Crop Talk Summer 2018

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER PRODUCTS

Are there ‘really’ 29 players on your team?

How a well-managed herbicide lineup can destroy the weed competition and contribute to the success of a farm

• Foreign players: Approximately 10 of the potential 29 players are not allowed on your team because they are not registered in Canada.

• Tired veterans: Currently, nine out of those now 19 potential players have built resistance against their opponents in Canada.

• No draft prospects: You’ve had no new players added to your team since 2008.

• Lengthy development program: On average, it takes approximately 14 years for crop protection companies to research and develop a new player.

And when looking at specific crops, target weeds and application timing, the size of your team continues to decrease.

As an example, when looking at an incrop herbicide application in wheat,

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herbicides registered for grass and/or broadleaf control are in Groups 1, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 27. With only six options to control weeds in a pivotal yield setting growth stage of wheat, a management strategy needs to be implemented to support their longevity. So, if you find yourself, as in this example down to six players on your team to protect your wheat crop, what can you do to maintain control of your toughest weed opponents, keep your future options open and to prevent herbicide resistance?

• Know your opponent: Research your key problem weeds. Look for weakness — some modes of action work better than others.

• Good coaches: Keep accurate records year-to-year to track your lineup and to monitor what’s working and what’s not.

• Level the playing field: Follow a good crop rotation. Even though there are six in-crop herbicide options in wheat, other crops such as canola or soybeans can utilize other Groups.

• Consider a man-on-man defense: Match the herbicide(s) to your most

difficult weeds, such as kochia, cleavers and Canada fleabane.

• Play by the rules: Use full-labelled rates and use the best tank mixes and adjuvants to ensure your product choice works optimally.

• Mix it up: Apply multiple herbicide Groups that are effective on target weeds. For instance, in wheat: Velocity m3 (Groups 2, 6 and 27) or Infinity® FX (Groups 4, 6 and 27) from Bayer are perfect examples of mixing multi-modes of action for resistance management. Out of the six modes available for wheat, Bayer’s product line provides options with five of those herbicide Groups.

Remember, you can only manage what is in your control. With no new modes of action currently ready to be launched to the market, preserving the longevity of the current herbicide team will be critical for your farm’s success. Otherwise your hard-to-control weed list will increase to also include herbicide resistant ones and there will be more “tired veterans” sitting on the bench.

PHOTOS: bottom, bayer cropscience /top: getty images/ligora

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uccessfully run farms are built by strong coaches, managers and teams. Crop input and agronomist teams; an equipment manager; and of course, banker support are just some examples. Since herbicides are considered an important tool on farms, what if we specifically looked at them as a subset of your crop input team? Currently, according to the Weed Science Society of America, there are 29 different herbicide Groups, all classified based on their distinct ability to interfere with the way a weed cell operates. If those 29 herbicide Groups, or modes of action were your players, here’s how your team would look:

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER PRODUCTS

Between the crosshairs: yield and quality

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he challenge with cereal fungicides has been application timing: protect the flag leaf, but miss on protecting quality by not protecting against fusarium at flowering. Or, obtain the best quality with a flowering application but risk leaf disease by not protecting the flag leaf.

But, does it have to be a choice? Or can you hit both and maximize your yield AND quality opportunity? With fusarium infections increasing in intensity and moving westward across the Prairies, focus and research on application timing has indeed found the optimal fungicide application timing for quality. But where this is of particular interest, is that this timing is where the opportunity for the highest quality and yields intersect.

Rising to the top over the past 10+ years of Bayer’s fungicide trials is Prosaro, which has achieved an additional +7.7 extra bushels per acre over checks during the past decade. Through these trials and many other research trials, it’s been proven that optimal timing for

both quality and yield timing of wheat is between Days 1 and 2 after flowering and Days 1 to 3 in barley.

Better aim with a better tool In 2017, the next generation of Prosaro was introduced: Prosaro XTR. But what is the “XTR?” “The addition of mefenpyrdiethyl to Prosaro resulted in better than expected benefits for plant health,” said James Humphris, Cereal Crop Manager at Bayer.

“Not only does it help plants metabolize stresses more efficiently, resulting in higher yields, but it provides comprehensive DON and FDK reduction, resulting in a better quality wheat,” he adds.

“Extra yield, extra quality. That’s where the XTR acronym comes from.”

With two different active ingredients (tebuconozole and prothioconazole), Prosaro XTR has long-lasting preventative and curative properties to quickly eliminate existing infections and prevent new ones from developing.

Because fusarium head blight is a

fungus that infects wheat during the flowering stage, the ideal timing to protect your wheat’s quality is from early up to 50 per cent flowering.

At this stage, the wheat head is fully extended up from the flag leaf.

With the most leaf surface area of any other wheat leaf, its primary role is to capture sunshine for photosynthesis. So important in fact, that it fuels over 50 per cent of the plant’s growth and grain fill.

Preserving this flag leaf health is critical.

That’s where some of the added health benefits, such as metabolizing stresses, from the mefenpyr-diethyl in Prosaro XTR have their greatest impact: it results in the plant filling more kernels. And that’s more bushels in the hopper.

If high yield and high quality for wheat or barley are in your sights this season, be sure to use the latest fungicide tool that delivers both. For more information on achieving both your target yield and quality with Prosaro XTR, consult your local retail, Bayer representative or visit cropscience.bayer.ca/ProsaroXTR

✔ optimal Optimal timing provides best results

+6.7

+8.7

early head Head is completely exposed, but just emerged from the flag leaf.

optimal head Head extended up from the flag leaf, first flowers visible.

bu./ac.

bu./ac.

+7.2

bu./ac.

late head Head fully flowered/flowers falling off.

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Spotlight on pulses

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INCREASE YOUR PROFIT POTENTIAL AND SAVE WITH BAYERVALUE

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pulse crops on our farms. However, there can’t be a success story without a little drama to make the story interesting. White mould, grey mould and aschochyta blight are just a few of the examples of diseases impacting Canadian field peas, lentils, and chickpeas. And, in many cases, when these diseases hit unprotected fields, disastrous yields are the result. Luckily, pulse growers have tools, such as Delaro® fungicide from Bayer to protect their crops. It is proven in the results below (averaged over three years in multiple sites):

• Field Pea DST results: +6.3 bu./ac. increase (+11% yield) over untreated checks • Lentil DST results: +3.0 bu./ac. increase (+11% yield) over untreated checks

“Apply early and as your first fungicide pass,” says Jared Veness, Bayer Field Marketing Manager.

“Delaro’s strength comes from being a multi-mode of action fungicide containing prothioconazole and trifloxystrobin. These two actives provide translaminar and systemic control: meaning, not only will existing disease presence be impacted positively but Delaro will also stay in the plant to provide extended control well after the time of application.”

So, next time you dip a veggie into your hummus, consider all the diseases it had to encounter to become that new option on your plate. And remember, it only really got there with the help of Canadian farms and some fungicide protection.

The 2018 BayerValue program gives you access to the complete lineup of innovative cropping solutions from Bayer with exceptional savings.

Participating products vary from Eastern to Western Canada, so ask your local retail or visit CropScience.Bayer.ca/BayerValue to determine the participating products in your area.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/Elena Schweitzer

peaking with Jennifer Evancio, Director of Sales & Marketing at Best Cooking Pulses, a global pulse food ingredients company, her passion and knowledge about pulses as a global food source is evident, even on the phone.

“We’re in such interesting times in the food industry. Non-traditional markets for pulses have really been gaining momentum, particularly in North America and Western Europe. They’ve really been in the spotlight,” she says. “And you know where it started? Hummus.”

While average North Americans may have thrown the odd “garbanzo bean” onto their plate at a salad bar, overall awareness and interest for incorporating pulses into their diets up until recently has been exceptionally low.

Less than five years ago, the average person on the street may not have known what a pulse crop was. But, now, with the consumer market driving specific food trends, such as gluten free, low-fat, and sustainable production, there is greater interest in incorporating pulses into diets. In addition to having the above appealing traits, the UN globally declared 2016 as The Year of the Pulse. This public recognition and the desire to increase consumption of pulse food options in our diets has expanded well beyond the hummus dip section.

Globally, Canada is the world’s largest exporter of lentils and peas, with a reputation for producing high quality

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER PRODUCTS

Simplifying the options

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usually, but not always, happens around early silking. This is the same timing for a fusarium application. Luckily, your fungicide and insecticide may be tank mixed for one application if this is the case.

Tracey Baute, entomologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs outlines many details on WBC scouting and thresholds online at Field Crop News, The Baute Bug Blog. So, while there are a number of combinations, there are only two, maybe three choices.

orn production can be complicated. Leaf diseases limit yield while fusarium infection creates quality-debilitating toxins.

Causing further concern is rising populations of Western Bean Cutworm (WBC), which make the plant more vulnerable to disease infection.

How can you manage these problems?

Well, it actually is quite easy. Pests such as leaf diseases, fusarium and WBC, create an array of combinations based on what you might target. But, there are only two spray timings to be concerned about: early tassel and early/mid silking. While these two growth stages may only be five days apart in good growing conditions, they are worlds apart in terms of how a fungicide application will help your corn crop.

Why not spray once for both leaf disease and fusarium?

Running from outside of the corn husk directly to the kernel, silks act like a railway track, connecting the outer to the inner world. This is how pollen enters and unfortunately, diseases like fusarium can do the same. There are currently two fungicides, Caramba® and Proline® that protect against fusarium and their application timing is critical: when silks are newly and fully emerged. At this timing, both products will also control labelled late season leaf disease.

But, the ideal leaf disease fungicide timing is actually at early tassel to protect

Western Bean Cutworm egg masses.

the biggest photosynthesizing (energy producing) leaves. Since silks are not yet present the fusarium does not have the “inside track” to infect so therefore the fungicide application at that timing won’t control fusarium.

Another major factor in the timing decision is WBC. An insecticide application for WBC won’t always be needed. This should be determined by scouting and examining against economic thresholds. If economic thresholds are going to be reached it

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Spray at early tassel for: Broad spectrum leaf disease protection Spray at early silking: Late season leaf disease + fusarium protection, Late season leaf disease + fusarium + WBC protection

A third option is spraying at both early tassel and early silking. Depending on corn prices and disease and insect pressure this may make sense for some growers.

Forecasted insect and disease pressures, environmental conditions, economic thresholds, resource availability and finances will impact your decision on whether to spray and at what timing.

Understanding which diseases have the greatest (leaf or fusarium) impact on your crop should be the deciding factor.

Need help deciding? Contact your local agronomist or Bayer representative.

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Ten years of proof

PHOTO: k. hamilton

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Authentication. Validation. Collaboration.

Verification. That’s what 10 years of grower managed fungicide trials in real-life conditions looks like: proof of what you can expect from your fungicide in your area.

Resources Make Decisions Easier “Turn to resources for help during the decision making process,” says Gunter Jochum from St. Francois Xavier, MB.

“From agronomists to university extensions to local suppliers, learn as much as you can.”

ItPaysToSpray.ca is your resource for localized results from the Bayer Fungicide Demonstration Strip Trials program. From wet years or dry, heavy disease pressure to low, we’ll give you a good idea what you can expect from your fungicide. And the proof is positive.

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Supercharge your contact potato fungicide

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hroughout the season, applications of a contact fungicide such as chlorothalonil or mancozeb, are critical to keeping diseases such as early and late blight from impacting your potato crop. Bayer offers an excellent tank mix solution to help growers get the most out of their contact fungicide’s chemistry.

By mixing Bayer’s Reason® fungicide with either a chlorothalonil or mancozeb

application, you’ll increase performance and improve the protection beyond what you’d get with a contact fungicide alone.

Plus, when it rains, the systemic activity of Reason keeps you covered until you can get back in the field.

Potato growers know that early blight is a slow threat, appearing across potato growing regions most seasons, killing off potato plants and significantly impacting yield. While it doesn’t appear every

year, late blight is an instant killer, taking down an entire crop in a matter of days.

Potatoes need protection against both early and late blight and a systemic plus contact fungicide tank mix provides the best protection you can get.

At less than $9/ac. the systemic activity of Reason is an economical tank mix partner that can help you get the most out of your contact fungicide application this year.

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erbicide resistant weeds are a permanent fixture in farming today and are an annual consideration in any grower’s cropping plan. One long-term approach to reducing the development or impact of resistant weeds in your fields is by enlisting weed control strategies to lower the weed seed in the soil.

The weed seed bank is the total of the viable, dominant seeds that are in the soil at any given time. Weed seeds are returned to the soil when weeds go to seed. To reduce the number of weed seeds populating the seed bank, high levels of control are necessary. At one time, weed control was defined as 80 per cent of weeds controlled in a given field. However, that strategy allows 20 per cent of the weeds to populate the seed bank. Total weed control should be the goal of weed management strategies.

Weeds are most damaging to the crop in the early stages.

When weeds are allowed to grow unchecked, they not only compete with the crop for moisture, nutrients and light, they also reproduce and recharge the soil seed bank. As many weed species can overwinter for several years, this can be an ongoing problem, particularly when dealing with resistant species.

You can reduce the number of weed seeds in the soil

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seed bank by practicing integrated weed management strategies throughout your crop rotation. This includes killing weeds and weed escapes before they set seed, targeting optimum seeding rates by crop, rotating crops, using competitive crops and rotating with forages. You can also consider cultural management such as post-harvest burn down and targeted tillage. Other tactics such as the use of chaff carts or a Harrington Seed Destructor can also capture weed escapes.

In addition, know your fields and your weeds to stay on top of any potential threats. Research shows that herbicide resistant weeds are more mobile than previously thought, moving through wind, water, animals and farm machinery, so start your season clean with a pre-season burndown when necessary. Be sure that all of your equipment is clean to prevent the spread of weed seeds.

Reducing the number of weeds returned to the soil helps provide a longer-term weed control solution. The best way to control weeds is with a herbicide properly applied at the recommended rates. Keep your herbicides working into the future with a fully integrated weed management approach.

For more information on herbicide resistance and how to manage specific concerns, visit Mixitup.ca.

PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES/Bronwyn8

Breaking down weed seed banks