Bluegrass competition in winter wheat can result in yield losses of up to 50%. We reviewed current research to provide recommendations for reliable control of annual and roughstalk bluegrass in Ontario. […]
This post provides an overview of the research that has been done in Ontario to evaluate the control of phragmites with herbicides. […]
Each year I get more questions about mixing the liquid fertilizer, ammonium thiosulphate (ATS) with herbicides. With reductions in atmospheric Sulphur deposits, Ontario research has shown positive yield responses in some crops when Sulphur fertilizers are applied and so it makes sense that farmers are looking at ways to add Sulphur to their crop in […]
Scentless chamomile has a reputation for being difficult to control and a 2019 on-farm research trial evaluated several herbicide treatments. Although 10 treatments provided over 80% visual control of emerged plants, new seedlings continued to emerge several weeks after application resulting in a significant amount of plants at the end of August. In order to […]
Producers interested in growing winter canola should consider the herbicide history of their field, and the herbicide options open to them following winter wheat harvest. There are a number of restrictions, and some herbicide labels do not mention safety on canola. At this time there is only one winter canola variety that is registered in […]
Joanna Follings, Mike Cowbrough, Peter Sikkema, Dave Hooker and Peter Johnson Mother nature has finally awarded us with some sun and warmer temperatures which will hopefully get the remaining winter wheat stands off to the races. However, as we get out into the fields some are questioning what to prioritize and what practices to avoid […]
Effective control of common burdock doesn’t happen overnight and is most successful when you can control new seedlings in the spring followed by controlling any larger first year plants in the fall so that they don’t overwinter, flower and disperse new seed the following year . Common burdock (Arctium minus) is a biennial that reproduces only […]
This week’s update investigates the causes of purple wheat leaves, how we should manage herbicide applications during periods of cold air temperatures and an update on corn planting progress in the province with a refresher on planting depth. Tell a friend about the OMAFRA field crop update and subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Soundcloud. [iframe]<iframe width=”100%” […]
Dealing with weed escapes in non-GMO or “identity preserved” soybeans can be challenging because many of the herbicides available don’t control a large spectrum of weeds nor will the handle larger weeds the way that glyphosate does in a glyphosate tolerant (RR) soybean crop. I have summarized the performance of several post-emergence herbicides for non-GMO […]
With three consecutive days of morning frost in many parts of the province, the two most common questions are 1) Will the corn be alright? and 2) When can I start to apply herbicides? Question 1 is answered nicely by Greg Stewart in this story (the abbreviated version is that things will be fine but if […]
A beautiful stand of red clover can provide as much as 75 kg of nitrogen per hectare (when at 40 cm tall) for next years corn crop. However, if the clover crop is not “killed off” in the fall, then preparing a suitable seedbed to plant next years crop in is often significantly delayed resulting […]
Below are examples of corn and soybean injury demonstrated at the FarmSmart field expo, July 12, Elora Research Station (University of Guelph) Scenario 1: Just this past spring, I had contact with a producer who had accidentally applied Guardian Plus (glyphosate + chlorimuron + flumioxazin) post emergent to his glyphosate tolerant soybeans. This mistake is […]
Below is an overview of herbicide injury scenarios presented at the SouthWest Crop Diagnostic Days . Scenario 1: A field of corn has been replanted due to a poor stand. After planting the producer has decided to remove the existing stand as it is effectively a weed to the new crop. Unfortunately weather delayed the graminicide […]
In any given year, as much as 32,000 acres of Ontario corn is re-planted due to uneconomical plant stands. A two year study conducted at the University of Guelph demonstrated that either Assure II + Sure Mix, Excel Super or Select + Amigo could be applied the day before replanting corn to effectively control a […]
The majority of growers, crop consultants and researchers will tell you that it is always better to manage dandelions in the fall then in the spring. Fall management simply is more effective. The photo below clearly illustrates this point. The outside rounds of this field were managed last fall and there is an obvious difference […]