10 Sep 10 Harvest ramifications

This late, difficult harvest is going to have some wide-ranging ramifications. Seeding plans for winter wheat are being disrupted. Many producers had hoped to seed winter wheat on land that didn’t get seeded this spring. As it turns out, many of those acres are still too wet. And there aren’t many fields of canola harvested yet. That’s prime stubble for seeding winter wheat. The bad harvest weather could also have an impact on seed availability for next spring. This may be especially true on pulse crops where quality is taking a beating and more acres that usual will be sprayed pre-harvest with glyphosate which will harm seed germination. Expect more marketing problems than usual. Although there aren’t many cereal crops harvested yet, there are many reports of severe disease problems including fusarium head blight and ergot that make crops harder to sell. Expect more processing of crops in an attempt to remedy problems. For instance, chickpeas are facing a serious frost threat. There could be a big demand for colour sorters to remove the distinctly green seeds and improve the grade. And, of course, expect extensive use of aeration fans and grain driers and the corresponding bills for power, natural gas and propane. I’m Kevin Hursh.

DynAgra, an independent Western Canada-based Company, is dedicated to providing growers with the tools to manage the risk and maximize the profitability of their farm business through the continued innovation of agricultural products and services. We are committed to developing and providing growers with the latest in precision agronomics, variable rate technology, soil fertility, crop protection, fertilizers, custom application and financial solutions.

Tags: agricultural products, agricultural services, Canola, cereal crops, chickpeas, crop protection, custom application, Dynagra, fertilizers, financial solutions, frost threat, fusarium head blight, glyphosate, harvest, pre-harvest, precision agronomics, pulse crops, seed germination, seeding plans, soil fertility, sprayed, Variable Rate Technology, winter wheat

04 Mar 10 Glyphosate resistant kochia

Glyphosate resistance has been confirmed in kochia weeds in western Kansas. A report posted by Southwest Farm Press says the resistant kochia populations have undergone both greenhouse and field testing by Kansas State University and Monsanto. Kochia is a huge problem in much of the brown and dark brown soil zone of Western Canada. Scientists say that as much as 90 per cent of our kochia population has become resistant to Group 2 herbicides. While there are no reports of glyphosate resistance in Canada, you have to wonder if that problem is coming based on the report from Kansas. Glyphosate has multiple uses – preemergent weed burn-off, Roundup Ready canola, chem-fallow, pre-harvest and post-harvest. It’s a bit scary to think of what we’ll need to do if we ever lose the utility of glyphosate – a product that has become increasingly affordable. It seems clear that there are going to be increasing problems with many types of herbicide resistance. Rotating herbicide groups and using products with multiple modes of action will be increasingly important strategies. I’m Kevin Hursh.

Tags: glyphosate, herbicide, kochia, Monsanto, post-harvest, pre-harvest, Roundup Ready Canola, Southwest Farm Press