Coverage is key when using desiccants

Coverage is key when using desiccants

A crop desiccant is an herbicide intended for the rapid drydown of the crop, not for long-term weed management. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that applying a diquat-based desiccant entails a few distinctive “best practices.” Firstly, you need to use a higher water volume. Contact desiccants should be applied with at least 20 […] Read more

Store ag chemicals safely

Pesticides are often a necessary part of farm production. Agricultural chemicals present risks to farmers, agricultural workers, children, livestock and the environment if not used and stored properly. Farmers generally only purchase enough agricultural chemicals for one growing season, reducing the need for long-term storage. However, it is sometimes necessary to store agricultural chemicals. The first step for […] Read more


photo: joyce barlow

Three tips for a successful post-harvest burndown

There’s only a small window to get your 
weeds under control after harvest and 
ahead of the frost. Make the most of it

At the end of a long growing season with the harvest in and the fields clear it’s tempting to let your guard down against weeds. You may see a few spots of Canadian thistle and dandelion and feel that with frost coming on soon you can wait until spring to deal with them. Before you […] Read more

Integrated pest management

Integrated techniques offer farmers a bigger toolbox for pest control

Integrated pest management (IPM) involves a range of pest control methods. According to Pierre Petelle, vice-president of chemistry for CropLife Canada, IPM is “a process that uses all necessary techniques to suppress pests in an effective, economical and environmentally friendly manner.” In IPM, “pests” are broadly defined as weeds, insects and diseases. IPM techniques can […] Read more


An open field.

Intensify production by regulating growth

Plant growth regulators can give you higher yields, with lower crop height

Plant growth regulators (PGR) are not a new technology. They are commonly used in other areas of the world with high intensity cereal management systems, where high levels of nitrogen fertilizer are being used and lodging is a threat to yield and quality. Data from the U.K. Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs […] Read more

Swather in a field.

Diversify rotations to slow resistance

Diversify canola-wheat rotations to save profit margins and slow
 weed resistance, before it’s too late

Scientists warn that a serious threat to sustainable crop production in Canada continues to grow. Surveys indicate the number of western Canadian fields containing Group 1 and Group 2 herbicide-resistant weeds has jumped dramatically. In addition, glyphosate-resistant kochia continues to spread rapidly in the west, while glyphosate-resistant giant ragweed, Canada fleabane and common ragweed carry […] Read more


The youngest leaves were most affected and were severely yellowed in this barley crop.

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Yellowed sixth and seventh barley leaves tell a tale

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the April 18, 2011 issue of Grainews

As Rodney drove by his field mid-June last year, he got a nasty shock. His barley crop — progressing well up until that point —was turning yellow. “I’ve never seen this in my 20 years of farming,” Rodney told me. “My barley crop is under a lot of stress,” he said. Rodney farms 1,000 acres […] Read more