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
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
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
‘Wake-up call’ needed for resistance
Provincial crop expert says it’s time to stop pretending it’s not ‘a huge issue’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Weed resistance has been an issue in crop production for many years, but is coming to the forefront as increasing numbers of weeds are no longer responding to herbicides. “Most producers are aware of the issue, but unless it affects them directly, don’t see it as a huge issue,” said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. […] Read more
The new edition of the Blue Book is out
Reading Time: < 1 minute This year’s edition of the Blue Book is now available. Crop Protection 2017 has been updated to include newly registered pesticides and usage instructions. This includes new herbicide registrations for pre-seed products and a number of new fungicides, including products for use on canola, cereal crops, and potatoes. Newly registered seed treatments are available for […] Read more
Herbicide resistance is everywhere you look
This year it’s Alberta’s turn to be surveyed by Ag Canada — but researchers already know the news won’t be good
Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’ve found herbicide-tolerant weeds in your field, you’re not in the minority. Weed resistance is increasing worldwide, so it’s really important that Prairie growers understand growing herbicide tolerance, says one of the country’s top resistance experts. “Group 2 really overshadows all the other groups in terms of weed resistance,” said Hugh Beckie, a research […] Read more
This is not good — triple-resistant kochia has entered Alberta
Glyphosate-resistant kochia was bad but there’s a new strain that’s much worse
Reading Time: 3 minutes Kochia, one of Western Canada’s most abundant and economically devastating weed species, has won another major battle in overcoming herbicide. This summer, the first known Group 4 herbicide-resistant kochia was identified in a durum wheat field in southwestern Saskatchewan. And samples currently being tested from a farm in southern Alberta are also suspected to be […] Read more
Controlling winter weeds now will pay off later
It’s cheaper to control winter weeds in the fall, and they won’t compete with your spring crop
Reading Time: 2 minutes You’ve been busting your butt during harvest and you’ve scouted your field many times during the growing season. But if you’re direct seeding, it’s worth scouting just one more time for winter weeds after you harvest. “It depends on what kind of production system a producer has,” said Mark Cutts, crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture’s […] Read more
Half of Alberta fields have herbicide-resistant wild oats
The short-term gain from growing profitable crops too frequently will bring long-term pain, say weed experts
Reading Time: 4 minutes For Craig Shaw, herbicide resistance is a wreck waiting to happen. “It’s manageable at the present moment, but I wouldn’t guarantee it will remain manageable moving forward,” said Shaw, who has widespread herbicide resistance on his farm near Lacombe. “We’ve learned our lesson in terms of staying on top of weed control and making sure […] Read more
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