Reading Time: 2 minutes This year’s unusual weather is causing pests such as weeds, fungal diseases and insects to emerge at unexpected times, says a provincial crop specialist. A dry spring, a later arrival of rain, and a cooler-than-normal growing season all played a role, said Neil Whatley. “While some producers waited for rainfall prior to seeding, most planted […] Read more
Unusual growing season brings unusual pest pressures
Weather conditions have brought late weed flushes and repeat attacks on crops, says specialist
In the weeds: Canadian farmers can’t stay ahead of herbicide resistance
The problem is huge, rapidly getting worse, and non-chemical weed control is becoming a necessity
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers won’t be able to spray their way out of this — Canada is now third in the world when it comes to weeds able to survive pesticides that used to kill them. “We’re quickly being overrun by herbicide-resistant weeds,” said federal research scientist Charles Geddes. “There have been difficult herbicide-resistant weeds in the past, […] Read more
An early warning on using pre-harvest herbicides
Trio of crop organizations warning farmers about herbicides that are ‘products of concern’
Reading Time: < 1 minute A trio of crop organizations are getting a jump on harvest and warning growers not to use glyphosate as a desiccant. “Glyphosate is registered for pre-harvest weed control — glyphosate is not a desiccant nor is it a tool to speed up crop drydown,” Pulse Canada market access manager Mac Ross said in a joint […] Read more
Expect a full blast of kochia this spring
The tumbleweed already has the south in its grip and two years of dry conditions have made it stronger
Reading Time: 4 minutes [UPDATED: Mar. 26, 2019] Alberta kochia populations have exploded following back-to-back years of dry growing conditions. “Kochia was one of the worst weed problems across the southern Prairies last year,” said federal research scientist Charles Geddes. “If we have another dry year this year, there will certainly be issues with kochia management.” The past two […] Read more
No ordinary herbicide — glyphosate keeps making headlines
The world’s most widely used herbicide will continue to be one of agriculture’s biggest newsmakers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Two things happened to glyphosate over the past 15 years — it got a lot more popular and a lot more unpopular at the same time. There’s no question that most farmers love it. Although the most recent estimates are a few years old, farm use of glyphosate soared in this century. A major European […] Read more
Don’t forget about residue limits before you harvest
Reading Time: < 1 minute If you’re still considering pre-harvest weed control or a desiccation product, don’t forget about maximum residue limits. “Producers need to ensure they adhere to the pre-harvest interval which is the time from applying a product until it is either swathed or combined,” said Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist with Alberta Pulse. Detailed information on […] Read more
It’s the time of year when crop scouting pays big dividends
Weed escapes, herbicide resistance, disease, and pests can all be assessed after spraying, says expert
Reading Time: < 1 minute Spray, then scout, says provincial crop specialist Mark Cutts. “It is very important to recognize that scouting after a herbicide application is vital to weed control, said Cutts. “In the majority of cases, producers will find that the chemicals have worked. However, in certain situations, field scouting may show the weeds weren’t properly controlled. Producers […] Read more
Glyphosate increasingly under the gun
This year’s Keep it Clean! campaign is warning producers not to use glyphosate as a desiccant
Reading Time: 3 minutes The glyphosate you use on the farm hasn’t changed — but public attitudes, at least in some quarters, have radically shifted. That’s part of the warning in this year’s edition of The Keep it Clean! Program. The site has information on maximum residue levels and regulatory updates but also reflects developments at the national and […] Read more
Pesticide rules hurting farmers, says consultant
Producers north of the border have access to fewer modes of action and active ingredients
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canadian farmers are losing much-needed pest management products to red tape. “We’re losing products faster than we’re bringing them in,” said Ron Pidskalny, an Edmonton-based consultant with a background in herbicide development and agronomy. “We’re in a situation where we’re actually ending up with fewer active ingredients than we had before. “The tool box is […] Read more
Timely and effective field scouting covers many bases
Provincial crops specialist says scouting not only pays dividends this year, but allows you to fine-tune practices for future years
Reading Time: 2 minutes Plant density, weed escapes, early signs of disease, and pest populations should all be on your scouting checklist, says a provincial crop specialist. Evaluating the plant population for a given crop lets producers see if the number of plants (per square foot or square metre) matched the target goal that was established at the time […] Read more
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