26 Industry news “We had high insect populations, like cereal leaf beetle, in areas that historically haven’t needed control. That’s another reminder for us all to be out in our fields, so we’re always prepared for what comes next.” For Albert Tenuta, OMAFA’s field crop pathologist, tar spot continues to illustrate how crop pathogens can still bring surprises. Tar spot, he says, was slow to develop in 2024 compared to previous years, suggesting it would be less of a problem. But when conditions turned favourable, it immediately took off. “Diseases under favourable environmental conditions can still surprise me. Even after 33 years, I can still be surprised for the ability of those good pathogens, how quickly they can develop, and what an impact they can have on the plants themselves and yields,” says Tenuta. He adds that tar spot is now considered a risk at the regional level, not the local or field-specific level. Other disease pressures were more routine – although tar spot has become a routine consideration across much of the province. Tenuta encourages growers to determine what risks they face in each field going into winter, address them where able, and select crop varieties with tolerance to the unique circumstances in which they will be planted. “We all know there are certain fields that will have a white mould risk every year. Others will not,” says Tenuta. “Don’t just go by yield. Think about other impacts in terms of lodging, standability, disease resistance … I think the other thing is, we can’t predict the weather, but we can utilize new models, new forecasting tools, using technology to assist us in making better management decisions.” DRONING ON Weather can change on a dime – the regulatory environment, not so much. For Jason Deveau, drones and the potential use of drones for spray applications is a perennial subject of interest and one which made minor advances in 2024. Deveau is awaiting regulatory updates from Transport Canada, which might make it easier for drone pilots to acquire permission to operate. Currently, those wishing to operate a drone over 25 kilograms – the size you would need for spray applications – must apply for a Special Flight Operations Certificate every time they want to use it. It’s a time-consuming and impractical process for both the applicant and Transport Canada, and Deveau says it is expected to be streamlined in December 2024. Should operational regulations relax, though, it doesn’t mean drones spraying fertility and crop protection inputs will immediately fill the skies. Health Canada has yet to allow for the application of products by drone – with the exception of a mosquito-targeting larvicide, one fertility product, and one herbicide used primarily in forestry and road maintenance. Even if drone-applied herbicides and fungicides were allowed tomorrow, many issues need to be addressed. “We see planes and helicopters leaving these tell-tale green-brown stripes, and it suggests they need to spray a tighter pattern … Drones are no different,” he says, citing one challenge among many. “A rotary drone operates in a unique way. It is more like an air blast sprayer in the sky. That factor alone has to be taken into account, good or bad … We’re still figuring these things out …we’re doing our best to give everybody some guidance here.” • continued from page 25 ROOTWORM ROOTWORM
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