out of your crop protection products

By Treena Hein May 4, 2020

Most pesticide labels include a section indicating what type of adjuvants will help you get the most out of your crop protection applications. These labels feature language such as “required,” “recommended” or “can be used” to help you understand which adjuvants are essential to your mix and which ones are optional. But it’s not as […] Read more

Alberta crop conditions improve: report

U.S. grains: Corn sets contract lows on expectations for big US crop

U.S. livestock: Cattle strength continues

GFM Network News