Pre-seed weed control is a valuable tool to use in an overall weed control strategy for your crops. Early weed removal has been documented as an important step in maximizing crop yield due to reduced weed density and competition.
Learn more about best management practices for canola.
A well-planned crop rotation will help keep soils and crops healthier. It is key to sustainability and economic success on the farm. Consider the following when building your crop rotation plan:1) Practise crop diversity. Rotations with cereals, oilseeds and pulses will improve soil characteristics and improve yield.2) Be aware of the growth habit of your crop such as rooting patterns and depth e.g. deep-rooted crops can access subsoil moisture and nutrients more effectively and may help improve soil drainage and aeration.
With harvesting completed this fall, grower impressions of swathing and combining characteristics are fresh in mind. Final yields and maturity differences will then usually make up a grower’s mind about a variety choice for the next growing season. Of course, new varieties and specialty markets will also provide additional options for growers. Here are some key factors to consider when booking your variety for next season:
Growers should consider “herbicide layering” as a strategy to help manage herbicide resistance. This practice involves using a pre-emergent herbicide prior to an in-crop herbicide application. This program allows for multiple modes of action to be utilized. In addition, pre-emergent weed control gets the crop off to a fast, clean start to help maximize yield potential.
Post-harvest weed control is a great opportunity to clean up fields and prepare for next year’s crop. Fall is especially suited for effective control of perennials such as dandelion and Canada thistle. As temperatures start to drop, perennial weeds start moving nutrients into their root systems for winter storage. This also facilitates the movement of crop protection products into the roots, enhancing their activity and providing a better kill. Control of winter annuals is also more effective in the fall, when these weeds are small seedlings. There is also an opportunity to use different herbicide modes of action in the fall and to tank-mix glyphosate for more complete weed control and resistance management.
The Manitoba Canola Growers Association (MCGA) is offering its members free diagnostic testing for each of the following crop pests in canola: clubroot, blackleg and glyphosate-resistant kochia. Testing will be done by the Pest Surveillance Initiative (PSI) lab in Winnipeg. It is the hope of MCGA that getting tested will help growers maximize their net income on the farm.
With weed and disease control generally being completed on most fields, growers have an excellent opportunity to do some “Crop CSI”. Field observations made at this time of year can help uncover any problems and direct future improvements to crop production strategies. Some of the key areas to pay attention to include:
As we approach the intense post-emergent spray window for many crops, here are a few tips to consider to maximize herbicide performance:1) Match the most effective herbicide for the most difficult weeds to control in the fieldpositively identify your weedsunderstand how your herbicide works, to better manage application parameters and herbicide resistance
The following exclusive WinField United products are available at Shur-Gro Farm Services:Plant Growth RegulatorAscend SL™Ascend SL is a (soluble liquid) plant growth regulator (PGR) that contains an optimal combination of 3 plant growth regulators, which can result in vigorous early plant germination and emergence, a robust root system, and larger leaves and wider stems to help increase yield. Ascend SL can be used as a seed treatment, in-furrow or as a foliar application. Application can be made by ground or air. Ascend SL is a proprietary blend of cytokinin 0.090%, gibberellic acid 0.030% and indolebutyric acid 0.045%. This combination of plant growth regulators promotes cell division and elongation in leaves and stems, as well as vigorous root formation and elongation. Registered crops include alfalfa, canola, cereals, corn, dry beans and peas, soybeans and sunflowers. A typical foliar use rate is 100 ml/ac (95 ac/9.46 L jug) and may be applied multiple (2-3) times in most crops. As a seed treatment for wheat, 260 ml/100 kg of seed is recommended. Each jug will treat 134 bu of wheat seed. As an in-furrow treatment for corn, 177 ml/ac is recommended. Each jug will treat 54 ac of corn.
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