Reading Time: < 1 minute Q: I’ve been battling hemp dogbane in my soybean fields. It produces a milky juice that can stain my beans. What can I do to knock back the top growth so it won’t affect crop quality? A: It’s good that your expectations are for top growth control of hemp dogbane (see figure 1), since it’s […] Read more
PHOTOS: Pest Patrol: Dealing with hemp dogbane
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Pest Patrol: Tackling prostrate knotweed on today’s farms
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: How do I get rid of prostrate knotweed in each of my major crops? A: In Ontario, prostrate knotweed is more frequently found in Huron County and on Brookston clay-loam soils under no-till or minimum-till production systems (Frick, 1990). It can thrive in compacted soils where other plants will struggle to grow well. Below […] Read more
Six factors to consider if your soil moisture level is low
To date, all indications are pointing to a dry spring, given the below-average precipitation received in many areas of the Prairies this winter. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but a lot of farmers had relatively dry soils going into winter, so we asked some agronomists and provincial crop experts what factors could[...]
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The problem with problem weeds
Different regions, different crops and different species turn ‘control’ into ‘management’
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a message filled with contrasts. Weed management is simple yet complex. It’s all about improving your bottom line, but it adds a cost. And although it’s all about controlling all your weeds, it often gets judged on a single weed species. In spite of all the differences that come with farming in different regions,[...]
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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[...]
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Pest Patrol: Control of Canada fleabane
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 2 minutes Q: Canada fleabane has shown up in various places on our farm this year. I assume it is glyphosate resistant. Do I have any other options for soybeans other than Xtend beans? A: Yes, research conducted by the University of Guelph (Ridgetown Campus) has shown that the addition of Eragon LQ (30 ml/acre) + Sencor[...]
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Cannabis firm Aurora in talks to buy both CanniMed, Newstrike
Reading Time: 2 minutes Toronto | Reuters — Canadian marijuana producer Aurora Cannabis is in talks with rivals CanniMed Therapeutics and Newstrike Resources to buy both businesses in a friendly deal that would create the nation’s top weed company, people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Friday. The deal signals an easing of tensions following an offer in[...]
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Pest Patrol: Controlling wild carrot in no till
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 3 minutes Q: I am a long-time no tiller. I have a problem with increasing populations of wild carrot, mostly in my (conventional) soybean fields. This year in Roundup Ready corn, I have applied up to three litres of Transorb 540 and still have green carrot at harvest-time. What is the solution? Do I need to do[...]
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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[...]
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A ‘bio’ that works
Commercial use is still a couple of years away, but this bioherbicide is already raising eyebrows
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to biopesticides, most researchers say that despite today’s limited selection of bio-based fungicides, insecticides and herbicides, the technology’s potential is extraordinary. Public and private scientists are especially excited by an “all natural” basis for developing new active ingredients. Since most of the elements for these biopesticides come from natural sources, they point[...]
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A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
