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.

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 we learned in part one of this series, using primers to encourage strong, deep roots is critical under periods of extended heat and low-moisture. However, it’s also important to continue providing the crop with a proactive nutrition plan, particularly during periods of stress.

To continue to support the root system, Dr. Abdel El Hadrami, CEO and R & D Director for OMEX Agriculture Inc. recommends applying liquid foliar fertilizer (foliars) throughout the growing season. This will supply the plant with enough energy to continue searching deeper into the soil for the moisture and minerals required to grow and thrive.

Starter fertilizers get crops off to a great start by providing nutrition that might not otherwise be available due to cold, wet spring seeding conditions. The result is vigorous plants that establish quickly and are better able to compete with weeds, tolerate early-season stresses, pests and diseases.

Starters contain a supply of nutrients, strategically placed as close to the seed as possible. As seeds sprout, seedlings can quickly access these nutrients in a readily available form. Monitored R&D trials using various crops (canola, wheat, flax) revealed that the roots with Starter P in-furrow were three to four days ahead in their growth and development than those without a starter.