Reading Time: 5 minutes Wheat growers always want to boost yields and cut costs, but this year’s combination of high prices and high input costs has called for an even sharper pencil. That’s led to heightened management in managing cereals — and winter wheat, in particular — with greater intensity than in the past. The success of the Great […] Read more
Shorter straw, longer crop
More wheat growers are finding the benefits of plant growth regulators
Feed barley yields from malt varieties?
An Alberta project compares how both types benefit from high N and PGRs
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a disappointment when barley intended for the malt house winds up in the feed market because it doesn’t meet maltsters’ strict specifications. It’s why many growers have given up on barley altogether — malt premiums are hard to attain while feed barley yields don’t offer the revenue of competing crops. But some researchers have […] Read more
PGRs for malting barley? Maybe
Research suggests plant growth regulators should be considered as a risk-management tool in fields with high yield potential
Reading Time: 4 minutes [UPDATED: April 12, 2021] Lodging is the enemy of barley producers, especially if they’re hoping for a malting premium. It’s prompted some producers to get out of barley altogether. Others are turning to plant growth regulators (PGRs) to help cut their losses. Sheri Strydhorst, a research scientist at the University of Alberta, says lodging is […] Read more
Shorter straw, higher yield?
Trial assesses plant growth regulators on different varieties at several locations
Reading Time: 4 minutes On paper, it’s an ideal combination — a product which shortens straw but doesn’t reduce yield. But are plant growth regulators (PGRs) a worthwhile investment? That’s being assessed based on ongoing trials in Manitoba. In Canada, the most promising PGR is chlormequat chloride, marketed by EngageAgro under the trade name Manipulator. The product has been […] Read more
Sorting out the stacks
New research in Alberta suggests big yield gains for wheat when combining some agronomic practices — especially dual fungicide applications
Reading Time: 6 minutes Farmers experiment with their agronomic practices all the time. It’s not uncommon to see them “stack” inputs, for instance by combining fertilizer, plant growth regulators (PGRs) and fungicides to see which combinations boost their yields. But until recently, there has been little in the way of small-plot research into the yield potential of stacking agronomic […] Read more
Higher corn yields on the way
Plant growth regulators are opening the door to unheard of yields
Reading Time: 5 minutes Plant science and breeding technologies have been at the forefront of the last century’s new yield plateaus, particularly in corn. First was the development of hybrid seed production along with research that led to an understanding of fertilizer and then weed control. Most recently, biotech innovations have provided enhanced pest and weed management opportunities. Amidst […] Read more
The Catch-22 of oat production
Tests in central Alberta yield some useful information on N rates and the effectiveness of plant growth regulators
Reading Time: 4 minutes Linda Hall has a soft spot for the humble oat, mainly because she doesn’t think it’s really all that humble. “Milling oats are a high-value crop,” Hall says. “We’re seeing companies like Richardson buying up oat milling capacity, so the markets are there if we can grow the right kind of oat.” It all depends […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
