Tag: crop stress

Flowering is one of the most important stages in a crop’s life cycle and often happens during the hottest days of summer – ideal conditions for a less-than-ideal situation: heat stress. When conditions are right for heat stress, it is especially important to pay attention to boron (B) – a micronutrient that is critical to […]

Boron (B) is the first nutrient plants seek as they begin to grow, and this makes good sense when we consider the key roles B plays in a wide range of physiological processes allowing plants to germinate, grow, reproduce and remain healthy. In this post, we’re diving deep into the mysteries of boron. B is […]

The 2019 growing season started of dry across most of Western Canada and turned wet starting about mid-summer all the way through to winter snow fall, including an October blizzard in parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Now, over 4.2 million acres (2.5M in Saskatchewan; 1.6M in Alberta and over 260,000 in Manitoba) are still […]

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 […]

The Weather Network has just released their three-month summer forecast and it looks like it’ll be another interesting season – from hotter temperatures in B.C., to cooler temperatures in Ontario and Quebec, and a mixed bag across the Prairies. After a spring that can best be described as reluctant, here in Saskatchewan we should expect […]

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 […]

Boron (B) plays a key role in a wide range of physiological processes that allow plants to germinate, grow, reproduce and remain healthy. No wonder it’s the first nutrient that plants seek! Boron is critical to the growth of pollen tubes, germination of pollen grains and fertilization, and helps to ensure good grain fill. A […]

All crops can be sensitive to heat stress, especially during the flowering stage. Even short periods of heat stress during flowering and grain fill can cause substantial yield losses. Flowering, one of the most important stages in a crop’s life cycle, often happens during the hottest days of summer. As the plant is shifting the […]

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 […]

We are inching closer to the first days of seeding, and anxiety is building as producers across Western Canada continue to wrestle with the decisions that could make or break the growing season. As I write this, the Jets are in the playoffs and, in some areas, yet another foot of snow has arrived along with […]