More and more cases of waterhemp are being discovered, and last year, Manitoba saw its first confirmed finding of Palmer amaranth. As many producers are painfully aware — both weeds can be extra difficult to control, and herbicide resistance has only increased. Manitoba’s neighbour to the south is no stranger to either weed, with the… Read More
Category: Soybean Disease, Weeds & Insects
As soybean cyst nematode (SCN) wriggles its way north, Western Canadian farmers can look to southern neighbours for advice on managing this pest. Sam Markell, extension plant pathologist with North Dakota State University (NDSU), says that late in the growing season is an excellent time to test for the pest. A core sample taken six… Read More
With the days of September ticking by, some soybean growers may be getting antsy to desiccate and get harvest underway; however, timing a pre-harvest application is critical to maximize yields and reap the rewards of the growing season. For this Soybean School episode, Rob Miller, agronomist with BASF, talks about what to look for when… Read More
A nice late July rain is a great way to kick off soybean grain fill. It also helps control pests like spider mites before they can set up shop in the maturing crop. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, we visit with PRIDE Seeds market agronomist Matt Chapple at the company’s education centre at… Read More
Researchers at Laval University in Quebec have developed a hydroponic lab test that could allow growers and agronomists to better deploy genetic resistance and tolerance in the fight against phytophthora root rot in soybeans. There are three main ways to curb phytophthora, explains Geneviève Arsenault-Labrecque, co-founder of AYOS Technologies, a spinoff founded by students at Laval, in… Read More
Keeping a close eye on crop canopy development can help growers better manage soybean crops. From helping select the best row spacing for a specific variety, to improving weed control there’s much to learn from understanding the speed at which a soybean variety closes the row as well as plant characteristics and architecture. On this… Read More
Water hardness is a factor that needs to be considered when spraying, especially when it comes to glyphosate. The high amount of dissolved calcium and magnesium in hard water will tie up weak acid salts such as glyphosate, making it ineffective at killing weeds, and potentially increasing the risk of weeds developing herbicide resistance, explains Kim… Read More
Grasshoppers are usually associated with dry conditions and go hand-in-hand with drought. And yet, grasshoppers are once again showing up in high numbers and causing crop damage in areas of the Eastern Prairies where there’s been flooding, and more than enough rain and soil moisture for the first half of the growing season. Why is… Read More
What’s in store for the 2022 soybean crop as plants move through the vegetative and reproductive stages? Will it be a white mould year? On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, BASF agronomist, Ken Currah, looks at the stark contrast between the 2021 and 2022 growing seasons and how it could impact disease management… Read More
Every year soybean growers invest in weed control to keep their fields clean. But quite often, new, uninvited weed pests enter fields. Where do they come from? How do they break though weed control defences and gain a foothold in fields? On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, OMAFRA weed specialist Mike Cowbrough looks at… Read More
Soil-applied herbicide is the foundation of weed management for food grade non-GMO soybeans. But escapes do happen, and when weeds evade control, growers need to act. On this episode of RealAgriculture Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed specialist, Mike Cowbrough, shares tips on how IP growers can tackle weedy escape artists…. Read More
A cool, wet spring has slowed fieldwork and dreams of early planting appear to be disappearing as the calendar turns to May. But the backward conditions have not stalled weed growth in fields across Ontario. That means growers will need to keep a close eye on winter annuals and mounting weed pressure in soybean and corn… Read More
Corn yield records are made to be broken. That was certainly the case in Ontario in 2021 when the provincial average topped 200 bushels per acre, smashing the previous average yield mark. But all the corn brings with it an abundance of organic matter to return to the soil. When it comes to soil health… Read More
Glyphosate supply has been a hot topic this winter as growers look for ways to navigate through short supplies of this critical weed control tool. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter Sikkema joins Bernard Tobin to discuss best practices and strategies to help growers make the most of… Read More
The 2021 growing season was one of challenge and opportunity, and Ontario’s soybean specialist, Horst Bohner, says that it all added up to a record average yield for the province at 51.6 bu/ac over 2.9 million acres. The record isn’t a surprise, given that early field tour estimations pegged yield potential well above average. On this… Read More