Manitoba Agriculture entomologist John Gavloski highlights several key insect pests that can affect forage crop production and shares strategies for managing them.
Tag Archives forages
What insect pests are bugging your forage crops?
Grasshoppers, cutworms and armyworms can cause major damage if left unchecked. Learn how to scout and manage them
Lessons learned growing forage mixtures for beef production
While polycrop forage blends offer many benefits, farmers need to adapt their strategies to their specific environments
As with any farming practice, taking a run at a polycrop forage blend can lead to varying results based on your location, weather and management strategies.
Managing diseases in alfalfa
From seedling issues to stand die-off, understanding the timing and symptoms of alfalfa diseases can help protect yield
Understanding the multiple potential disease pressures on your alfalfa stand can help you improve its yield.
Alfalfa aptitude: five things to consider when selecting varieties
In the case of alfalfa varieties, it’s usually well worth splurging for a top yielder
Yield tops Dan Undersander’s list of considerations for an alfalfa variety, for the simple reason that profitability increases with yield.
The hidden hazard of mycotoxins
The toxins can be associated with low performance before they have a clinical effect on cattle
Mycotoxins can be present in virtually all forages and other feedstuffs that cattle consume. A hidden hazard, mycotoxins can create a variety of problems, including impaired immune response, which can lead to secondary infections, compromised growth rates, reduced reproductive performance, lameness and gangrene. Illnesses caused by mycotoxins can be difficult to identify, and treatment with […] Read more
DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman
Outstanding Young Farmers: How they put diversity in their rotations, cropping systems, equipment use — and growing regions
Watching for and developing diversification opportunities is certainly an important part of how partners DJ Wassenaar and Matt Bergman built their farm businesses in Ontario. Growing up on their respective farms in southwestern Ontario, they both started farm businesses at an early age. DJ grew up on a beef operation and started a custom farming […] Read more
Plants and their identity crises
A Little Bit Western: One person’s weed is another person’s useful and cherished plant
Like many farmers and ranchers, I’ve always been curious about plants. After all, we are surrounded by plants, and humans depend on them for everything from food and forage to fibre and fun. Throughout the growing season, as interesting plants pop up in ditches, fields and pastures, I get texts, tweets and messages with photos […] Read more
Night spraying for forage pest can spare pollinators
Spraying after sundown is also more effective in controlling lesser clover leaf weevil
Glacier FarmMedia — Prairie forage growers who plan to spray for a particular problem pest, but want to avoid collateral damage to more beneficial insects, may get their best and cleanest shot in the dark. Forage and seed producers heard about the benefits of night spraying for red clover crops during the Saskatchewan Forage Seed […] Read more
Balancing low cost with enough nutrition
Use caution when feeding low-quality forage to dairy replacement heifers
Most dairy producers always look for ways to reduce the livestock feed costs. Some people have taken advantage that three-month-old replacement dairy heifers have a fully developed rumen and can truly digest lower quality/cost forages. There is nothing wrong in feeding this way, but these forages must be well balanced with other more nutritious feedstuffs […] Read more
Pastures, hayland get a leg up with legumes
Climate program funds allow Canadian-bred non-bloating legumes such as sainfoin to gain ground
A former Alberta provincial forage and livestock business specialist, now working with seed supplier Union Forage, Grant Lastiwka has studied forages in grazing systems for a long time. Over that time, he’s found certain legumes can bring net benefits to pastures and forage stands — significant enough to outweigh the potential drawbacks. Eleven years ago, […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
