As seeding begins to wind down across the Prairies, producers are setting their sights on the next stages of crop production and keeping their collective eye out for factors that can cause stress to vulnerable emerging plants. 

Stress brought on by weather, soil conditions, moisture (excess or insufficient), insects, diseases and herbicide application can ultimately result in poor growth and development, stalling and yield loss. To help crops better tolerate these stressful conditions, OMEX offers a family of products with an effective weapon against stress – Stress Reliever Technology™.

Stress Reliever Technology™ has been developed to help plants better deal with stress by offsetting energy re-allocation during periods of environmental stress. Three of the products in the Stress Reliever family – C3, P3 and Nutri-Boost – are formulated with this beneficial technology, along with vital macro- and micro-nutrients to help crops thrive under adverse conditions and bounce back from damage. Continue reading to find out more and see which one is right for your crop.

Whether it is the result of water quality or the lack of rotation of pesticides on the farm, weeds and diseases are becoming more and more resistant to the active ingredients in pesticides. 

Previously, we have examined the effect of water hardness on the efficacy of burn down and desiccation, but water quality can also cause herbicides to be less effective on certain hard-to-kill species of weeds, ultimately leading to resistance. Continue reading to find out how to improve your herbicide efficacy with a simple “pHix.”

We will also be exploring the effect of elicitors – compounds which activate chemical defense in plants – to help enhance the effectiveness of certain fungicides, such as mono-site strobilurins.

One of the realities of farming on the Prairies is having to deal with intense and often unpredictable weather, including hail.

On average, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta see more severe thunderstorms and hailstorms than any other region in Canada. During peak hail season – the warm months of June through September – Prairie farmers will see approximately 130 hailstorms that are significant enough to do damage in the field. According to the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation (MASC), 2017 saw the highest hail claims in years.

Just as we find it hard to do our best work when we’re stressed out, crops can suffer from a range of stressful conditions, which can cause poor growth and development, stalling and yield loss.

To help crops better tolerate stresses caused by weather, soil conditions, insects, diseases and herbicide application, OMEX has developed Stress Reliever Technology™. All three products in our Stress Reliever family – C3, P3 and Nutri-Boost – contain vital macro- and micro-nutrients along with this beneficial technology to keep crops thriving, even under adverse conditions, and bounce back from damage. In addition, relieving the crop from stress allows it to go through its normal life-cycle without interruption, translating into earlier days to maturity at the end of the season.

As producers across the Prairies are anxiously awaiting the start of seeding, Old Man Winter seems very reluctant to release his grip in some parts of the region. Spring temperatures have been trending below normal and the forecast is showing an increase in precipitation for most areas across Western Canada. In early April, frost was detectable at a depth of 7-8 feet in Manitoba.

So, what does a cool, wet spring mean for farmers who want to get a jump on the season?