April 2010
Cropside: Staying on top of NPK
By: Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs
N CALCULATOR RECOMMENDATION for Corn Factor Input N Rate (lb/acre) Base N Requirement (select soil texture) Loam + 28 Yield Adjustment (enter proven yield) 175 + 135 Heat Unit Adjustment (enter CHU rating)
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April 2010
The Big Picture: Balancing bias
By: Claire Cowan
AGRICULTURE IS FULL of scientific certainty and research-driven results. Decisions on how much fertilizer to apply, what crop protection product to use and when to sell a crop all require careful measurements. A science-based approach to farming is becoming more important every day as farmers perform their own strip trials, utilize variable rate technology and monitor their own weather systems. But despite all this science and measurement, agriculture is still rife with emotional discussion,
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April 2010
Cropside: What's the best herbicide for you?
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A GROWER WALKED A grower walked a grower walked into my office about five years ago, frustrated having just come from a soybean field with inadequate weed control. We talked about options for next year and I pulled several University of Guelph research reports off my shelf to show him trials that evaluated herbicide performance on weeds that weren’t being controlled on his farm. As we looked through the piles of reports he said something that stuck with me, “It would be nice if this work could be
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April 2010
Research Roundup
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TREATMENT FOR LONG-SPINE sandbur control in cornCarolynn SeatonPost-emergence herbicides are more effective than pre-emergence herbicides for controlling long-spine sandbur, a problem weed in corn on sandy soils in southwestern Ontario. Long-spine sandbur grows rapidly in open spaces and competes for moisture, nutrients and light. The weed can reduce yields, harvesting efficiency and grain quality if its seeds get into the grain. Pre-emergence herbicides, such as Prowl, have
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April 2010
Future of Grain
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BASF INTRODUCES TWO NEW herbicidesTwo new herbicides, one for early-season weed control in corn and another for burndown in soybeans is being offered by BASF for the 2010 growing season.Integrity offers control of grass and broadleaf weeds in corn and offers growers application flexibility serving as either a pre-plant incorporated or pre-emergence herbicide, claims the company. It is powered by two modes of action including Kixor, a new class of pyrimidinedione chemistry. According
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April 2010
In the news
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HENSALL TO GET bean processing facilityThe Eastern Canadian division of grain company Parrish and Heimbecker, Limited (P&H) recently announced plans to invest in a new, state-of-the-art, dry edible bean processing facility in Hensall, Ontario. The project development plans indicate that ground-breaking is imminent.Located in the heart of Huron County, this new investment sends a strong and supportive signal to Ontario’s 2,000 navy bean (white pea bean) producers says the
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April 2010
Weetabix wheat art competition
By: Meghan Burke
GRAIN FARMERS OF ontario (GFO) and Weetabix Canada invite Ontario wheat farmers to participate in a straw bale sculpture competition. Participants are encouraged to express their artistic side and build the best straw bale sculpture in Ontario. Three winners will receive cash prizes! Grand prize winner $5,000 Second place winner $3,000 Third place winner $1,000To participate, you must: Be an Ontario wheat farmer Register as a participant – visit weetabix.ca or
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April 2010
Replanting Roundup Ready
By: Claire Cowan
AS THE FIRST company to patent and commercialize a genetic trait in commercial agriculture, eyes are on Monsanto as they also become the first company to deal with the expiration of a patent.The first generation Roundup Ready soybean trait (RR1) was patented in 1991 and as Canadian patent law stipulates, it expires 20 years later. Come August, 2011, RR1 will be the first widespread plant biotechnology trait scheduled to go off patent. According to patent law, it is not possible to extend the
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April 2010
To be or not to be a soybean
By: Lilian Schaer
IT’S GROWN LIKE a soybean crop but harvested like a vegetable crop. Industry experts say a niche market for Ontario-grown edamame could be one with potential, but there are still a lot of unanswered questions about how it can best be grown here. “We grow a lot of soybeans in Ontario so we know we can meet the plant’s needs,” says Elaine Roddy, Vegetable Crops Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). “There’s potential, but with edamame, it’s a
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April 2010
Site-specific disease forecasting
By: Kerry-Sue Lang
DESPITE YOUR BEST efforts to grow profitable, high quality, disease-free cereal crops, the biggest challenge remains the weather. While we still can’t control it, science and technology are taking us a lot closer to at least implementing best management practices to counter the negative impact weather conditions can cause.“Diseases are driven by the disease triangle made up of pathogens, crops and environment. We can predict two sides of the disease triangle fairly accurately,” says
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