23 Aug 10 Which crop should I harvest?

This spring and summer has been a trying one in southern Alberta; and the fall looks to be the same way. With all the excess moisture, hail and stress crops in the DynAgra trading area are multi staged and late. So the question arises, “How do I harvest a multi staged crop?”

 

We had this same sort of problem last year because of the cold spring that we were faced with; and last year the yields and protein were quite good. We just have to manage the situation right. When you go out and look at your crop, you have to look at which stage of the crop looks the most promising and which one is most likely to make it to maturity before a major frost event. In canola, we have to take into account the shattering of over ripened canola and the green seeds in immature canola stand. And in wheat we have to worry about those immature green seeds making it into the hopper and then into the bin causing quality and storage problems.

 

There are products on the market to help with harvest management, such as glyphosate, Reglone and Cleanstart. The only chemical-aided option to dry down Roundup Ready Canola is Reglone, make sure not to apply Reglone too early to a canola stand, because it does not kill the plant but attacks the plant tissue and dries it down, so if the product is applied too early it can lock the green into the seed and it won’t ever turn color. For a Reglone application, you want to have 75% seed color change on the main stem at application time. A reminder that Reglone is just a desiccant and will dry the weeds in your field down but will not kill them, Reglone is registered for use on canola and peas as well beans and alfalfa.

 

If you choose to use a glyphosate as preharvest on canola you want to have 30% moisture or less on the crop. And for wheat once you can take a kernel and press it with your thumb nail and the imprint stays, you are at optimal preharvest timing.

 

But with any chemical-aided dry down be sure to be ready to combine once the crop is ready, usually within 7 to 14 days the crop will be ready to harvest. Any questions come into you local DynAgra for advice from our certified and experienced staff. Happy combining.

 

Yours in crop protection, 

Tags: alfalfa, Canola, CleanStart, Dynagra, glyphosate, green seeds, hopper, peas, Regalone, Roundup Ready Canola

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

20 Jan 10 As the seasons come and go so do the savings…

With spring fast approaching so are the deadlines for buying bulk chemicals. Most companies offer early buying incentives that are worth getting in on if your budget permits. Some of the most notable incentives are Everest Early Buyers Bonus, Invigor and Roundup Ready Canola’s which all expire at the end of January. As the seasons come and go so do the savings…

Tags: bulk chemical, Everest Earl Buyers Bonus, Invigor, Roundup Ready Canola