Reading Time: 2 minutes A plant in the morning dew is a little like a man stepping out of a shower — wet and cold, and that much colder because it’s wet. “The phase change between a liquid and a gas sucks heat energy out of the plant. That practice will actually hurt the plant,” said Ken Coles, general […] Read more
Farmers, hit that snooze button — spraying later is your best bet
For pre-seed burn-down and broadleaf weed control, it’s better to spray during the day rather than early morning or nighttime
Looking to improve spray coverage? Try pulse width modulation
Pulse width modulation maintains spray pressure and droplet size at different travel speeds
Reading Time: 2 minutes Nozzle guy’ Tom Wolf is often asked about ways to improve spray coverage. But as he says — borrowing a turn of phrase from Paul Simon — “there must be 50 ways to improve your coverage.” And one of them is through pulse width modulation — a relatively new technology that’s “on the move.” “I […] Read more
Save your spray: Crop disease risk drops in drought conditions
But diseases like stripe rust, tan spot, or sclerotinia could be an issue if there’s been decent moisture
Reading Time: 3 minutes This summer’s dry growing conditions have at least one silver lining — lower levels of disease in fields. “In those areas that have had very little rainfall this summer, you’re probably looking at limited development of diseases,” federal research scientist Kelly Turkington said in a July 6 interview. “Of more concern would simply be poor […] Read more
Going ‘off label’ is a bad idea all around when it comes to pesticides
You can not only be fined, but also put your customers, the environment and your business at risk
Reading Time: 2 minutes The practice of ‘off-label’ spraying is not only illegal and can result in severe fines, but can also be very dangerous for your clients, your livelihood, and the environment, says a provincial commercial horticulture specialist. “Horticultural chemicals and pesticides often have the dubious distinction of being more expensive than their field crop cousins. In order […] Read more
Fungicide application offers best bang for your buck — in the right conditions
Expert says fungicides paid off big for wheat in wet conditions, but plant growth regulators and extra nitrogen weren’t worth the cost
Reading Time: 3 minutes You know the old saying: In order to make money, you’ve got to spend money. But spend it wisely, says an Alberta Agriculture research scientist. “There’s a lot of different agronomic practices out there that you can spend money on — but which ones are going to make you money?” Sheri Strydhorst asked attendees at […] Read more
Sharpen your pencil before deciding whether to spray
Determining the economic threshold on when it pays to spray is not cut and dried, says research economist
Reading Time: 2 minutes The decision on whether to spray or not can be a difficult one for producers, says an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development specialist, and the wrong decision can have serious financial consequences. “Today’s farm business managers wear many different hats, and mycology and entomology may not be their area of expertise,” said research economist Nevin […] Read more
Fungicide spraying on the rise
Shorter rotations and humid conditions are making fungicide more popular
Reading Time: 3 minutes It seems people don’t question the need to spray fungicide any longer. “A lot more producers are more aware of diseases and are making the decision to spray fungicide a lot more than they used to,” said Mark Cutts, a crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture’s Ag Info centre in Stettler. “That goes across the province […] Read more
Weed competition costing corn growers yield
Corn growers have limited options for controlling Roundup Ready canola in their crops — but Group 27 herbicides offer a ‘good opportunity’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Doug Moisey wouldn’t go so far as to say corn is the “wuss” of the cropping world, but it sure doesn’t put up much of a fight against weeds. “Wuss may be a strong word, but when it comes to weed control, it’s very critical,” said the DuPont Pioneer area agronomist at Farming Smarter’s field […] Read more
Researcher urges a slow and steady approach to spraying
Expert says a bigger tank, wider boom, and faster tank filling is a better alternative to increased speed
Reading Time: 2 minutes Slow and steady is the better bet when spraying, says a sprayer specialist. “When you have to cover each acre five times per year, you may be very tempted to travel fast,” said AgriMetrix’s Tom Wolf at the recent Cereal Disease Conference. “I’m going to try to convince people to go slower. I know it’s […] Read more
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