Reading Time: 8 minutes With the high and growing percentage of Prairie cropland infested with herbicide-resistant weeds, researchers are turning their attention back to mechanical control, but that doesn’t necessarily mean tillage. The Alberta Wheat Commission and Saskatchewan Pulse Growers are partnering on a three-year research project at the University of Saskatchewan which is evaluating in-crop weed clipping as […] Read more
If you can’t beat ’em, clip ’em
New methods of mechanical weed control show promise, but don’t expect a yield increase the first year
The challenge of early weeds in soybeans
A two-pass weed control strategy makes a lot of economic sense
Reading Time: 5 minutes In an ideal world, it might not matter when a field of soybeans is sprayed, or whether it’s a soil-applied or post-emergence herbicide that’s used. But this isn’t an ideal world and application timing can be very important. So is the crop. In Country Guide’s spring Corn Guide, Dr. Peter Sikkema discussed the impacts of […] Read more
Conventional thinking
Machinery manufacturers are offering European farmers new options for in-crop weed and pest control
Reading Time: 5 minutes Walking the 15 kilometres or so of aisles at Agritechnica in November, one trend was hard to miss. It was in the tillage segment, where the number of options and the sophistication of that technology is obviously on the rise. Efficiency has always been the driving force behind farm machinery evolution, but it’s clear that […] Read more
The next tipping point for Canada’s corn growers
Some Illinois growers are already at the tipping point for resistant weeds. Are Canadian corn growers far behind?
Reading Time: 5 minutes The march of glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane through Ontario has been nothing short of striking, going from Essex County in 2010 to the Ottawa Valley by 2015. And now other resistant weeds are also spreading. In the U.S., waterhemp and Palmer amaranth are the new “dynamic duo” with their own resistance movement. It’s to the point […] 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
The best crop row spacing is…
A multi-year study suggests there is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question
Reading Time: 6 minutes The question of the best row spacing has been asked even more often in recent years, and it turns out that the answer is the same as for many other questions in farming — “It depends.” But on what? A multi-year study by researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Indian Head Agricultural Research […] Read more
Managing herbicide resistance costs
Farmers considering herbicide resistance strategies are looking at the economics first
Reading Time: 5 minutes There are several reasons many farmers haven’t yet adopted herbicide resistance management (HRM) plans. These include a lack of information, the complexity of different management strategies and limited time. But a major reason is still economics. Many farmers worry about the costs of implementing a resistance management plan, especially if they’re uncertain about the potential […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Mixing ‘crop enhancer’ with glyphosate for weed control
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes [Question:] I recently received this query. “I have a client who wants to mix a ‘crop enhancer’ with glyphosate to control weeds in glyphosate-tolerant soybeans. According to the manufacturer’s website, this product ‘can be combined with other applications (e.g. fertilizer, herbicides, insecticide, etc.).’ However, when I read the composition of the product, it appears to […] Read more
Mustard acres feeling squeeze from canola
Reading Time: 2 minutes CNS Canada –– Following the largest mustard crop in more than a decade in 2016, supply/demand fundamentals are expected to spur a reduction in Canadian mustard seedings in 2017. However, with more and more cropland moving into canola, mustard acreage increases may be limited in future years when supplies are tight again. After growing the […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Keeping woodsorrel under control
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes A grower I work with is seeing more woodsorrel in corn and soybean fields. I can’t seem to find much information on how to control this weed. Any suggestions? Common yellow woodsorrel, although very common in lawns, pastures and “waste” areas, is rarely found in field crops since tillage often eliminates it. Because of this, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
