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On-farm research can best answer producer questions

Good things happen when farmers take field research into commercial farms

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For most people agriculture research starts and ends with the small-plot work of research scientists and plant breeders at places like the Brandon Research Centre. Passing by their fields along the Grand Valley Road during the growing season reveals a patchwork quilt of small plots looking at everything from disease resistance to trait expression. There are some good reasons for the
Flea beetles were aggressive feeders in 2019, leading to multiple spray passes for some farmers.
Crops

Year in review: Keep an eye out for these critters in 2020

Entomologist John Gavloski says these should be on your radar

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Based on what went on in Manitoba fields this past season, producers may want to be on the lookout for several insects in 2020 that could potentially make a reappearance. At the top of the list are flea beetles, cutworms and grasshoppers, according to Manitoba’s provincial entomologist, John Gavloski. Speaking at the recent Manitoba Agronomists
Clubroot galls are the sure sign the disease is present, but dead patches in the field should also be easy to spot at swathing time.
Crops, Oilseeds

The Manitoba clubroot advantage

So far the transmission pattern for the disease suggests farmers in this province still have time to act

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It looks like clubroot is moving just a bit differently in Manitoba and that could be good news for producers trying to slow or stop its spread. Bruce Gossen, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC), told the Manitoba agronomist conference earlier this winter there’s a clear pattern in the other Prairie provinces
Crops

Biostimulants: What’s in the box?

When it comes to biostimulants there are plenty of questions but few clear answers

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Biostimulants are one of the fastest-growing parts of the agriculture input market. A lot of products are on the market worldwide and many are being aggressively marketed. They’re being touted for their soil health benefits and other traits, but often little evidence is offered. Carl Rosen, a professor and extension soil scientist with the University
Crops, News

Managing microbes

Taking a page from pulse production, beneficial soil microbes are under the microscope

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One of the biostimulant areas receiving the most attention is soil microbes, something that already has a long history in agriculture. The most obvious example is soybean and other pulse crops that are inoculated with rhizobia to ensure they efficiently fix nitrogen from the atmosphere. It’s an area that’s growing fast thanks to advances in
Planning ahead will help your farm, but part of that planning should be for the unknown and unexpected.
Crops

Adopt, adapt, improve to help ensure crop success

Your management strategy will likely only last until your first brush with Mother Nature

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Farming is all about adapting the plan of attack in the face of ever-changing conditions. The right mix of equipment and new fertilizer technologies can help when it comes to making these on-the-fly adjustments, according to two Manitoba agronomists. Brunel Sabourin, owner of Antara Agronomy Services and Taralea Simpson, of Shur-Gro Farm Services, explained how
Manitoba Agriculture’s Pratisara Bajracharya says periodic reviews of pesticides are a part of the regulatory landscape in Canada.
Crops, News

How and why: What drove the proposed neonic ban?

There are a number of reasons a pesticide might come under review after registration

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As growers still wait for the final decision on whether certain neonicotinoid seed treatments will be banned in Canada, many are still scratching their heads about how the proposed ban came about. As it happens, the re-evaluation of pesticides is a legal requirement and it was during a periodic routine re-evaluation that the Pest Management
Older products like DDT, seen here in an advertisement from a 1948 issue of Saturday Night magazine, have routinely been replaced by newer and safer products.
Crops, News

Regulatory process improving safety

Older, less safe products have always been phased out for newer, safer ones. The latest issue with neonics is nothing new

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The reality of chemical controls is always going to be that relatively speaking they’re a blunt tool. But that also means they’re going to be under scrutiny to ensure their safety. And the safety track record of these products is getting better and better by the season, according to John Gavloski, provincial entomologist. “In an
“Growing season rainfall varies a lot depending on where you are in the province and the crops that you’re growing,” says Provincial meteorology specialist, Timi Ojo.
Crops

The importance of sticking to your crop’s water budget

Keep this crucial concept in mind when choosing crops to grow

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A ‘perfect’ growing season would have just enough heat and moisture at the right times to make a bumper crop. The problem of course is that it rarely happens. With moisture being so critical to both short- and long-season crops, if producers had a better idea of their crop water budget going into a new
There’s no shortage of problems to solve on the average farm.
Crops

Overcoming ongoing challenges key to success

Farmer panel says finding solutions through trial and error moves operations forward

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Farming is problem solving in action. There’s always a new challenge and there isn’t always a ready solution. Why it matters: Farms always have challenges to face. These farmers say they looked for permanent solutions, some of which evolved over time. What’s interesting is how every farmer chooses to deal with those challenges. At the

AgCanadaTV

AGCanadaTV: In Case You Missed It – Your National Ag News Recap for the week ending January 17, 2020.

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