Reading Time: 6 minutes Glyphosate changed farming across the globe — but if farmers don’t want to lose the ‘chemical of the century’ entirely, they’d better use it less often. That’s the view of a seed grower from New Zealand who made farming without glyphosate the focus of his Nuffield research. It’s hard to overstate the impact of this […] Read more
A world without Roundup is a ‘real threat’
But reduced use is an option and can thwart both proposed bans and resistance
Drought may have set up weeds nicely for 2022
And while disease levels dropped last year, they could easily come roaring back in 2022
Reading Time: 4 minutes This summer’s hot, dry conditions made weeds harder to manage this year — and that’s not good news for next year. “This year, precipitation was one of the biggest driving factors for what we saw showing up in fields,” said federal research scientist Charles Geddes. “We ended up seeing a lot more flushes of weeds […] Read more
Herbicide carry-over a risk in 2022
Reading Time: < 1 minute Saskatchewan’s pulse, canola and wheat commissions have created a six-page fact sheet on factors affecting herbicide carry-over and the risk that poses. “Herbicide carry-over becomes a concern after dry conditions because soil moisture largely dictates the rate of soil residual herbicide breakdown due to its influence on two of the major degradation mechanisms: microbial activity […] Read more
Spot spraying gets lots of looks but many farmers seem hesitant
Some are holding off on ‘green-on-brown’ weed tech until it costs less and does more
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to precision-farming technology, automated spot spraying of weeds would be a science fiction dream come true. If it lives up to its promise, farmers would save countless dollars in reduced herbicide use, benefit the environment, and maybe even gain the upper hand in battling herbicide resistance. In Canada, the face of spot […] Read more
The clock is ticking on old-school ways of weed control
Resistance is rampant and producers need a more strategic approach, including herbicide layering
Reading Time: 3 minutes Time’s just about up. Crop growers won’t be able to spray their way out of problem weeds for much longer if herbicide resistance continues to spread, says one of the country’s top weed scientists. “We’re seeing multiple-herbicide resistance show up in a few different weed species on the Prairies,” said federal research scientist Charles Geddes. […] Read more
Agency mixed up about tank-mix labelling, say grain groups
Proposed change would prohibit mixes if a product label contains no guidance on tank mixing
Reading Time: 3 minutes A proposed change to tank-mix labelling requirements makes little sense and would unnecessarily hurt farmers, say grain groups. “Our biggest concern with this regulatory proposal is that it would take immediate effect… and could make some current tank mixes that are being used illegal, for all intents and purposes,” said Shannon Sereda, government relations and […] Read more
Health concerns surrounding glyphosate use are increasing
The herbicide is being linked to chronic inflammation and disease in humans, and that has implications for horses
Reading Time: 3 minutes The implications for the widespread use of glyphosate-based herbicides in our environment has been increasingly mired in controversy despite regulatory assurances of safety. After close to three decades of use, there is a growing body of scientific evidence of unintended biological consequences, including implicating glyphosate use as a contributing factor to the rising incidence of […] Read more
Ready for prime time? Spot-spraying tech advancing quickly
Spot spraying in crop has a ways to go, but pre-seed burn-off may soon be commonplace
Reading Time: 5 minutes Producers have been hearing about weed-targeting spot-spraying sensors for some time, but it’s always seemed to be the stuff of science fiction. In some cases, however, the future is now while in others it’s coming quickly — it all depends on the type of sensor tech you’re interested in. Well-known spraying expert Tom Wolf separates […] Read more
Wet fall and late spring a recipe for increased weed risk
Pre-seed burn-off will depend on what’s popping up in your fields, so scout early, says weed scientist
Reading Time: 2 minutes You won’t hear weeds complaining about the weather — which adds up to another headache for producers. “Because we were so dry last spring, there were quite a few fields that didn’t get a pre-seed burn-off because there was nothing growing yet. I don’t think that’s going to be the same circumstance this year,” federal […] Read more
Herbicide injury guide now online
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Herbicide Action and Injury guide is now available online. The guide looks at pesticides, their modes of action and the identifying symptoms of each herbicide action on susceptible plants. It is useful for the initial diagnosis of plant injury and for further investigation into the causes of crop damage from herbicides, crop specialist Harry […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
