Large tires moving at high speeds are the biggest source of air turbulence behind the sprayer. This year, PAMI is conducting further field experiments with a new 120-foot boom John Deere.

Sprayer speed a turbulent topic

As sprayers go faster, aerodynamics start to come into play. A PAMI project is evaluating if they affect spray deposition

Reading Time: 3 minutes On the surface, spraying seems straightforward. But a closer look at the multitude of factors that can influence how best to get product from the spray tank to the plant surface reveals something akin to a massive puzzle with a couple of pieces missing. One of the people trying to make that picture complete is […] Read more

An aerial sprayer sprays fungicide on a canola field near Miami, Man., on July 11.

High disease risk sees many Manitoba canola growers spraying fungicide

A wet spring creates canola fields full of sclerotinia as flowering blooms

Reading Time: 3 minutes This season Manitoba canola growers shouldn’t be asking if they should be spraying fungicides — they should be asking themselves if there’s any possible reason they shouldn’t. Clinton Jurke, director of agronomy for the Canola Council of Canada, says it’s been a moist spring, yield looks good in much of the province and dense canopies […] Read more


Crop duster over a canola field in Central Alberta, Canada

Applying fungicide by air

If you choose an aerial applicator to apply your fungicide, be aware of timing and water volume

Reading Time: 3 minutes Dr. Tom Wolf, researcher and owner of Agrimetrix Research and Training, says aerial applicators are “tremendously important.” “They apply spray under conditions that a ground rig can’t — for example, with soil moisture. They cover much more area than a ground rig ever can so they can be more timely. ”Jill Lane, executive director of […] Read more

5 tips for fungicide application

5 tips for fungicide application

If you've decided to spray, make sure you get the most out of your investment

If you’ve decided to invest in added fungicide protection this season, do everything you can to get your spray spot-on. And to help you get the most out of your investment, I’ve put together my top five fungicide spray tips.


A new look at 30-inch rows for soybeans

A new look at 30-inch rows for soybeans

If you think the case is closed on 30-inch rows, get ready to think again

Reading Time: 7 minutes Soybean growers near the Ontario-Quebec border have tested wide rows, and some have even adopted them already as a way of managing white mould pressure. The disease thrives here. even though agronomists can’t exactly say why. But there’s also more to the 30-inch debate than just mould control. Based in the eastern end of the[...]
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According to research, northern leaf blight can result in yield losses of 20 to 30 bu./ac.

The crop disease to watch for

Heading into 2016, all eyes are on northern leaf blight

Reading Time: 4 minutes With spring in the air, now is the time for a quick reminder of some of the diseases that are likely to challenge corn growers in 2016. Northern leaf blight is turning into one of those diseases that growers are simply going to have to deal with on an annual basis. You’re already doing this[...]
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Spraying fungicide might not have to be a routine part of the program if better weather forecasts were available.

The fine balance of controlling crop diseases

It's a classic example of where short-term decisions can mean long-term problems

Reading Time: 7 minutes Randy Kutcher recalls that when he moved to Saskatchewan 25 years ago, farmers were using hardly any fungicide. “They were using a bit of fungicide for sclerotinia in canola, and that’s about it. Now it’s pretty much part of the program, and often crops are getting two or more applications, and it’s almost become like[...]
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Manitoba’s corn growers didn’t worry too much about Goss’s wilt this year, but despite the dry weather it did crop up in Alberta.

Crop diseases take a bit of a break in 2015

Drier conditions this past season kept a lid on most crop diseases — but this is probably just a brief respite until environmental conditions line up again

Reading Time: 8 minutes The bad news is that dry weather cut yields across much of the Prairies in 2015. The consolation? This same weather kept fungal diseases in check. In fact, areas that were in the sweet spot of lower pressure but enough rainfall to carry yield were rewarded with exceptional crop quality. Country Guide recently spoke to[...]
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The introduction of biological controls looks and sounds impressive, but like any of the other pillars of IPM management (cultural, mechanical/physical or chemical), it takes time and sound management skills.

The Integrated Pest Management (IPM) challenge for today’s crops

Are you keeping on top of all these new pest-control opportunities?

Reading Time: 8 minutes The term has been around for decades, and it trips off our tongues as easily as “no-till management” and “cover crops.” Yet one of the challenges, even for those in search of a silver bullet in crop management, is the constant evolution of the term “IPM.” Its meaning is rapidly evolving, and so are the[...]
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Researcher Dilantha Fernando says the goal is to introduce genetic resistance to fusarium and minimize the need for fungicides.

University sets its sights on fusarium

This major U of M lab program hopes to stop fusarium before it starts

Reading Time: 4 minutes Protecting crops from the ravages of fusarium is a never-ending job for investigators like Dr. Dilantha Fernando and his staff at the University of Manitoba. The most common species of the pathogen is fusarium graminearum, commonly known as fusarium head blight (FHB) or fusarium scab. It’s a cereal crop pathogen that has become the most[...]
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