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 […] Read more
University sets its sights on fusarium
This major U of M lab program hopes to stop fusarium before it starts
Getting better at fungicide application
You may be doing a good spraying job now, but new WGRF research shows it might be relatively easy to do a whole lot better
Reading Time: 5 minutes A set of new sprayer nozzles can cost $500 to $1,000, while a new sprayer can clock in at $400,000. “But almost the entire probability of application success depends on the nozzle,” says Tom Wolf, co-owner of Agrimetrix Research and Training in Saskatoon. He’s not saying that farmers shouldn’t invest in a new sprayer if […] Read more
Is the sky the limit for aerial spray applicators?
Caught between rigid government regulations and undependable farm demand, these aerial applicators wonder about their future
Reading Time: 6 minutes We all look when we hear them. The sound of an airplane or helicopter sprayer is as distinctive as it is enticing. With an airplane, there’s that telltale roar of its high-powered engine and the pitch-shifting Doppler-effect. With a helicopter, there’s the unmistakable vibration stirring the air as it races from one end of a […] Read more
Only upside to drought? Less spraying and less risk of crop diseases
But diseases like stripe rust, tan spot, or sclerotinia could be an issue if there’s been decent moisture
Reading Time: 4 minutes This summer’s dry growing conditions in Alberta have at least one silver lining — lower levels of disease in fields. “In those areas that have had very little rainfall this summer, you’re probably looking at limited development of diseases,” federal research scientist Kelly Turkington said in a July 6 interview. “Of more concern would simply […] Read more
VIDEO: When to spray canola with a sclerotinia fungicide
Crop Diagnostic School: Wet pantlegs when walking through the field is a good indicator of timing your fungicide
Reading Time: < 1 minute Assessing your canola crop during the flowering stage is essential to discover if sclerotinia is present and if a fungicide can be of benefit. In this video from the 2015 Crop Diagnostic School, Anastasia Kubinec of Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development (MAFRD), talks about the risk factors for the fungal disease and offers tips for canola […] Read more
Deciding if you should spray canola for blackleg
Longer canola rotations and switching varieties can reduce the need and cost of a fungicide
Reading Time: 2 minutes The best time to spray canola with a fungicide to control blackleg is at the two- to four-leaf stage, but there are things farmers can do to avoid having to spray at all. “Blackleg becomes a greater risk when you have seen blackleg in your field in the past and you’ve seen yield loss,” said […] Read more
Wet weather brings disease worries to Man. winter wheat
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada — Excess moisture in parts of central Manitoba could bring disease problems to winter wheat fields in the region. Fungicide spraying has occurred to control diseases such as fusarium head blight and leaf diseases, but farmers are running into some problems with applications, according to Bruce Burnett, crop specialist with CWB in Winnipeg. […] Read more
Are you ‘always wrong’ at camp sclerotinia?
Your decision to spray essentially comes down to one simple equation
Reading Time: 6 minutes Ah, all the joys of summer camp… first loves, campfires and archery supremacy. And don’t forget wood ticks, swimmer’s itch and the stench of a cabin on weiners and beans night. In fact, it probably isn’t too big a stretch to say that the way we remember summer camp is probably as diverse as the […] Read more
Fungicide resistance creeping up in crops
Fortunately, we already have many of the tools we need to delay or stop resistance in its tracks
Reading Time: 5 minutes We hear a lot about herbicide-resistant weeds these days. Repeated use of herbicides, especially ones from the same group and with similar modes of action, promotes the growth of weed populations that the chemicals can no longer control. A prime example is the emergence of weeds resistant to glyphosate, the most widely used weed control […] Read more
New research shows how your crop gets a sneak peek at weeds
It turns out your crop sees and reacts to weeds before the crop even emerges
Reading Time: 6 minutes Weed science is constantly evolving and adapting as it learns more about the basic interactions of crops and weeds in the field. Now, get ready for another evolutionary rethink. Early in 2014, Dr. Clarence Swanton, a professor and researcher with the department of plant agriculture at the University of Guelph, brought to light new research […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
