Reading Time: 3 minutes The word nematode is often linked to soybean cyst nematode (SCN), and with good reason. In North America, SCN accounts for annual losses of more than $1 billion and up to $50 million in Ontario. A survey of field and horticultural crops across the province seeks to update provincial nematode distribution maps and establish baseline […] Read more
Soybean cyst nematode survey a valued benchmark opportunity
Project will target more than SCN
Soybean grower varies seed options to reduce risk
A variety blend can produce a complementary package for different field conditions
Reading Time: 4 minutes Variability is nothing new to growers, aside from posing a constant challenge. They tend to have a firm grasp of those parts of their fields that are the most variable, whether due to soil type or topography. But other than by investing in precision planting equipment or a variable-rate application system, dealing with those challenges […] Read more
A potato producer’s commitment to change
Embracing soil health and new technologies helped Peter VanderZaag build a successful potato business. Like most farmers these days, he’s faced with having to do more with less
Reading Time: 4 minutes Every farmer knows that change is inevitable. New markets beckon, new technologies emerge, end-user tastes, preferences and opportunities shift, and it’s often the primary producer who’s one of the first to react. Peter VanderZaag has spent much of his farming career investing wisely in new equipment, securing contracts and growing his Sunrise Potato Storage business […] Read more
Managing white mould in soybeans
Most of the disease is in eastern Ontario, but there are pockets everywhere
Reading Time: 4 minutes If soybean diseases had a contest, it’d be easy to think of third or fourth place as something of a win, especially with soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) holding firmly on to first and second. Yet for growers in eastern Ontario and western Quebec, white mould’s less-than-prominent status is hardly a […] Read more
The one-two weed punch farmers are up against
Managing Canada fleabane and waterhemp is an ongoing challenge for IP and Roundup Ready soybean growers
Reading Time: 4 minutes The invasion continues. From 2010 to 2015, glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane spread from Windsor to the Quebec border — more than 800 kilometres in just six years. Along the way, it evolved resistance to Groups 2 and 9 modes of action. Waterhemp has also spread rapidly, with biotypes resistant to Groups 2, 4, 9, 14 and […] Read more
A new source of nitrogen for crops
Biological products like Utrisha N and Envita enable potatoes and other crops to harvest nitrogen from the air
Reading Time: 5 minutes The question of how different crop production would be if plants could fix their own nitrogen has been at the forefront of researchers’ work and stakeholders’ interests for more than 60 years. Aside from the ability of soybeans and edible beans to fix their own nitrogen, researchers have sought to find the same process for […] Read more
Organic no-till soybeans a challenge
An OSCIA project is using cereal rye as a cover crop weed suppressant
Reading Time: 6 minutes No one has ever said organic production is easy. It can be profitable, but just as in conventional row cropping, it’s subject to vagaries in price, weather, weed management and quality. But no-till organic? In soybeans? That’s an entirely different level of thought processing, planning, monitoring and showing flexibility in adjusting to growing season conditions. For […] Read more
Unlocking soybean yields
A three-year project is looking at whether the key is something other than agronomics
Reading Time: 5 minutes For most growers, yield isn’t just an important metric, it’s the only metric. Researchers and plant breeders have explored new methods to address diseases or pests, but these advances can have trouble gaining traction without translating to more bushels in the bin. Matt Rundle is trying to shift the focus on performance by examining more […] Read more
Sampling plant tissue for a mid-season boost
Precision ag technology provides an opportunity to determine if applications are effective
Reading Time: 5 minutes Growers are challenged to achieve the highest yields with the least inputs, and more agronomists, advisors, technicians and researchers are interested helping them focus on specific soil and plant needs such as what macronutrients and micronutrients are needed, and when and where is best to use them. The 2022 growing season was the first year […] Read more
If you can’t spray ’em… terminate them
Crushing weed seeds as they go through the combine is another option
Reading Time: 5 minutes Maybe they can resist chemicals, but they can’t resist being crushed — or at least not yet. Harvest weed seed control is the latest development in the battle against weeds, with early adapters working with different designs and seeing success. The concept employs seed mills attached to the rear of the combine, gathering weed seeds […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
