Reading Time: 7 minutes In any discussion of agricultural biotechnology, Bt corn hybrids shine as a huge success. Launched in 1996 in the U.S. and Canada, their 20-plus years in eastern Canadian production are worth celebrating for their unparalleled control of European corn borer (ECB). The technology has performed precisely as designed — without the development of the resistance […] Read more
20 years of Bt corn hybrids
Growers are armed with more powerful, more precise tools than ever in history — but the war on corn pests is far from over
Pest Patrol: Soybean cyst nematode in edible beans
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Have you ever had a dry bean crop that looked healthy but resulted in disappointing yields? Have you seen stunted or yellowing patches, but could not identify the cause? If so, you may want to look for soybean cyst nematode (SCN). Researchers in Ontario and the U.S. have shown that SCN is not just a […] Read more
PHOTOS: Pest Patrol: Reining in dog strangling vine
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: I’m seeing a weed called dog strangling vine along roadsides, in woodlots and creeping into agricultural fields. It seems quite invasive. How do I get rid of it? A: Your suspicions are correct. Dog strangling vine is invasive and is listed as a noxious weed under the Ontario Weed Control Act, and regulated as […] Read more
Is it time you get started with a cover crop?
Cover crops may not be as simple as we used to think. But they aren’t that complex either
Reading Time: 6 minutes The funny thing about implementing change is that it’s possible to over-think a situation and become mired in the process of simply getting started. A person becomes so concerned with the challenges of the “how” that they begin to lose sight of the value of the “why.” In other words, getting started can be the […] Read more
Real sustainability
Integrating the benefits of his Ontario Soil Network membership into how he farms is helping Rick Kootstra find real sustainability
Reading Time: 5 minutes Like a lot of farmers, Rick Kootstra doesn’t see himself as an innovator or a leader. He just goes about his business. Thanks to the Ontario Soil Network, though, he does it with a lot of great connections with farmers who share similar goals and aspirations. Kootstra, along with his brothers Rob and Derek, works […] Read more
Stressing soybeans may actually help
The big question is: what are you trying to achieve, more bushels? Or an easier harvest?
Reading Time: 6 minutes The search to improve field-crop production never ends. Just when you think science has reached its apex, a new input comes along, a new planting practice gets tested, a new combine design gets introduced. And, of course, somewhere a grower comes up with an idea that no one has really looked at before. In 2017, […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Dealing with cleavers
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: I had a field of winter wheat with cleavers in it and it was a pain. What is the best way to get rid of this weed in winter wheat? A: I can’t think of a redeeming quality for cleavers, although apparently the fruit is considered one of the best substitutes for coffee (Malik […] Read more
Ontario, U of Guelph renew ag research partnership
Reading Time: 2 minutes Up to $713 million in agriculture research will be funded at the University of Guelph over the next 10 years through a renewal of the university’s agreement with the provincial ag ministry. The new agreement has been updated to manage digital data and is aimed to provide a base from which to leverage more research […] Read more
Continuous rinse system makes sprayer cleanouts easier
Here’s a new way to do sprayer cleanouts that saves time and is great for the environment
Reading Time: 7 minutes Certain jobs on the farm aren’t anybody’s favourites. Repairing a planter in the middle of a soybean field in early June is right up there on that list, and so is picking stones on just about any day. And up there with them is cleaning out the sprayer, which is another of the chores about […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Dealing with jimsonweed
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: What weed is this, and how do I get rid of it? A: The weed in the picture (Figure 1 above) is jimsonweed (i.e. Datura stamonium), a member of the nightshade family. According to the Canadian Poisonous Plants Information System, jimsonweed “contains toxic tropane alkaloids, which have caused poisoning and death in humans and […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
