Reading Time: 6 minutes There can be little doubt that 2018 will go down in the record books as the worst year in Ontario for dealing with ear mould in corn and contamination by deoxynivalenol (DON). Wet weather through silking and then again in much of October and November challenged growers getting into their fields for timely harvesting of […] Read more
2018 delivered many DON lessons for corn
Last fall’s weather was partly to blame, but so too were the lack of management options and strategies
Hitchhiking pests
Yes, cleaning out equipment takes time, but it’s worth it
Reading Time: 6 minutes When it comes to discussing the scourge of weed management in Eastern Canada, much of the light has shone on herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane and its spread from Essex County to the Quebec border in just five years. The latest weed species that is cause for concern is common waterhemp. It’s been the topic of conversation […] Read more
Struggling on the farm
You’re already trained for first aid on the farm. But what about mental illness?
Reading Time: 8 minutes By now, most people involved in agriculture have heard something about depression and anxiety disorders. Whether it’s been through the survey of farmer mental health, started in 2015 and highlighted in 2018, or through the efforts of groups like Do More Ag, word has spread. Now, it’s important that this awareness gets translated into action, […] Read more
A change in equipment vs. a change in mindset
Refocusing attention on soil health is the driver behind newer technologies
Reading Time: 4 minutes A number of years ago, Carl Brubacher looked at his soils and realized something had to change. He’d been relying on a full complement of tillage passes and he could sense his topsoil levels were becoming shallower. What he wanted was to find a way to avoid falling into the trap the U.S. has experienced, […] Read more
Profit more by farming less
Based on new University of Guelph research, profitability mapping shows why some parts of the farm will never make money with corn and soybeans
Reading Time: 6 minutes Seldom has agriculture been a model of “cutting back” or “making more by doing less.” Yet when it comes to sustainability, soil health and even profitability, it may be time to explore both of these notions. There are some who insist agriculture in North America is heading in the right direction with recognition of soil […] Read more
New in herbicides for 2019
The latest products on the market reflect a changing mindset in weed control
Reading Time: 3 minutes As winter gives way to spring, growers prepare for another season of weed management challenges. To help, here are new products for 2019, plus some released too late last spring for full distribution. Bayer Infinity FX Newly registered for 2019, Infinity FX is a combination of Infinity (bromoxynil + pyrasulfotole) and fluroxypyr, providing three active […] Read more
Your business climate
Weather forecasts help you grow better crops. This climate forecast may do the same for your business
Reading Time: 5 minutes On a list of factors influencing yield in corn and soybeans, weather is often cited as having the largest influence on hybrid or varietal performance in the field. Dr. Fred Below, a professor of crop physiology at the University of Illinois, has compiled two lists: the Seven Wonders of Corn Yield and the Six Secrets […] Read more
Better labels
This new initiative aims to create crop protection labels producers will actually want to use to make spraying decisions
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s a familiar spot to find yourself in. You want to spray a new product. Or maybe you want to tank mix two chemistries that you’ve never sprayed together before. The crop is ready, the sprayer is set, but now you see there are label questions about specific rates, ground speeds, buffer zones, clean-out procedures […] Read more
The water question
Should you be more concerned about drought tolerance, or water-use efficiency?
Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s a term that’s often loosely used, and it isn’t well understood at any level. Yet it may become one of the dominant yield limitations in your crop production within the next few years. Water-use efficiency has been part of agronomy’s lexicon for decades, yet as yields have increased, its definition and how it functions […] Read more
Get there on time
Timely delivery is a big plus for “fertigation,” but can you afford the costs and the management demands?
Reading Time: 7 minutes In precision agriculture, the focus is typically on the low-hanging fruit, i.e. the use of yield data to create variable-rate fertilizer scripts, investing in individual row units with automatic down-force, or using aerial imagery to pinpoint trouble spots in a field. Most such discussions are also confined to choices about soil, seed and fertility. Yet […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
