Tag: crop nutrition

Magnesium (Mg) is an essential macronutrient for plants, playing a fundamental role in various physiological processes, growth, and development. It is a critical component of chlorophyll, which is responsible for the green color in plants and is central to photosynthesis. Magnesium is involved in several vital functions within plants that influence their health, productivity, and […]

Potassium (K) is an essential nutrient for plants and is classified as a primary macronutrient, along with nitrogen and phosphorus. It plays a crucial role in various physiological processes, growth, and development of plants. Potassium is required in relatively large quantities by plants and is involved in several key functions. Here’s a detailed overview of […]

You don’t need to check the calendar to know that summer has arrived. Heading into the long weekend, temps across the Prairies are in the mid-20s to low 30s and, according to the latest forecast, it looks like the heat and humidity will be sticking around. Before you lose your cool, read on. In earlier […]

Lodging occurs when the crop falls over and does not return to a standing position. Crop lodging can be very costly to producers and can pose many challenges during harvest. For instance, it is common to see secondary growth on the flattened crop extending maturity and diminishing grain quality. For the past couple of years, harvest in some parts […]

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 […]

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 […]

For the past few years, we have talked about the concept of “antibiotics + vitamins,” referring to what the combination of fungicides and adequate nutrition can achieve for your crops. The right combination is critical for promoting health and fending off diseases and pests, and it all starts with a fungal screening of the seed. […]

The Green Revolution of the 1960s sought to greatly increase agricultural production through the introduction of high-yield crops, chemical fertilizers, and synthetic herbicides and pesticides. With these new advancements, it was suddenly possible to grow more food on the same number of acres, to better meet the needs of a growing global population. One thing […]

Photo credit: Chatterton et al., 2017 Root rot and clubroot are two serious diseases which can, at best, cause yield losses and, at worst, cause premature plant death. While clubroot is a disease solely affecting brassica crops, such as canola, root rot can take hold in cereals, pulses, canola and other field crops when conditions […]

As the world’s food demand grows, agricultural food production is also on the rise. This comes with the related challenges of poor yield, drought, pests and weeds that can negatively impact both productivity and the environment. While fertilizers and pesticides play a significant role in attempting to overcome some of these obstacles, agricultural biologicals can […]