That’s because Japan, one of Canada’s biggest canola customers, has not yet established a maximum residue level (MRL) for the active ingredient, quinclorac, which means all grain handlers require farmers to declare it and some won’t accept canola that’s been treated with it.

“We export over 90 per cent of what we grow and process,” council president Patti Miller wrote in an email last week. “Making sure we meet the requirements of our customers is critical to the growth and profitability of the entire value chain.”

Cargill Canada says it won’t buy quinclorac-treated canola.

The Western Grain Elevator Association, which represents the major grain companies has amended its Declaration of Eligibility for Delivery Form to be signed by all farmers before delivering, Cargill said in a message to its farm customers. Farmers must declare if their crops have been treated with any form of quinclorac and can be held financially responsible for false declarations.

“Using Clever may result in residues that are unacceptable in (key) markets. Using pesticide products that result in unacceptable residues jeopardizes the reputation of Canadian canola and can cause serious harm to the industry’s profitability,” the council says in a web document dated June 26, 2015.

Registered 2015

Clever is produced by Productierra and distributed by Great Northern Growers, the document says. Clever was registered in Canada for canola May 29, 2015 making it legal to use in this country.

Great Northern Growers issued a statement downplaying the risk, noting Canada’s grain system can segregate treated canola if necessary.

“We have limited our Clever sales to approximately 1.5 per cent of total canola acres to allow farmers with serious cleaver infestations an opportunity to manage their problem, while ensuring that the industry can easily deliver these treated acres to markets with established MRLs,” Great Northern Growers said in response to Cargill’s decision. “In our opinion the small amounts used when pooled with the entire canola crop further dilutes residue levels to negligible levels.

“If a company refuses to work with you (farmers), then you can make the choice to find a company that will work with you.”

According to Great Northern Growers, quinclorac has been used on canola for more than 10 years without issue.

“(We) cannot find any instance where quinclorac-treated canola was banned by any grain handlers or has ever been an issue to foreign markets,” the company wrote.

Quinclorac has not been available commercially for canola since 2002, Miller said in response.

More sensitized

“World markets have become much more sensitized to food and feed safety and, over the last 13 years Japan has developed its own system of establishing MRLs and has monitored pesticide residues more closely,” she added.

“We expect that an MRL for quinclorac in Japan will be established in 2016 and are working with the government of Canada to express that this is a priority for canola. However, until such time as an MRL is established, there is no tolerance for quinclorac residue on canola.”

As for segregating quinclorac, Miller noted those costs are borne by grain companies and processors, not herbicide distributors.

Quinclorac offers good control of a number of weeds, including cleavers. While Roundup is usually effective on cleavers, Liberty Link and Clearfield may not be as effective as many cleavers are Group 2 resistant, Miller wrote. Quinclorac potentially has a fit on about 55 per cent of Canada’s canola acres.

“Improved control of cleavers is a priority for the industry if we are to meet our target of 52 bushels per acre by 2025,” she wrote. “However, until MRLs are in place in key markets, we will continue to advocate for control methods other than Clever/quinclorac on canola.”

It’s also important not to exceed MRLs, Jeanette Gaultier, Manitoba Agriculture and Rural Development’s pesticides, minor use and regulatory specialist said in a webinar last week.

To do that, follow the product label’s recommendation for application rate, timing and pre-harvest interval, she said.

Be aware the some crop products have different pre-harvest intervals depending on the crop.

Glyphosate can be used as a harvest aid, but it isn’t a desiccant, and does not speed up crop maturity, Gaultier said.

“Early applications of glyphosate can result in increased (crop) residues and also affect seed integrity,” she said.

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Crop injury in some situations may be unavoidable, since both temperature and incorrect crop staging affect crop tolerance to herbicides. But not all injury contributes to yield loss, Jeanette Gaultier, a pesticide specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives at Carman, writes on the Manitoba CropChatter website.

Thus, she says, depending on the circumstances you may not need to be concerned if you see symptoms in your crop, post-application.

CropChatter is a forum where farmers and public and private agronomists can share the latest information on crop management in Manitoba. Producers are invited to submit questions to the site.

The post CropChatter: When do I worry about herbicide injury? appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“More than 2,000 people participated in our consultations and more than 70 per cent of them were in favour of increased regulation,” said Gord Mackintosh, minister of Conservation and Water Stewardship. “The federal government also recognizes the need for stronger protection — in fact, they phased out ‘weed-and-feed’ products at the end of last year.”

Manitobans have been among the heaviest users of cosmetic pesticides, with 47 per cent of households using chemicals to keep their lawns and gardens weed free, according to Statistics Canada.

Legislation authorizing and giving details on the ban will be introduced this spring, said Mackintosh.

But many farmers predict it will have unintended consequences.

“We’re not just talking about the city of Winnipeg here, this applies to all urban areas, and that could be any residence that’s adjacent to a farm,” said Doug Chorney, president of Keystone Agricultural Producers and a forage seed producer.

Dandelions and other weeds cause significant problems for forage seed producers, and need to be combated with herbicides.

“Ironically, this could potentially increase pesticide use in the province, rather than decrease it, because a yard that is a quarter acre is very little surface area compared to a quarter section of farmland, and it’s amazing how quickly weeds spread,” said Chorney.

However, proponents of the ban said they aren’t advocating people stop taking care of their lawns.

“We’re not saying let the weeds have a heyday on your lawn, you will need to do alternative things to control weeds like dandelions,” said Amanda Kinden, a volunteer organizer with Cosmetic Pesticide Ban Manitoba.

Many lawn-care companies now offer organic lawn and weed products, and the city of Portage la Prairie successfully gave up cosmetic pesticides a few years ago.

“Lawns are where people and pets have the most direct exposure to cosmetic pesticides and the new regulations will be focused on providing safer alternatives to current synthetic chemical pesticides – we know that there are products that are as effective and affordable,” said Mackintosh.

Any changes that may come will be phased in over at least a year, and will be accompanied by a public awareness campaign, he added.

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They make great houseplants as they can go for weeks without being watered — good for people who are away for long periods or for those who simply forget to water on a regular basis. They are very undemanding and tolerate a wide range of growing conditions.

Gasteria will perform well in cool environments — mine are in my cool, all-season sunroom during the winter — but do not object to warmer temperatures either. They are not at all fussy about soil and as long as the potting mix and container provide good drainage, they will be happy. When I am potting cacti and succulents, I always mix a bit of sand into my potting mix and usually cover the soil surface with sand to create a desert-like landscape. The sand helps to increase the soil’s drainage. Succulents need only be fertilized infrequently and when they are fed plant food, care must be taken as any water containing fertilizer can mark the leaves if it is allowed to drip onto the foliage.

Smaller gasteria plants can be included in dish gardens with other succulents or cacti, while individually potted specimens can be displayed alone or combined with other plants within a larger plant grouping to add interest and texture.

It is the unique colouration and texture of gasteria leaves that make them so interesting and unique. G. maculata has blunt-tipped, tongue-shaped, glossy leaves that are dark green and marked with white spots or bands. The leaves are 15 cm long and five cm wide and arranged in two opposite, flattened rows one leaf atop the next. G. verrucosa is another interesting gasteria whose leaves are about the same size as those of G. maculata, but a bit narrower and somewhat concave on the top. This plant has the common name “Ox Tongue” because the dark-green leaves are covered with small white warts — giving the leaves the texture of a cow’s tongue. I have a large specimen of this variety and it has been in the same pot for over 10 years and other than the clump getting larger due to the production of more offshoots, it doesn’t change very much from year to year.

Another plus for this plant genus is that its members do not need to be repotted very often; they have a very slow growth rate so they do not outgrow their space. Every once in a while I give the leaves a quick wipe with a damp cloth to get rid of the dust and make them more attractive. They are indeed low-maintenance plants.

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That’s because those who study to certify as a Master Gardener take their classroom learning out into the community both as students and later as community volunteers.

Master Gardeners are trained horticulturalists who are educated and certified through accredited universities or colleges.

It’s a relatively new program in Manitoba.

Ontario has more than 800 Master Gardeners and Saskatchewan more than 700. Manitoba currently has about 50, some of whom began studying for it prior to 2008 in other locations.

Assiniboine Community College agreed to broker the program from University of Saskatchewan and launched it in Manitoba in the fall of 2010. It has produced graduates in both 2011 and 2012 and there are plenty more to come.

Uptake for the training has been excellent and they expect to see those numbers double again shortly, said Colleen Zacharias, co-chair of the Manitoba Master Gardening Association.

“I do feel that in 24 months we’ll have 100 Master Gardeners in Manitoba,” said Zacharias, who is scheduled to speak at the Growing Local Conference in Winnipeg March 2.

Those studying for Master Gardener certification can take up to three years to complete their studies in botanical Latin, common plant diseases, garden fundamentals, insect and tree identification, safe use of pesticides, theory, and communications. Students also complete a 40-hour internship and must continue putting in hours in community involvement to retain certification.

It’s that community volunteerism that distinguishes a Master Gardener from graduates of other types of horticultural programs. Demand is growing to have those with the certification lend a hand to community projects, says Zacharias.

“If you were to define a Master Gardener it would be as a trained volunteer,” she said. “It means service to the community, by sharing information and helping to grow the love of gardening.”

Word has spread about what their students can offer and their services are in high demand, she said. “We have organizations coming to us asking to partner with them on a community garden initiative or a park.”

Master Gardeners get involved with a whole range of projects from tree planting at Habitat for Humanity projects, helping families learn to grow some of their own food through Food Matters Manitoba’s Dig-In Challenge, and caring for unique urban oasis like Pollock Island, a treed area bounded by the Red and La Salle rivers in St. Norbert.

They have students of all ages, multiple backgrounds and from all parts of Manitoba, Zacharias added.

Assiniboine Community College (ACC) delivers the program, which is open to anyone with an interest in gardening. A recent change is that students can now write their exams, which are mailed out from ACC, at home.

Previously, Master Gardeners in Training (MGITs) were required to write their exams at a designated location.

The total cost for all courses and the large manual that accompanies them is around $900.

Local Master Gardener training now includes Manitoba in a much larger organization that first began in Washington State University in the 1970s after staff there found themselves overwhelmed by questions from the public hungry to learn about gardening.

Master Gardener groups are also found in B.C., Alberta, Saskatchewan, Ontario, Nova Scotia and 46 U.S. states.

The Manitoba Master Gardener Association, which facilitates communication between Master Gardeners around Manitoba was formally organized in 2011.

For more information about the program log on to its website at http://www.mgmanitoba.com/.

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You will need a planting medium. There is a wide variety of potting soils available; choose one recommended for cacti. If you cannot find such a mix, purchase ordinary potting soil and add some perlite and sand to create an appropriate mix. The soil must be loose and have excellent drainage — cacti and succulents do not flourish when planted in heavy soil.

Finally, you will need some plants. Use those you have or offshoots from them to save having to buy all the plants. Select small specimens so that the dish garden will not have to be disturbed for quite some time. Be careful not to choose a fast-growing plant that will take over the garden and create imbalance within your design. I like to choose plants that have a variety of textures and forms — some round, some vertical, some with spines and some smooth. Cacti and succulents range in colour from dark green to bluish green so aim for variation of colour as well as texture.

Planting the garden is as simple as placing some of the soil mix into the container, slipping the plants out of their pots and positioning them in the garden. Give each plant enough space and move the plants around until you have a pleasing arrangement before filling the container with planting medium and settling the plants into position.

It is a good idea to water the plants you are using the day before you undertake the planting so that the root balls are moist. After the garden is planted, water just enough to settle the soil around the plants, being mindful that the soil around the plants’ roots is already moist enough.

I like to finish off such a dish garden by smoothing the top of the planting medium with the bowl of a spoon to push down any lumps or pieces of perlite. Add some sand to cover the soil surface, perhaps add a few polished stones, a small piece of driftwood, and/or a couple of decorative objects. I have a couple of small ceramic figurines of frogs and turtles that serve this purpose quite well. Place your dish garden in a sunny spot and rejoice in the fact that you have done some gardening today!

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If some agronomists are correct, it’s looking like farm kids of the future won’t be deprived of that developmental/family bonding/entrepreneurial experience.

Hand weeding — as well as every other means of offing herbicide-resistant weeds before they go to seed — is now being promoted as a measure farmers should consider if they want to avoid the aggressive invasion overtaking fields south of the border.

Just a couple of years ago, we brought you stories of Arkansas cotton farmers whose farm trucks, once loaded with herbicide containers, are now filled with hoes. Well last fall, provincial agronomists visited fields just across the line that are infested with weeds resistant to at least one, if not multiple herbicides.

Some weed scientists are openly questioning the agronomy industry’s single focus on herbicides, particularly the introduction of stacked traits — varieties that are tolerant to multiple active ingredients.

“Why are so many weed scientists and extension personnel recommending more herbicides to mitigate herbicide-resistance problems?” asks an editorial by six leading Canadian weed researchers, Neil Harker, John O’Donovan, Robert Blackshaw, Hugh Beckie, C. Mallory Smith and Bruce Maxwell published last year in the journal Weed Science.

These researchers argue promoting “herbicide diversity” and stacked-trait technology as the solution to herbicide-resistant weeds is short sighted at best. “Multiple resistance to herbicides with different sites of actions has occurred in the past and will increasingly occur in the future,” they say.

They call for greater crop rotational diversity, more focus on integrated pest management and fewer in-crop applications of glyphosate.

“Are we a discipline so committed to maintaining the profits for the agrochemical industry that we cannot offer up realistic long-term solutions to this pressing problem?”

In a 2011 essay, Robert Zimdahl, a retired weed scientist from Colorado State University, eloquently describes the root of the problem.

“Most biologists accede to the view that their research is contributing to an expanding view of nature that will never be complete. However, in some sectors of biology, and I think especially in weed control, scientists may not operate from this broader biological perspective. We know weed control is evolving, but its evolution has been constrained because 20 years ago the science focused almost exclusively on a single solution to the problem. The desirable goal of weed control was too frequently hitched to the technological achievement of herbicides.”

Farmers can’t control the weather. They can’t control the markets. But on this one, they are in the driver’s seat. They are the ones deciding what to grow. Maybe the idea of hand weeding your fields has appeal. For the record, those memories are fond ones.

The problem is, pennies are being phased out, the fields are bigger and there aren’t that many farm kids around anymore.

Speaking of stacked…

We’ve observed more than once around here that the CWB issue is so full of twists and turns, there’s really nothing that could surprise us anymore.

Well, we were wrong. Last week, we were surprised and it had nothing to do with the Supreme Court ruling turning down the former directors’ and Friends of the CWB’s request to appeal the government’s actions ending the monopoly.

At the risk of sounding prudish, we were taken aback and quite frankly baffled by the new CWB’s latest pitch to convince farmers they should sign up for the voluntary pools.

The “Still on the Fence?” ad running in newspapers and on the cover of the latest Grain Matters certainly catches one’s attention.

It’s not unusual for advertising campaigns to use controversial images to selectively target their demographic. There’s that old adage it doesn’t matter what you say about me as long as you spell my name right.

In this case, that’s easy: C-W-B. But then you start wondering what a busty cowgirl who couldn’t possibly get off that fence without slivers in her butt has to do with sensible grain marketing.

The practical reality of her predicament is she’s stuck on her prickly perch until someone swoops in and scoops her up. We suppose the same could be said about the new CWB, which seems unlikely to draw in the kind of volume it will need to make it as a stand-alone operation once the government pulls out. It’s hard to see how retro ads that exude outdated social mores will help.

The post A penny a plant? appeared first on Manitoba Co-operator.

“That means no survival rate and no weed seed production,” researcher Jeff Stachler told attendees at the Manitoba Agronomists Conference last month.

“Can a resistant weed that is not allowed to produce seed cause you a problem down the road? The answer is no.”

Too often, producers are making excuses for weeds that survive herbicide applications rather than jumping on the problem, he said.

“We ignore survival. There are all kinds of excuses — the size of plant, the coverage — but I would argue that only 50 per cent of the reason for any plant to survive a herbicide application are those things,” said Stachler, who works for both the North Dakota State University and University of Minnesota.

“The other half is the genetics as it interacts with the environment. Those parameters and excuses we have been using for years allow more plants to survive and when two of those plants cross, a certain percentage of the next generation will have a higher level of resistance.”

Resistance shouldn’t be confused with tolerance, he said, citing corn and atrazine as an example of tolerance. A corn plant metabolizes atrazine so the herbicide can’t kill it.

“If it’s the majority of the population and 99 per cent of the plants survive, it’s tolerance. If only one per cent or two per cent of the plants survive, then it’s resistance through selection for those and then you are enhancing those individuals over time.”

Difference in resistance

Another issue is that many farmers don’t fully understand or recognize the difference between low-level and high-level resistance, he said.

High-level resistance is survival at greater than 10 times the labelled rate of herbicide and usually there is very minimal injury to plants.

“If you put on the right rate of herbicide in this instance, it doesn’t matter,” he said. “Because even if you choose to go to two times the label rate, you still have survivors because the level of resistance is 10 times the label rate.”

In greenhouse tests, he has found some plants that can survive 1,000 times the typical use rate of a specific herbicide — even when the susceptible check died at one-thousandth the rate. Although this is an extreme example, it shows resistance can become so high, the weed has essentially developed immunity.

It’s a different situation with low-level resistance, where there is always significant injury even though the plants survive.

In this situation, the rate of application is crucial, said Stachler. He used the example of a field where some weeds have resistance up to 1.5 times the recommended application rate. If you put on two times the recommended rate, no weeds will survive. But if you only put on half the rate, a weed with resistance from 0.5 to 1.5 times the normal rate will survive.

And that’s not even the worst part.

“If we just leave those plants out there and they cross-pollinate, a certain percentage of the next generation will have a higher level of resistance than either two parents,” said Stachler.

He said farmers should scout fields between five to 14 days after each herbicide application.

“What you will see is dead plants, and then you will have a normal-appearing plant next to it but again, with low-level resistance, it (will be) injured,” said Stachler. “You may have an injured plant where part of the stem has been killed by the herbicide, but you still have green leaves and some regrowth.”

Examine plants closely

In such situations, you almost certainly have resistant weeds, he said.

Take a close look at every weed, and don’t be fooled by younger, smaller plants which may seem to be dying, but may be capable of recovering.

Missing a single plant can have huge consequences, he added.

One waterhemp plant can produce as many as five million seeds, and the math is frightening even at much lower levels. Stachler used the example of a single weed plant producing 100,000 seeds, with just 25 per cent of them germinating the following year. If 10 per cent are resistant, then there would be 2,500 resistant plants in the field by the end of the next growing season. If nothing is done, then the number would reach 6.25 million resistant plants in year two.

“I am not saying in two years you are going to have 6.25 million resistant plants, but that is a viable possibility, and research in Arkansas has verified this example,” said Stachler.

Also, keep a close eye on the edges of fields and ditches.

“Spray nozzles are set up to have a third overlap on each edge of a flat fan nozzle, so you are not getting a full dosage with that last outside nozzle,” said Stachler. “You are always using a reduced rate of the herbicide on the outside edges of the field. This is a great place for resistance to start developing and that’s why you need to practise zero tolerance, 100 per cent weed control on the edges of the field. Because if you don’t, you are going to have problems.”

Farmers who suspect they have resistant weeds should use any means to remove them that’s ethical, environmental and economical, said Stachler.

If need be, hand weed, he said, adding that 52 per cent of Arkansas cotton is now hand weeded because of glyphosate-resistant Palmer amaranth — although that approach is producing results.

“A 50-acre cotton field was hand weeded and it took 110 hours. At $10-per-hour labour cost that’s $22 an acre. Next year with the same 50 acres and management tactics it took only five hours to hand weed because it had been hand weeded the year before. That’s $1 an acre.”

Above all, keep an open mind and be willing to change management practices, including using herbicides with different modes of action and proper rotation practices, he said.

Stachler recommends both a pre-emergence and post-emergence herbicide application to make sure you have a clean crop and aim to get a quick crop canopy closure. Apply herbicides to plants less than three inches high, and always use recommended rates and any adjuvants that are recommended on the label, also at the correct rates, he said.

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The jade plant is a member of the genus Crassula whose members are all succulents. It has plump, fleshy, almost-round leaves that are glossy and usually bright green, although there are variegated cultivars on the market. The stems are thick with a woody-looking bark; the leaves have very small stems so that the leaves seem almost directly attached to the thick stems.

A jade plant can grow up to a metre and a half tall and wide, but its size can be restricted by limiting the size of the container in which it is grown and by judicious pruning. It does like as much light as you can give it — ideally between three and five hours of direct sunlight each day. If it receives too little light, the growth becomes spindly and straggly and the stems get elongated and twisted. Like many succulents, the jade plant requires little water. It should only be watered after the soil has almost completely dried out. It likes a well-drained, loam-based potting mix that includes some sand. A peat-based planting medium tends to retain too much water.

The plants are easily propagated from cuttings, and small stems can be planted directly into soil where they will readily develop roots. Small plants can be incorporated into cacti/succulent dish gardens, they can be potted up individually and displayed in a plant grouping that includes other succulents and cacti, or a larger specimen might be displayed on its own in an large, attractive container. In the latter case, the plant should be pruned regularly to keep it compact and bushy.

If you are interested in bonsai, the jade plant lends itself well to being grown in this manner. One advantage is that it grows much more quickly than most of the other plants that are more often recommended for bonsai.

A large specimen looks good in its container in the summer garden, but it must be taken indoors if any threat of frost occurs. The plant must be introduced to direct outdoor sun gradually, but once acclimatized, it will be happy in a full-sun location. It may even bloom when it is receiving so much light. The only chance of getting a jade plant to bloom indoors is to locate it on a south windowsill or place it directly under the lights of a light garden.

The jade plant is attractive and has several uses, depending on how it is grown and how large it is allowed to get. Its rather oriental architecture will complement any modern interior décor, especially if there are other hints of the Orient in the room.

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I would like to correct the many inaccuracies contained in a recent Manitoba Co-operator article about our government’s Safe Food for Canadian Act (S-11) and changes to the Canadian Grain Act (CGA).

Let me start by first assuring readers that when it comes to food safety, the health of Canadians is our government’s top priority.

Bill S-11 is an important piece of legislation that modernizes Canada’s already world-class food safety system.

To say that S-11 has been rushed through Parliament does not match the facts. This legislation has been debated numerous times in both the Senate and the House of Commons. S-11 has been studied in both the Senate and House of Commons agriculture committees for over 20 hours during which 46 witnesses appeared (including the minister of agriculture on two occasions). Both the Senate and House agriculture committees have done their due diligence in their study S-11.

Going forward we will work with stakeholders to ensure that the regulations support them as they work to produce safe food.

Finally, regarding the changes our government is making to the Canada Grains Act, these changes will further modernize Canada’s grain industry and were expected by industry stakeholders. The changes have already been studied by the House of Commons agriculture committee and are now in the Senate agriculture Committee for further review.

Pierre Lemieux, MP

Parliamentary secretary to the minister of agriculture

Don’t use Tordon in ditches

Regarding the Nov. 8 article, “Concerns raised about Tordon sprayed in ditches,” by Allan Dawson, the question that I ask is “Where is the justification and common sense, of spraying this ‘poison’ along country roadsides to control spurge and unwanted weeds?” There isn’t any.

This is a deadly substance. It was used during the Vietnam War (known as Agent White with 2,4-D) in areas where Agent Orange was unsuccessful.

Tordon, a trade name for picloram is the most persistent of its family of herbicides. It does not adhere to soil and so may leach to groundwater, and has in fact been detected there.

Anyone who uses manure as fertilizer should check to make certain that the animal sourcehas not grazed on picloram-treated hay, as the manure stillhas killing potential to broadleaf plants.

Why are we so eager to repeat the mistakes and lessons of the past? Haven’t we learned anything? Apparently not.

John Fefchak

Virden, Man.

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