Manitoba’s provincial weed specialist is urging a harder line on herbicide resistance. “Zero tolerance is really where you need to be,” Tammy Jones of Manitoba Agriculture said. “Controlling your escapes. Control them with mowing; control them with tillage. If you really want to, control them with hand weeding, but if you have resistant wild oats
ON THE GROW: Herbicide resistance is spreading quickly
Manitoba Agriculture is warning about new and looming threats when it comes to resistant weeds
Hemp growers will be able to harvest more material
Hemp growers want in on the nutraceutical market, but until now regulations have limited them to harvesting hemp grain and fibre. That might be about to change when cannabis becomes legal
Farmers may soon be able to harvest the whole hemp plant, including the leaves and flowers they are currently required to throw away. Health Canada has just completed consultations on the federal government’s proposed framework for legal cannabis, a document that includes regulations that are, “risk based and that allows cultivators of industrial hemp to
Canola producers put on watch against seed burn
Some cereal fields in Manitoba are seeing seed burn, and Manitoba Agriculture is warning farmers to guard against the same problem for canola
The weather isn’t the only thing that’s hot. Manitoba Agriculture is warning canola producers to avoid banding fertilizer too close to the seed row as continuing dry conditions raise the risk of seed burn. “Adjust your seeding rate based on your seed size and your fertilizer placement strategy,” provincial oilseeds specialist Dane Froese advised during
Livestock producers ponder pasture stocking
Livestock operations are topping off feed supplies or looking to stretch what they have as a late, dry spring has pastures lagging
Manitoba’s cattle producers find themselves facing a serious hangover after a lingering winter and extremely dry start to the spring. They’re making tough decisions about whether or not to put cattle onto pasture now, with scant regrowth, or to keep their animals on feed. Darren Chapman, Manitoba Forage and Grassland Association chair, is among those
Tick season now underway
Provincial health officials say a daily check is critical for farmers, since they’re in easy reach of ticks
Ticks may be unavoidable in farming, but Dr. Richard Rusk, provincial medical officer of health, says getting bitten isn’t. The bloodsucking pests are starting to emerge now that the snow is gone and the province is ramping up its annual public education efforts. The blacklegged tick has once again captured most attention, overshadowing the American
Documentary takes off the gloves on GMO debate
GMOs have been a lightning rod for controversy, but documentary ‘Food Evolution’ argues that science has been the underdog in the debate
Agriculture recently had a red-carpet moment, with twin screening of the documentary “Food Evolution” in Brandon and Winnipeg. Organized by the Manitoba Canola Growers, Canola Eat Well, the Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association, Canadian Agri-Marketing Association and Assiniboine Community College, screening and panel discussion on April 10 aimed to educate the public about the
Piercing the haze around local cannabis retail in Manitoba
Municipalities are sweating the details as cannabis legalization looms and information continues to trickle in from the province
Municipalities are getting some guidance on legal cannabis. Both the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Manitoba Municipal Relations have released guides on zoning, bylaws, and other details in the hopes of easing the transition when cannabis becomes legal this July. Municipalities are still working on the new slate of regulations, while also waiting for
Pulse growers urge low moisture management for seeding
Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers has some advice on planting in dry conditions
For pulse growers used to planting into wet conditions, it’s going to be a year for recalibrating their seeding practices. The Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG) has put the word out for producers to watch herbicide carry-over, salinity, and adjust tillage and seeding practices given lacklustre rainfalls in 2017 and snow-bare winter. Dry conditions
New product promises better parasite control
Extended-release parasiticide LongRange promises longer control over internal parasites, but some local farmers are still figuring out how it fits with their operation
A new parasiticide is promising respite from mid-season worm troubles, but farmers are still weighing pros and cons. Scott Atkins, Manitoba territory manager with Boehringer Ingelheim, took to Manitoba Beef and Forage Initiatives near Brandon April 18 to pitch his company’s extended-release parasiticide, LongRange, marketed for cattle in the pasture. “The big difference in this
Fungicide issues worse in U.S.
Boscalid and other early blight fungicides are facing down resistance in the U.S., but the issue hasn’t quite reached fever pitch in Manitoba
It’s not time to panic on boscalid resistance, at least not north of the border. The U.S. potato industry, including potato producers directly south in North Dakota, have noted a substantial downturn in both boscalid fungicide efficiency and the wider group of SHDI fungicides in general, something that could rob them of one of their