Reading Time: < 1 minute It’s beautiful, fragrant, and pollinators love it — but Dame’s rocket can spread at an alarming rate, especially in riparian areas. It is found across Alberta, and there are anecdotal reports this prolific seed producer from the mustard family is becoming more common this year. It’s found quite frequently at old farm sites, but is […] Read more
Dame’s rocket, a beautiful but rampant invasive species
‘Stinking nightshade’ a deadly menace
Noxious weed is poisonous to livestock and humans
Reading Time: < 1 minute In 2014, black henbane was spotted in Wheatland, Starland and Kneehill counties, and as far north as Lesser Slave River. All parts of this noxious weed are poisonous to livestock and humans. Poisoning can result in impaired vision, convulsions, coma, and death from heart or respiratory failure. Although known as ‘stinking nightshade,’ it does not […] Read more
A highly destructive weed to be feared
Reading Time: < 1 minute Knotweed has been spotted in recent years in Trochu, Sylvan Lake, Leduc, Parkland County, Grande Prairie, Calgary, and Waterton National Park. There has also been a report of visitors to B.C. returning with a clump of roots to transplant into their garden. This prohibited noxious weed is very destructive, and can grow through cracks in […] Read more
Things not going as hoped? That’s normal, says crop specialist
Whether it’s production conditions or markets, producers need to have a Plan B
Reading Time: 2 minutes Preparation is key when dealing with the unexpected, says provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “There’s always a lot of talk about ‘normal’ when talking about cropping and agriculture,” said Brook. “Advanced planning and adjustments are needed to avoid possible devastating results when ‘normal’ doesn’t occur. Whether it applies to spring weather conditions or markets or […] Read more
Brace yourself — winter annual weeds worse than usual this year
Dry conditions earlier this spring gave winter annuals an edge and for some growers, it’s too late to manage them
Reading Time: 2 minutes The dry conditions of early spring could lead to a spike in winter annual weeds. “Winter annuals could be a problem,” said Neil Harker, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “We really haven’t had a lot of spring moisture, so the ones that were already established, like stinkweed and flixweed and winter annual cleavers, […] Read more
Watch for herbicide-resistant weeds
There are 21 resistant weeds on the Prairies and 38 million acres have at least one of them
Reading Time: < 1 minute The first few weeks of the growing season is a great time to police fields for suspicious weeds. Look for weeds that survived pre-seed burn-off or post-emergent sprays while others of the same species have died. These few weeds could be resistant, and it would be good to nab them early. “It takes 14 to […] Read more
Smartphone app helps farmers scout for Alberta’s noxious weeds
App allows farmers to identify noxious weeds and report them to their local municipal fieldmen
Reading Time: 2 minutes Need help identifying a noxious weed? Of course, there’s an app for that. “Most people have a phone with them at any given time,” said Jeff Fleischer, a member of the communications committee for the Association of Alberta Agricultural Fieldmen. “We prepared the app so that people could have a list of all of the […] Read more
How are biocontrol agents like James Bond?
Beneficial control agents include beneficial bacteria, fungi, nematodes and insects that feed on harmful organisms
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the public grows more concerned about chemical use, many growers struggle with how to keep their product salable while using fewer pesticides. Some growers are turning to a new kind of ‘undercover operative’ to deal with crop pests. “Biological controls or biocontrol agents attack and ‘neutralize’ or reduce pests in a cropping system and […] Read more
Farmers are the front line for slowing herbicide resistance
Weed scientist says producers need to extend rotations, not overuse glyphosate, and employ the most effective tank mixes
Reading Time: 2 minutes Herbicide resistance is like a forest fire — only you can prevent it. That was the message from weed scientist Linda Hall, who said producers need to step up to prevent a situation like that in the U.S. where glyphosate-resistant weeds are now epidemic in corn, soybeans and cotton crops. “It’s easy to say that […] Read more
Herbicide-resistant weeds are just the symptom
Is resistance the problem, or is it farmers’ dependence on chemistry?
Reading Time: 3 minutes For decades, the experts have treated the growing problem of herbicide-resistant weeds as something solvable by the next new chemistry or biological breakthrough. But now more are stepping back and acknowledging it as a symptom of a much bigger issue in modern agriculture. In fact, one of the world’s leading experts in managing herbicide resistance […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
