Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a message filled with contrasts. Weed management is simple yet complex. It’s all about improving your bottom line, but it adds a cost. And although it’s all about controlling all your weeds, it often gets judged on a single weed species. In spite of all the differences that come with farming in different regions, […] Read more

The problem with problem weeds
Different regions, different crops and different species turn ‘control’ into ‘management’

U.S. judge halts California plan for warnings on glyphosate
Reading Time: 2 minutes Chicago | Reuters — A federal judge has temporarily blocked California’s plans to require cancer warnings on products containing glyphosate, in a win for manufacturer Monsanto. U.S. District Judge William Shubb said the warnings would be misleading because glyphosate is not known to cause cancer, according to court documents filed on Monday in California. He […] Read more

More than a rotation crop for feed
Demand is increasing for this officially ‘heart healthy’ crop, but growers need to pay attention to quality
Reading Time: 5 minutes New varieties that consistently yield 120 to 140 bushels per acre. Increasing demand, with buyers paying a premium. Competitive against weeds, with good resistance to fusarium. That hardly describes a feed crop you seed last because you need it in rotation. Demand for milling oats is on the rise and processors have announced expansion. Some […] Read more

Pest Patrol: Control of Canada fleabane
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: Canada fleabane has shown up in various places on our farm this year. I assume it is glyphosate resistant. Do I have any other options for soybeans other than Xtend beans? A: Yes, research conducted by the University of Guelph (Ridgetown Campus) has shown that the addition of Eragon LQ (30 ml/acre) + Sencor […] Read more

German coalition deal sets no timetable to end glyphosate use
Reading Time: 2 minutes Hamburg | Reuters –– Germany’s draft coalition government deal includes a goal of ending use of glyphosate herbicide within the country, but gives no time frame, after Berlin swung a vote in November extending its use across the European Union. The timing of an end to glyphosate use has been highly controversial in Europe amid […] Read more

Dealing with those early weeds
Forget the old arithmetic. Your losses from early weeds are probably much more costly than you’ve ever imagined
Reading Time: 6 minutes In a time of low commodity prices and a growing incentive to maximize profit on every acre, it’s hard enough to accept that some growers are giving up $14 per acre on corn. It’s unfathomable that they might be losing $84 per acre. Yet that’s the startling assessment of the impact of delayed herbicide application […] Read more

Glyphosate: the real science
Will new studies that confirm the safety of glyphosate actually stop politicians from banning an essential herbicide?
Reading Time: 6 minutes The study published in the November 9, 2017 Journal of the National Cancer Institute is crystal clear. Called “Glyphosate Use and Cancer Incidence in the Agricultural Health Study”, it says: “In conclusion, we found no evidence of an association between glyphosate use and risk of any solid tumours or lymphoid malignancies, including NHL (Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma) […] Read more

France says will not ban glyphosate when no alternative
Reading Time: < 1 minute Saint-Genes-Champanelle, France | Reuters — France will not force farmers to stop using glyphosate after a ban planned within three years, in cases where an alternative has not been found, President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday. He added that this would likely concern 10 per cent of farms while solutions could be found for the […] Read more

Steady to lower durum market expected
Reading Time: 3 minutes CNS Canada — Larger-than-expected production, a seasonal slowdown in demand and looming Italian country-of-origin-labeling regulations all loom over the Canadian durum market, with steady to lower prices anticipated over the next few months. Italian COOL regulations are set to come into effect in mid-February and require pasta makers in the country to segregate foreign durum, […] Read more

Germany’s Merkel scolds ally in glyphosate row
Reading Time: 2 minutes Berlin | Reuters — German Chancellor Angela Merkel scolded a minister on Tuesday in a bid to shield talks on forming a coalition government from a dispute between cabinet colleagues over an EU herbicide licence. Conservative Agriculture Minister Christian Schmidt angered the centre-left SPD on Monday by breaking protocol to back a European Union proposal […] Read more