Reading Time: 2 minutes Multiple strategies are needed to control glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane. Experience has taught agronomists and farmers that simply tank mixing another mode of action won’t be a good enough long-term approach. Since 2016, we have evaluated different management tactics for Canada fleabane. The following are the results at our Oxford and Norfolk county field locations. Tillage […] Read more
Pest Patrol: What have we learned in 2017 for managing glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane?
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA, Dr. Clarence Swanton, Dr. François Tardif and Peter Smith, University of Guelph
Pest Patrol: Chess moves on winter wheat crop
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes [Question:] I had a weed called “chess” in my winter wheat crop at harvest. How did it get here? Is it a problem? And how do I get rid of it? [Answer:] How did it get here? Chess (scientifically known as Bromus secalinus) is also sometimes referred to as “cheat” or “rye brome.” It is […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Why are we looking at the Harrington Seed Destructor?
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes The old saying “one year’s seeding makes seven years’ weeding” perfectly captures why most farmers despise uncontrolled weeds and the tens of thousands of seeds that are dispersed across their land. Fortunately a farmer-made invention called the Harrington Seed Destructor (HSD) is able to destroy more than 90 per cent of the seed produced from […] 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
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
Minnesota finds source of Palmer amaranth on CRP land
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — An invasive weed likely entered Minnesota through seed planted on land in a U.S. conservation program, state agriculture officials said on Thursday, bringing to a close an official probe of a growing threat to agricultural production. Infestations of the weed, Palmer amaranth, have affected other states in the U.S. Midwest through seed planted […] Read more
Pest Patrol: How do I get better control of lamb’s quarters?
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Lamb’s quarters has consistently been identified as the most abundant and most problematic weed affecting field crop production in Ontario. Yet the Pest Management Regulatory Agency database contains hundreds of herbicides that list lamb’s quarters as either suppressed or controlled. It’s safe to say there is an arsenal of products available to farmers, but our […] Read more
Tough news on fleabane
It takes a well thought out plan to keep glyphosate-resistant Canada fleabane in check
Reading Time: 6 minutes The world of science can often provide insight into some rather grim realities. But sometimes, fortunately, it can provide more than just insight. It can provide strategic help too. That’s the case with Dr. Peter Sikkema, who opened 2017 by making a presentation on herbicide-resistant weeds at the two-day Southwest Agricultural Conference (SWAC) at the […] Read more
The more you spend, the less they work
If you want to keep using herbicides, give them an occasional rest and try a winter cereal or a heavier seeding rate
Reading Time: 3 minutes Neil Harker says that when you no longer have the big hammers in the tool box, it’s time to use the little ones. For the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) weed scientist, wild oat herbicides are the big hammers, and the little ones are integrated weed management practices. Harker says that although western Canadian producers […] Read more
Step one: Identify your weed enemy
Step two: Identify the best means to combat it. Here are some ways to help determine the treatments for weeds, insects and diseases
Reading Time: 4 minutes Is that cow cockle or cocklebur? It’s easy to tell when it’s grown so much that it’s already cost you yield, but not so easy when it’s first popping out of the ground. And once you know for sure, what are your control options? Insect control is even trickier. Is that critter eating my crop, […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
