News Feed
July 10, 2020: Advice From Lily
With the storms and rain showers that have been rolling through this week, weighing out the pros and cons of putting on a fungicide is still on a lot of peoples minds.
Fungicides are most beneficial when applied proactively instead of reactively. Lily here who is in charge of PR thought it would be good to share a couple of ideas to help assess the conditions on your farm:
🌱 Checking to see if the canopy is wet underneath in the mornings.
🌱 Have you had hard driving rains that would splash dirt up onto the plants?
🌱 Did your crop experience any damage in the wind?
🌱 When was the last time you grew that crop on that field?
If you would like some help assessing the conditions on your farm give me a call!
June 30, 2020: Fungicide
Has using a fungicide crossed your mind in the last few days? Some might say, "It seems to be the word on the street right now!" Many questions are associated with using a fungicide, such as: - First off, do you need to use one? (Refer to my disease triangle post from last week) - Which one to use for which crop - When should they be applied If you've asked yourself any of these question, and are looking for further details, give me a text or call and I'd be happy to help out! (Limited availability, as the time frame is quite narrow)
June 19, 2020: The Disease Triangle
Is disease a possibility in your crops?! It is important to ask yourself this early in the season so you can be prepared if you need to take action. Assessing the 3 main factors in the disease triangle pictured below is a great place to focus. ALL 3 factors need to be present in order for a disease to exist. For example, if we take a Lentil crop that would be the host. Looking at the other 2 factors isn't as simple as identifying the host. Questions like how often have lentils been grown on the field and has it been wet or humid out for a prolonged time period are important to ask. These questions just scratch the surface of what needs to be considered when determining if you need to apply a fungicide, which fungicide to choose and when to apply it. If you are looking for some assistance with assessing your conditions or choosing a fungicide, give me a call!
June 9, 2020: Counting the Leaves
Knowing how many leaves are on your cereal crop can be essential for many different applications throughout the year. This time of year we are mainly staging for herbicide applications or top dressing. Did you know top dressing at certain stages makes a difference whether it is going to help increase the yield or protein? Below is a picture of a durum plant with labels to help show the leaves and tillers!
June 3, 2020: Counting the Nodes
Counting nodes on pulse crops poses a challenge each year. If you aren't sure what to look for when staging your pulse crops, don't worry you aren't alone, this is a very common question each spring. Take a look at the pictures below that I have provided with arrows labeling the nodes. I hope this is helpful, if you have any questions, I'd be happy to chat!
June 2, 2020: Flea Beetles
I've heard a lot of talk about the flea beetle populations in SW Sask this spring. While your plants are little it is important to monitor them closely as flea beetles can act quickly! The action threshold is 25% vegetation loss, remember this includes the stem as well as the leaves. How are your mustard and canola acres looking so far this spring?
May 26, 2020: Farm Planning
**Limited amount of crop scouting available for 2020 crop year** As seeding winds down and the crops begin to grow, we have an ever changing set of management factors that need our attention. If you have been curious about what a comprehensive farm plan and field scouting could do for you, give me a call or text and I'd love to get you set up for this season!
May 4, 2020: Field Scouting
Scouting fields is an important part of any production system whether its done by the producer or an agronomist. The pictures below demonstrate the importance of weed ID and knowing what's in your field. These weeds are often considered "the same" if not looked at closely, but they are very different and not always controlled the same way.
If you are looking for some help scouting your fields this growing season, let me know and I'd be happy to help! I have many different options including scouting a specific crop type for the season or a full farm approach!
Happy Seeding!
April 17, 2020: Soil Sampling
I have my soil sampling up and running for the spring! If you're looking for some last minute soil samples to help make an informed decision on fertilizer this spring, I'd be happy to help out! Maybe you've been thinking about soil sampling for awhile now and would like some more information about it? It's not to early to plan for fall 2020 sampling!
