Copper (Cu) is a micronutrient which is only needed in trace amounts, but is involved in several key plant actions, including photosynthesis, nitrogen utilization, protein production and water regulation. Copper deficiency is becoming more widespread across Western Canada, limiting a crop’s growth and reducing yield potential. In this post we will examine the role of copper in the plant, consequences of copper deficiency and solutions to provide cu to your crop.
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 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 in the swath or standing in the field to-date in spring 2020.
Although it may appear to be revolutionary, the concept of using plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, or PGPR, has been with us for over 30 years. In the rhizosphere, the space immediately surrounding the roots of a plant, a complex series of interactions between the plant, microorganisms and the soil is in place. This unique environment supports a microflora that includes both beneficial and pathogenic microorganisms and exerts a significant influence on the growth and productivity of plants.
