Harvest 2020 is right around the corner and the memories of “Hellvest 19” are still a little too raw. While nature’s plans for Harvest 2020 remain to be seen, ensuring an adequate and timely dry down of the crop is crucial for a smooth harvest in any year. Hard water and high pH can reduce the efficacy of the desiccant herbicide, resulting in a slower dry down and delayed harvest. Read more to learn about solutions to make the best of your crop desiccation.

With tightening budgets in today’s turf industry, “spoon feeding” fertilizer and nutrients has become commonplace to manage excess turf growth and the associated costs to maintain turf while also helping your business to operate in a more sustainable manner.

However, even while scaling back macronutrient application, it is important to make sure your turf has just the right amount of the right nutrients to maintain the health and appearance of your turf. Iron (Fe) is a micronutrient needed only in small amounts, but iron plays a critical role in photosynthesis, helping to keep turf dark green, healthy and thriving. Read more to learn about iron for healthy, well-managed turf.

When it comes to spraying foliar fertilizers to aid crop growth, or spraying pesticides to control weeds, diseases, and insects; sprayer operators and farmers pay close attention to various factors affecting product performance. These factors may include the calibration of the equipment, application timing, label instructions and to some extent, the water volume. However, oftentimes hardly any attention is paid to water quality – even though water comprises over 95% of the spray solution.

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.