Palmer amaranth can grow to be six to eight feet tall and produce a million seeds 
a year.  

On the lookout for Public Enemy No. 1

North Dakota asks farmers to watch for Palmer amaranth in their fields

North Dakota State University is asking farmers to be on the lookout for Palmer amaranth. The No. 1 weed problem in the U.S., hasn’t been spotted in North Dakota yet, but it has been identified in neighbouring Minnesota and South Dakota as well as in Iowa. In a release, NDSU extension agronomist Tom Peters said

Flies swarm around these cattle as they are being moved.

Controlling cattle pests vital

Left untreated, pests can cause significant loss in production

Integrated pest management concepts that are commonplace for controlling crop pests also apply to controlling livestock pests, North Dakota State University Extension livestock and pest management specialists say. Those key concepts for controlling pests effectively are using the right type of control at the right time for the right duration. “Many livestock producers apply pest


Dr. Neil Gudmestad, of North Dakota State University, dives into the genetics of SHDI fungicide resistance during the 2018 Manitoba Potato Production Days.

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

Jeanette Gaultier, BASF senior technical service specialist, explores variety selection and soybean management during the 2018 BASF Knowledge Harvest 
in Brandon.

Temperature can give insight on water mould risk in soybeans

Soil temperature and disease pressure combine when targeting early-season water mould problems

Keep an eye on the soil temperature this spring to gain some insight into soybean water mould risks. Michael Wunsch, a professor at North Dakota State University, says having some idea of where temperatures are and what the near-term weather may hold is key to understanding the issue. He was speaking at the recent 2018


Soybean aphids in a field near Portage la Prairie photographed July 26, 2017.

Get scouting, soybean aphids showing up in fields

When populations hit 250 and are still rising consider applying an insecticide, but don’t forget to take beneficial insects into account. There’s an app for that

Soybean aphids can now be found in many Manitoba fields and farmers should be scouting for them, John Gavloski, Manitoba Agriculture’s extension entomologist, said in an interview July 27. As of last week populations were generally well below the economic threshold, but some higher populations did exist, he said. Some spraying was going on in

Predators, such as (A) an Orius nymph, (B) Asian lady beetle, (C) aphid midge larva, and (D) parasitic wasps typically suppress early-season infestations of soybean aphid.

U.S. study questions neonics for soybean aphid control

The effectiveness of the insecticide has diminished by the time the plants 
are at the stage when the insects arrive

A multi-university study says that neonicotinoid insecticide seed treatments have little effect on soybean aphid populations, as the pesticide has disappeared in plant tissue by the time the aphids arrive. The two-year study was a joint effort of Purdue University, Iowa State University, Kansas State University, North Dakota State University, the University of Minnesota, South


Chloropicrin being applied on a New Brunswick potato field. McCain has been trialling applications there since 2014.

Fumigation a potential solution for ‘tired potato land’

Not all land will show an effect however, so producers need to consider the strategy carefully

Soil fumigation is a good option for potato acres inflicted by yield-limiting pests, says Andy Robinson, a North Dakota State University extension potato specialist. Fumigation is used south of the border to control buildup of soil-borne pests causing verticillium wilt, potato early dying and other diseases. But fumigation hasn’t been widely adopted in Canada, unlike

Szilvia Yuja, a research specialist at the Carrington Research Extension Center, applies wet distillers grains as part of a study on the use of distillers grains as a source of fertilizer.

NDSU scientists study distillers grains as fertilizer

Wet distillers grains and condensed distillers solubles 
increased corn and spring wheat yields

Distillers grains could be a source of fertilizer for some crops, according to research at North Dakota State University’s Carrington Research Extension Center. Wet distillers grains and condensed distillers solubles (sometimes referred to as “syrup”) are organic byproducts of ethanol production from corn. Scientists at the Carrington centre have been testing whether wet distillers grains


Big Iron 2016 show set to kick off

Big Iron 2016 show set to kick off

The 36th annual event will celebrate agriculture and showcase innovation

Organizers of the 36th annual Big Iron Farm Show are promising attendees “three days of agricultural advancements” during the annual three-day celebration of agriculture in Fargo, N.D. This includes more than 900 exhibit booths, training sessions, equipment demonstrations and opportunities to see the latest innovations in agriculture. The Big Iron Farm Show showcases the newest

Manitoba Agriculture soil fertility specialist John Heard, soil sampling the old-fashioned way, says sampling cereals fields right after combining provides some advantages.

Soil test right after the combine

The tradition has been to sample for soil nutrients later in the fall, but there are compelling reasons to go sooner than later

It’s been the accepted wisdom to soil test as late as possible in the fall, but one soil test lab says it might pay to go earlier. Agvise Laboratories, that has soil-testing labs in North Dakota and Minnesota and a large stable of Canadian customers, told growers in a recent email it may be a