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
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
Weed-free forage program relaunched
Some counties are now offering inspections to ensure invasive weeds are not present in hay
Reading Time: 2 minutes A program aimed at preventing the spread of invasive and noxious weeds via hay is getting a second shot. Alberta’s first go-round with a Certified Weed Free Forage program a decade ago never fully took off but the Alberta Invasive Species Council has revived the initiative. “Use of certified weed-free forage is a best management […] 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
There’s foreign workers in the bug world, too — and they attack weeds
Bringing in weed-attacking pests is a laborious process but it’s often the only option for pastures
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are many ways to control weeds. Rose De Clerck-Floate’s favourite is to reunite them with their longtime enemies from the old country. “All of the weeds here can come from other parts of the world, mostly Europe and some from Asia, and establish here without the organisms that keep them in check in their […] Read more
Canopy Growth to buy rival Supreme Cannabis
Deal comes as pot demand lights up
Reuters — Canopy Growth Corp. said Thursday it will buy rival Supreme Cannabis for $323.3 million, as the world’s biggest cannabis producer bolsters its portfolio to tap surging demand. Shares of Canopy, up 15 per cent this year, fell around 4.6 per cent to $36 after it announced the cash-and-stock deal for Supreme, which owns […] 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
As customers hoard pot brownies, weed firms see lockdown boost
Reuters — Cannabis sales are touching new highs as customers across the U.S. and Canada stockpile weed to prepare for long spells of isolation because of the coronavirus pandemic. Between March 16 and 22, sales of recreational cannabis across California, Colorado, Oregon and Alaska — some of the key U.S. markets — were up 50 […] Read more
Constellation tightens grip on Canopy with CEO appointment
Reuters — Constellation Brands finance head David Klein will take over in January as CEO of pot producer Canopy Growth Corp., hardening up the Corona beer maker’s control of a company into which it has sunk US$4 billion. Klein was appointed Canopy chairman in October after Constellation booked a $430 million net loss related to […] Read more
Pot producer Canopy Growth to stop expanding in Canada
Reuters — Canopy Growth Corp. on Thursday reported a wider-than-expected quarterly loss on soaring expenses and said it would not make any large investments to expand in Canada amid surplus supply and tepid demand for weed and weed products. The decision to hold expansion plans follows a wave of enthusiastic spending by marijuana companies to […] Read more
Tiny warriors get nasty on Canada thistle
Stem gall flies love to feed on — and breed in — the much-loathed and fast-spreading invasive weed
Reading Time: 2 minutes The West Central Forage Association has another biocontrol that can help you win the war against Canada thistle. The proud warriors are called stem gall flies and they’re available for sale. “The gall flies act on a different portion of the Canada thistle than the weevils do,” said Rachael Nay, conservation agriculture and extension program […] Read more
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