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.

Broadcasting fertilizer is a practice commonly used to maximize soil fertility, with advantages for managing the seeding operation early in the spring. However, this practice is detrimental to the efficiency of phosphorus, as it exposes it to either run-off in wet springs or, early tie-up or both. In this post we will examine the factors that can impair or improve phosphorus availability for uptake by plants.

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.

The United Nations General Assembly has declared 2020 the International Year of Plant Health (IYPH). This global declaration, which follows International Year of Soil in 2015, is meant to raise awareness on how protecting plant health can help end hunger, reduce poverty, protect the environment and boost the economy of many countries around the world.

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.