Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – If you rely solely on crop protection products to fend off wild oats, you’re not going to like the eventual bottom line. Herbicide-resistant strains of the weed are going to mean you’ll eventually run out of luck. It’s not a new problem, but every year it gets just a little bit more […] Read more
Wild oat a growing resistance challenge
Keep an eye on your fields this summer and be ready to tackle the problem when you see it
Pest Patrol: Why growing cereal crops is bad for weeds
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 3 minutes The benefits of growing winter wheat in a crop rotation have been well established. Long-term research at the University of Guelph has shown a 10 bu./ac. increase in corn yields and a five bu./ac. increase in soybean yields when winter wheat is grown. Other benefits, such as increased soil organic matter when cereals are grown, […] Read more
Manitoba Crop Report: Plantings advance, crops threatened by weeds, insects
Reading Time: 2 minutes MarketsFarm – Seeding continues to advance in Manitoba, but recent rains have also hindered progress and emergent crops are being threatened by weeds and insects. Plantings in the province are 91 per cent complete as of June 21, four points higher than the previous week according to Manitoba’s weekly crop report. Typically, the third week […] Read more
More biologicals for pest control on the way
Herbicides are a challenge, but non-chemical insecticides and fungicides may be a cheaper and quicker solution
Reading Time: 4 minutes Whether the problem was weeds, insects or diseases, for the past several decades the solution has usually been a chemical one. But with growing problems of resistance and customer opposition to chemicals, researchers and manufacturers are turning their attention to biological solutions. It’s not as though biologicals are new. For decades, growers have been using […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Controlling weed escapes in soybeans – Part 3
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Even the most consistent soil-applied herbicide programs in IP soybeans fail to provide season-long control. Weed escapes or second flushes are inevitable. Proper timing is the key to effective control. When I started with OMAFRA in 2002, the University of Guelph had done a series of trials with a post-emergent herbicide called “Cleansweep.” At the […] Read more
Lack of choice in herbicide options
There may be dozens of brands, but when it comes to choosing herbicide groups to avoid resistance, your options are limited
Reading Time: 5 minutes Given the possibility of supply shortages of agricultural inputs, including herbicides, I’ve spent more time this winter than most looking into which herbicides have the best fit for my farm. I would much rather purchase now than scramble in the spring, seeking herbicides unavailable or in short supply. Early planning has also prompted me to […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Best practices for weed control in identity-preserved “IP” soybean – Part 1
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes his three-part series will examine best practices and common weed management questions asked by farmers producing food-grade, non-GMO soybeans. Best practice #1: Budget for two herbicide passes, and hope you only need one The past decade of research trials has shown that “one-pass” post-emergence herbicide programs have resulted in poorer weed control (by 12 per […] Read more
Season-long weed control strategies
Don’t only focus on spraying the young ones – also target the escapes before they get a chance to reproduce
Reading Time: 4 minutes If you’ve been focusing mainly on the CPWC, it may be time to switch strategy and add an “s.” CPWC — the critical period for weed control — is the period of growth during which a crop must remain weed-free to prevent yield loss. Suppressing weeds in that period is the objective behind most control […] Read more
Feeling cut off from glyphosate supplies?
The good news is that a shortage opens possibilities for sharpening weed-management skills
Reading Time: 6 minutes As most growers and industry stakeholders have heard by now, reports of shortages of glyphosate and glufosinate have become common since late 2021. They’ve led to bulletins of price increases of 100 to 300 per cent for glyphosate in some areas, and recommendations for how to manage their herbicide programs for 2022. One reason for […] Read more
PHOTOS: Pest Patrol: Uncommon weeds, Part 3
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA: These uncommon weeds were found in Ontario field crops during the 2021 growing season
Reading Time: 2 minutes This is the last of a three-part series that highlights “odd” weeds found in Ontario field crops this past year. Star of Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) Is this worth worrying about? If you do a quick internet search, most results focus on how to grow this plant. As a member of the hyacinth family, it’s valued […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
