Farm forum spring16

FLEA BEETLE POPULATION SHIFT CHALLENGES CANOLA PRODUCERS

BAYER Supporting Canadian Farm Families SPRING 2016 $5

START

STRONG Good stand establishment ensures a healthy, profitable crop

Technology

Business

Production

Farm Life

Boost yield with seasonal fungicide application

OYF award winners take unexpected path to success

Conquer weeds through best management practices

'Slip-Slop-Slap' your way to better health

g n i d l o H

c i f f a r ui sp to u t

. t h g i s of

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farm forum / spring 2016

CONTENTS COVER STORY

START STRONG: Good stand establishment ensures a healthy, profitable crop / 26

features

PRODUCTION

Technology

Editor's Note: a profitable season means staying on the offensive / 4 Flea beetles on the move / 21 Conquer weeds through best management practices / 6

business

Mix It Up: Start today to keep herbicides working tomorrow / 35

OYF award winners take unexpected path to success / 16

Boost yield with seasonal fungicide application / 10

FARM LIFE

'Slip-Slop-Slap' – your way to better health / 32

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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EDITOR’S NOTE

— Sherry Warner

PUBLISHER Bayer CropScience Inc. EDITOR Sherry Warner CONTRIBUTORS Jennifer Barber, Dianne Finstad, Joy Gregory, Gerald Pilger and Clare Stanfield DESIGN/PRODUCTION Farm Business Communications Farm Forum is published seasonally by Bayer CropScience Inc. CONTACT FARM FORUM AT: Bayer CropScience Inc. Suite 130 160 Quarry Park Blvd. SE Calgary, AB T2C 3G3 T. 1 888-283-6847 F. 1 888-570-9378 E. farmforum@bayer.com www.cropscience.bayer.ca Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be reproduced only with written permission of the publisher, Bayer CropScience Inc. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743517 Registered in Canada Copyright 2016 WEBSITE www.farmforum.ca Return undeliverable copies to: Bayer CropScience Inc. Suite 130 160 Quarry Park Blvd. SE Calgary, AB T2C 3G3

PHOTO: ©THINKSTOCK

I

n sports, you’ve heard it said that the best defense is a good offense. When it comes to crops, experts agree that one of the best ways to defend against weeds, insects and diseases is through strong stand establishment.

Without a strong, uniform crop, everything from weed control to crop protection to harvest timing will be a challenge to manage. In our cover story we offer tips and tricks to getting your crop off to a great start including seed selection; seeding rates, depth and spacing; nutrition; timing; and good record keeping.

The fight against weeds could also use a strong offense. That starts with a good understanding of the most troublesome weeds in your area as well as the growing problem of herbicide resistance to help you make better weed control decisions. Check out the top five weeds to watch on the prairies and the top 10 best management practices for resistant weed management in our story on page 6.

In over 200 field-scale trials conducted by Bayer across the prairies in the past eight years, there is overwhelming evidence of a noticeable yield advantage when applying a fungicide on cereal and other crops including canola, even in times of low disease pressure. In particular, trial data for Bayer’s Stratego Pro, shows effective early season control of disease in spring cereal and corn for growers in eastern Canada.

A shift in flea beetle populations has western canola producers on their toes. Although this insect is not the usual suspect when it comes to crop damage, it can be one of the most costly. In fact, according to the Canola Council of Canada, crop losses in North America attributed to flea beetles is about $300 million. Turn to page 21 to find out how you can minimize the risk of flea beetle damage on your crops.

Who knew you could make a living milking goats in the heart of Canada’s cattle country. That was the path to success for Patrick and Cherylynn Bos, the 2015 national co-winners of the Outstanding Young Farmers’ Program award. The couple’s operation, Rock Ridge Dairy, near Ponoka, AB, includes a 10,000 sq. ft. fluid milk and cheese processing facility along with a state-of-the-art milking parlour capable of milking 900 goats in just one hour. Read their story on page 16.

And finally, in our Farm Life story, we talk about ways to help prevent skin cancer — the most common form of the disease. Since skin cancer is linked to sun exposure, farmers are at a higher risk because they spend so much time outdoors. The good news is skin cancer is preventable.

And the prescription is easy to follow: slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat every time you head outside. For more info turn to our story on page 32.

ON THE COVER Getting your crop off to a strong start helps mitigate weeds, makes the best use of nutrients, sun and moisture and gives your crop a fighting chance against pests and disease.

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SPRING 2016

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C-59-02/16-10515073-E

PRODUCTiON

CONQUER WEEDS through best management practices

wild buckwheat

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Weed experts encourage farmers to heed the warnings of weed surveys and the growing problem of resistance to make better weed control decisions

By Clare Stanfield

A

lthough some weeds grow in abundance, expand their range or develop resistance to certain herbicides, those that are the most troublesome today, are the same weeds that caused problems decades ago.

Take wild oats, green foxtail and wild buckwheat in western Canada. “Those top three have stayed the same for the last 50 years,” says Hugh Beckie, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Saskatoon. “Wild oats are everywhere and have stayed everywhere.”

Mike Cowbrough is seeing the same thing in Ontario. He’s the weed management field crops program lead with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) in Guelph. In 2014, he conducted a weed survey across four crops in six counties in that province — a follow up to a similar survey done by OMAFRA in 1988. He found that, in general, weeds identified as most abundant in 1988 were also most abundant in 2014, with green foxtail and lamb’s quarters topping both lists.

“When I show that survey to people, they’re surprised that Canada fleabane isn’t on it,” says Cowbrough. Indeed, Canada fleabane shows up only once in his survey — as the fourth most abundant weed in soybeans in Wellington County. That’s it.

So what gives? Both Beckie and Cowbrough say there’s a distinction to be

made between incidence and importance when it comes to weeds, and Canada fleabane is a good example. While it doesn’t top any list in terms of incidence (it’s not as widespread as green foxtail, for instance), it is rising on many lists as an important weed because some populations have developed resistance to glyphosate.

What does all this mean to farmers trying to devise an effective weed control program? It doesn’t mean a huge change in some respects — herbicide resistant weed populations is still the most pressing problem in all crop-growing regions, and producers still need to maintain best management practices to slow the spread of established resistant weed patches, and delay the onset of new resistance.

Having said that, farmers need to be aware that weed abundance can — not always, but can — indicate resistance problems to come.

“The top five or 10 weeds will be the same over the next 100 years,” says Cowbrough.

“It’s the nuance within that ranking that is important. Resistance is, by and large, a numbers game and if you have a weed that’s really abundant, chances are greater there’s a resistant biotype in that population, so let’s focus on using multiple modes of action for those top abundant species.” In other words, don’t wait for resistance to develop before employing resistance management tools.

Beckie agrees and says the problem is magnified where weed populations are »

“The top five or 10 weeds will be the same over the next 100 years. It's the nuance within that ranking that is important” Mike Cowbrough Weed Management Lead Ontario ministry of agriculture, food and rural affairs

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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Hugh Beckie’s Top 10 best management practices for resistant weed management 1. Crop rotation diversity 2. U se competitive crops and practices that promote competitiveness 3. P re- and post-herbicide scouting: find out what’s surviving 4. H erbicide mixtures/sequences (pre, in-crop and post) 5. H erbicide group rotation: avoid back-to-back Group 1 or 2 6. R otate in-crop, wheat-selective herbicides 7. W eed sanitation: field immigration and dispersal 8. F ield- and site-specific (patch) weed management 9. Strategic tillage 10. Sound record keeping

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SPRING 2016

both abundant and resistant. “On the 2014 Saskatchewan weed survey, cleavers is the seventh most abundant weed in the province, and in the 1970s, it was in fiftieth place,” he says. “Resistance is becoming a very serious issue where populations are staying highly abundant.”

Cowbrough says the warnings these surveys offer are clear. “Take giant ragweed,” he says. “It wasn’t on anyone’s radar in historical surveys.

Now it’s up in the middle of the pack in the crop advisors’ survey, and we have the first glyphosate resistant species in Ontario, so that elevates it somewhat as a weed to watch, even though it’s not as abundant as other weeds.”

Beckie notes the same trends in the west where some resistant weeds have become so ubiquitous he fears producers are almost acclimatizing to the situation.

“Wild oats will always be our number one resistance problem,” he says. “It’s sort of creeping forward slowly, getting worse and worse every year so crop yield losses get disguised — people just accept that there will be some loss. So it’s chronic, but it’s also acute for some growers because of the increasing complexity of resistance.

We’re seeing some wild oat populations with five-way (Group) resistance.”

Beckie says green foxtail, the most abundant weed across the prairies (just

“We’re seeing some wild oat populations with five-way (Group) resistance” Hugh Beckie research scientist, agriculture and agri-food canada

top photo: laura rance, bottom photo: daniel winters

PRODUCTiON

slightly higher than wild oats), is flying under the radar a bit because it’s not a very competitive weed if the crop is doing well. Cowbrough says it's the same with purslane speedwell, which, according to his 2014 weed survey, ranked as the second and third most abundant weed in winter wheat in two Ontario counties, but is usually finished its lifecycle by the time the crop gets going.

Both weed specialists say that farmers need to use weed abundance to take stock of how they approach weed control using the herbicide tools they have. “There’s been a whole generation of people not knowing anything but spraying glyphosate,” says Cowbrough.

He’s struggled in the past to convince students and farmers of the importance of knowing the differences between specific weeds and when and how to spray them for maximum control. The one-pass approach, regardless of weed stage, should not be a grower’s first choice, he says.

“Why would I want to know the different leaf stages and product options between fall panicum and green foxtail when glyphosate gets it all?” laughs Cowbrough.

Beckie and Cowbrough think farmers are doing as good a job as they can when it comes to effective weed control, and both accept the financial imperatives that sometimes lead farmers to make decisions that go against best management practices.

But they also urge growers to heed the warnings of weed surveys and the ever-widening spread of resistance to make better weed control decisions when they can, even if they’re tough to make.

The situation is only going to get more intense as the years go by, says Beckie, pointing to current herbicide resistance issues with the pigweed complex (waterhemp, palmer amaranth, red root and smooth pigweed) in the U.S. Midwest and Southern regions.

“It’s probably the number one global focal point for resistance now,” he says.

Canada is not at that stage yet, which is good, because recognizing the problem is halfway toward fixing it. FF

Top five weeds to watch on the prairies There’s a little jockeying between the No. 1 and No. 2 position between provinces, but Hugh Beckie has a firm top five to watch, no matter where you farm.

Wild oats

cleavers

Resistance has spread far and wide from the Swan River, MB, epicentre 30 years ago. Some populations now have five-way herbicide resistance.

The fastest increasing weed and Group 2 resistance is becoming commonplace.

GREEN FOXTAIL

KOCHIA

WILD MUSTARD

Most abundant weed across the prairies, but not competitive if you get the crop up first.

Rapidly moving northward; all populations virtually Group 2 resistant and some are developing Group 9 and 4 resistance, as well.

Group 2 resistant populations common in lentil and some other crops.

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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Technology

Boost yield with seasonal fungicide application In over 200 replicated, field-scale fungicide trials across the prairies in the past eight years, there is overwhelming evidence of a noticeable yield advantage when applying a fungicide on cereal and other crops including canola, even in times of low disease pressure

By Jennifer Barber

I

n 2015, growing conditions across much of the prairies were not conducive to the development of disease. The weather was dryer than usual, with low humidity and little precipitation. Given these conditions, some growers decided to save their money and forego a fungicide application. Unfortunately, in many cases, that was not the best decision.

“Last year application intensity was down, more so for canola than for wheat,” says Al Eadie, market development manager with Bayer.

“Disease levels were lower, but it was still happening, and in particular the intensity of fusarium surprised people.” Those farmers who used a fungicide were protected. For those who didn’t, last year’s trial results showed that without a fungicide application, canola yield was down an average of 4.5 bushels per acre.

In the past, the decision to apply a foliar fungicide depended on where you farmed. For instance, Manitoba growers usually include a fungicide application as part of their annual cropping plan because they know disease pathogens are present. And as disease and intense crop production practices have spread west, so has the need for disease control.

In recent years, growers in

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Saskatchewan have been grappling with fusarium as well as increased incidences of leaf disease. Fusarium pressure has also increased in Alberta, with affected areas spreading each year.

“If you are taking a ‘wait and see approach’ as to whether you should do a fungicide application in wheat, it can be a tough call,” says Troy Basaraba, market development specialist with Bayer. “If you wait until you see signs of the disease, often the crop is too advanced for it to make a difference.

Even if a crop looks clean, you never know what’s coming in the weeks ahead. If you get a shot of rain at heading then everything changes.”

Bayer has conducted over 200 replicated field-scale cereal fungicide trials in the past eight years, across all prairie provinces and growing regions, completing 127 wheat, 42 barley and 23 oat trials, as well as trials on soybeans, dry beans, peas, lentils and canola.

In virtually every crop, there was a positive return on investment from a fungicide application, and the worst case scenario was a break even result.

“Our results are broken into three scenarios: up to 85 per cent of normal moisture, 85 to 115 per cent moisture, and greater than 115 per cent moisture,” says Eadie. “We have a big dataset now with overwhelming evidence that

there is a noticeable yield advantage when applying a fungicide on cereal crops under all of these scenarios.”

One scenario used a Prosaro fungicide application at head timing.

On average, this trial revealed an 8 bushels per acre advantage over the untreated check in Alberta; a 7 bushels per acre advantage in Saskatchewan; and an 8.3 bushels per acre advantage in Manitoba. Despite the climate differences and changes in growing conditions, the advantage was similar across every region.

“On average, we’ve seen consistent levels of yield response no matter where the trials were conducted,” says Basaraba. “Now we’re also looking at when you should apply that fungicide.

The message has always been to protect the flag, but we are seeing advantages in yield and grain quality when a fungicide is applied at the head, he adds.

“We’re talking a seven-to 10-day timing difference that could make a noticeable difference on your bottom line.”

Trial data showed that when a fungicide was applied at flag leaf, it achieved a better grain grade over the untreated check six to12 per cent of the time. When it was applied at the head, a better grain grade was achieved 22 to 24 per cent of the time.

“If you are already seeing signs of »

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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Technology

“We have a big dataset now with overwhelming evidence that there is a noticeable yield advantage when applying a fungicide on cereal crops …”

Al Eadie market development manager, BAYer

“If you are taking a ‘wait and see approach’ as to whether you should do a fungicide application in wheat, it can be a tough call” Troy Basaraba market development specialist, Bayer

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Control disease on all crops While the decision to apply a cereal fungicide is relatively straightforward, the decision to apply a foliar fungicide on canola takes a bit more consideration.

While some growers choose to wait, conditions can quickly change during flowering. At the 20 to 30 per cent flowering stage last season, growers were very pessimistic about their yield potential. But favourable weather during the latter flowering stages resulted in 10 bushels per acre they hadn’t counted on. However, during that time it rained enough for moisture to develop in the canopy and encourage sclerotinia development in some areas.

“Basically, if you have a good looking crop, we’d recommend you spray,” says Basaraba. “How much value you get from that application really depends on whether

or not it’s a bad year for sclerotinia.

But for those years when sclerotinia is bad, it more than makes up for years when there is only a slight advantage.”

In 2015, Bayer also conducted 12 trials on peas in western Canada. “It was a light year for disease, but we still saw on average, a three bushels per acre yield advantage when Delaro was applied,” says Eadie. Under similar conditions Delaro proved a 4.5 bushel yield increase in 12 lentil trials. “It was a dry year and we were having a hard time seeing any signs of disease, but there was still that yield advantage that paid.”

Eadie says the application of a fungicide not only provided disease protection for the pulse crops, it also kept the plants living longer, allowing more time for the crop to mature and build yield.

For growers in dry areas who are skeptical of the advantages of a fungicide application, Basaraba recommends leaving a test strip this growing season. Even if a crop looks clean, trial results have shown a foliar fungicide application will almost always make a measurable difference, he says. FF

PHOTos: thinkstock

disease at the flag, then deal with it,” says Basaraba.

“But if things are looking relatively clean, wait for the head timing and protect both your yield and quality.”

Early season disease control for spring cereal and corn growers

By Jennifer Barber

PHOTos: thinkstock

T

his spring, early season disease control is now possible for spring cereal and corn growers in eastern Canada. With its recent registration on spring cereals and corn, Stratego Pro will be available for the 2016 growing season. Two rates provide cost control of a wide variety of yield- and quality-robbing, early-season diseases.

“Stratego Pro controls, in a single pass, some of the most serious early diseases including white mould on soybeans,” says Christopher Turcot, portfolio manager, row crop, with Bayer.

“This product’s formulation has been extremely effective wherever it’s been launched, and is currently the number one soybean fungicide in Brazil. We’re pleased to be able to now offer this product on more Canadian crops.”

Launched in 2015 for winter wheat and soybean growers in eastern Canada, Stratego Pro quickly sold out. The new formulation, which replaced propiconazole with the more powerful active ingredient prothioconazole, provides excellent activity on tough early season diseases including powdery mildew and white mould. With both Group 3 and Group 11 control, Stratego Pro provides long lasting preventative

post infection disease activity.

Inclusion of these two modes of action resulted in an 8 bushels per acre increase in soybean yield over untreated checks, and extremely strong protection against white mould. It also bumped average winter wheat yields by 9 bushels per acre versus untreated, delivering a very strong return on investment.

“We needed another year of trial data before we submitted Stratego Pro for registration on spring cereals and corn,” says Turcot. “Those trial results were terrific. In corn, Stratego Pro performed extremely well as an early season control of leaf diseases for northern corn leaf blight, eye spot, rusts and grey leaf spot. In spring cereals, it performed well in suppressing septoria, rust and powdery mildew.”

Turcot says that Stratego Pro can be tank mixed with a herbicide (Infinity or Buctril) at T1 followed Prosaro at T3 on wheat for season long disease control.

“On corn, Stratego Pro will provide cost effective early season disease control of northern corn leaf blight, eye spot, rust and grey spot,” adds Turcot. “For best results, follow-up with Proline at tassel for suppression of DON and late season disease control.” FF

Christopher Turcot, portfolio manager, row crop, with Bayer.

For more information on Stratego Pro and its availability in your area this spring, visit www.cropscience.bayer.ca/StrategoPro

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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business

OYF winners take unexpected path to success

By Dianne Finstad

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S

ometimes, ones’ dreams take an unexpected path to fruition. That’s exactly what Patrick and Cherylynn Bos experienced on their road to creating a successful farm and food operation that’s far from typical for the prairies. The couple — named national co-winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ Program award for 2015 — run Rock Ridge Dairy in Ponoka, AB, a 1,200 strong dairy goat operation that keeps major grocery stores throughout western Canada stocked with goat milk and cheese.

“Are we really going to milk goats in the heart of Alberta’s cattle country?” That’s exactly what the young couple asked themselves when the concept first surfaced.

Patrick knew at an early age he wanted to be a farmer and, encouraged by his father to get some outside training, studied livestock production at Olds College. Cherylynn, a self-described “townie,” earned her Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Alberta before deciding she could learn to love the farm lifestyle if Patrick was there. Married in 1997, the 22-year old newlyweds farmed alongside Patrick’s parents.

“They were very supportive as we tried to work out the farm finances,” says Patrick. “They gave us free rein to change the farm in ways to suit ourselves.” Shortly after the honeymoon, they purchased and calved out 50 bred heifers.

“Then reality set in,” he recalled. “We saw that we couldn’t raise enough beef cattle on the farm’s limited land base to be financially »

Cherylynn and Patrick Bos with their children from L to R: Connor (11), Amelia (12), Adelle (5), and Jocelyn (9).

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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business

viable and we had to find some other way to make the farm work for us.”

An article in the local paper about a new goat milk-processing facility in town caught their eye, and Patrick joked they should maybe milk goats instead.

Cherylynn pondered the idea and was soon convinced it had real potential.

“Needless to say, Patrick wasn’t as thrilled as I was,” laughs Cherylynn.

“Born and raised in town, I wasn’t privy to such information, so Patrick started to explain the totem pole of farming to me, and how goats just happened to be pretty much at the very bottom.

“But it just seemed to make sense for our situation and the facilities we had available on the farm,” she says. Cherylynn warmed Patrick up to the idea and soon, their old dairy barn was converted into a goat milking parlour. Let the adventure begin!

“Dairy goats were relatively new to western Canada and very few people were pursuing it as a commercial venture,” says Patrick. “We knew it was going to 18

FA R M FO R U M .C A / SPRING 2016

be risky, so we moved forward with one theme — do it as well as you can for as little money as possible.” And, as added security, they both kept their day jobs until they were sure their idea had legs.

A small herd of 50 goats soon grew to 170. “Our learning curve was steep,” says Cherylynn. “We realized goats were much more clever than cows, and would spend their days devising ways to escape from their pens,” she laughs. Then came a setback when the processing company that bought their milk began to pay sporadically, leaving the couple to wonder whether they should stick it out or walk away.

“Fortunately, we never gave up our day jobs and that kept us out of debt,” Patrick says. In the spring of 2004, that processing plant declared bankruptcy.

“Actually, it was the best thing that could have happened because it set into motion the chain of events that forever changed our lives and our farm.”

The couple soon found another customer for their milk, a nearby cheese

Rock Ridge Dairy has a state-of-the-art milking parlour that will eventually be able to milk 900 goats in just one hour.

“We realized goats were much more clever than cows, and would spend their days devising ways to escape from their pens” Cherylynn Bos

farm. But, when the owner expressed his desire to retire, it became clear that in order to succeed, the couple needed to be able to process their own milk.

Cherylynn went to work at the cheese farm to learn the craft with the intention of launching their own cheese products.

“The cheese we made while renting a facility got us into the market with Happy Days, a goat milk company in B.C.,” says Cherylynn. “It agreed to take all the cheese we could produce, and once they discovered we were building our own plant, asked if we would bottle fluid milk for them.”

Finally they had something to take to the bank, along with a business plan to guide their enterprise to the next level. The couple’s first home-processed goat milk was on grocery store shelves by 2006. Next came construction of a new barn, with cost-conscious Patrick and one worker doing most of the building themselves.

The goat numbers climbed again, with about 400 does visiting the barn twice a day for milking. As the market expanded, several other local families began milking goats to supply their new processing plant.

The next logical step was dividing the processing facility so cheese production could be done in a separate area from fluid milk production. In 2010, with the assistance of Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) and federal Growing Forward initiatives, 10,000 square feet »

OYF national co-winners Cherylynn and Patrick Bos, from Ponoka, AB, found success milking goats in a province known around the world for its cattle products. Patrick custom designed the automated milking system underneath the BLOM rotary deck (top) he purchased from Holland.

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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business

“We believe it will be one of the most efficient, low-maintenance, user-friendly goat rotary milkers in the world” Patrick Bos

of space was added along with more automation to improve efficiencies.

To support their new processing facility, Patrick and Cherylynn now needed to increase milk production.

At that time, their parlour could only accommodate 60 goats at a time, which made milking very time consuming.

“We decided the parlour, too, had to change,” says Patrick. “I researched different systems and since none existed in western Canada for goats, I travelled to Holland to see what style would best suit our needs.” As it turned out, no existing system could accommodate their unique situation.

By combining parts from various systems, Patrick helped create his vision, with the help of some development grants and cooperative manufacturers.

The customized high-tech parlour will eventually be able to milk up to 900 goats in just one hour.

“We believe it will be one of the most

efficient, low-maintenance, user-friendly goat rotary milkers in the world,” he says.

“The system, once running smoothly, should be able to reduce our milking time from nine hours per day to about two, which will drastically improve the sustainability of the farm, and better the lives of ourselves and our animals.”

Along with the new parlour, another barn has been added, with capacity to house up to 1,200 does comfortably.

Now the question is, will Ponoka’s cattle country be transformed into a goat milking haven? Not likely. The couple point out they’re in a niche market that survives on a delicate balance of supply and demand.

Rock Ridge Dairy is a far cry from the traditional cattle operation Patrick and Cherylynn originally envisioned for their life in agriculture. And while getting there has taken them to some challenging places that required a lot of commitment and dedication, they say the ride, and the view, has made it all worthwhile. FF

Rock Ridge Dairy by the numbers

2

Number of kids a goat usually produces. Baby females are hand reared; baby males are left on their mothers and eventually go into the meat market.

2.5

Cents per every litre of milk sold that is donated to “Drink Milk So Kids Can Too!”, a program that helps food banks get milk to school aged kids who need it most.

3

Average number of litres of milk per goat per day in a high-performing herd. A high performing goat can produce five litres of milk per day.

8

Number of Alberta goat dairy farms, including their own, that supply Rock Ridge’s production facility.

50/50

Division of annual milk supply, with just over half going to fluid milk production and the rest to make cheese.

90

Number of stalls in the BLOM rotary deck from Holland. The automated milk cluster bay under the deck was engineered in Canada and includes a herd management system that monitors each animal’s production and links it to a graduated feeding system that customizes the ration for each goat. It will also show any ailing animals. Software for the system was developed in Israel.

The milking cluster rises up under the goats, decreasing the time needed to attach the milking units.

700

Number of people who tour Rock Ridge Dairy annually to learn about goats, milking and cheese.

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PRODUCTiON

Flea beetles

on the move More and more non-native flea beetles are spreading into canola country, causing all kinds of problems for growers

Crucifer Flea Beetle (Phyllotreta cruciferae)

F

By Gerald Pilger

lea beetles are not the usual suspects when it comes to crop damage in canola, but they can be one of the most costly, says Keith Gabert, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, which estimates annual crop losses in North America from flea beetles in excess of $300 million.

“Flea beetles are not the insect pest that we think of first in canola, but they are present in all canola fields,” explains Gabert. And while it’s difficult to predict the amount of damage they can do, they have the potential to wipe out an entire canola crop.

Flea beetles aren’t a new threat to farmers and most canola seeded »

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on the prairies is treated, so why are we still seeing economic losses from this pest? Experts believe that part of the problem may be a population shift of certain species of flea beetles.

Flea beetles are found throughout North America — across the U.S. Great Plains including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and northwestern Minnesota; the Canadian prairies; the Peace River region of B.C.; as well as parts of eastern Canada.

In western Canada, three species of flea beetles are known to attack canola. The hop flea beetle (Psylliodes punctulata) is native to Canada and found in low numbers across the prairies. The crucifer (Phyllotreta cruciferae) and striped (Phyllotreta striolata) flea beetles were introduced to North America from Eurasia more than a century ago and are now a major cause for concern for canola producers in the west.

Historically, the crucifer species is dominant across the drier, southern canola-growing areas and has pushed striped flea beetles to the northern parkland and Peace River regions.

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Flea beetles are found throughout North America — across the U.S. Great Plains including North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and northwestern Minnesota; the Canadian prairies; the Peace River region of B.C.; as well as parts of eastern Canada

However, Julie Soroka, research scientist and entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) in Saskatoon, has observed a recent southward shift of the striped flea beetle. “You could almost see a movement front of the striped flea beetle proceeding southward over the last 10 years or so,” she says.

One theory for this geographical shift is that canola seed treated with neonictinoids has shown to provide less control over the striped flea beetle than the crucifer flea beetle. As a result, more striped flea beetles survive each year and their numbers are increasing in all areas.

Soroka is quick to point out that this is not to imply that the striped flea beetle has acquired resistance to neonics. In fact, there is no evidence that there has been any genetic shift in either species.

John Gavloski, provincial entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture Food and Rural Development, agrees. However, he says that changes in management practices of growers could also be contributing to higher levels of flea beetle damage.

PHOTO: manitoba agriculture food and rural development

PRODUCTiON

can lead to significant losses in a matter of days (24 to 72 hours according to Alberta Agriculture and Forestry).

Low seeding rates also increase the risk of crop loss to flea beetles, says Gavloski. Some growers try to save a little money by cutting seeding rates, but they should understand that flea beetle damage rises proportionally to declining plant stand numbers. Stands of less than seven plants per square foot are at increased risk of flea beetle damage.

What to watch for in 2016 Growers need to be especially vigilant this spring, says Bob Elliott, an entomologist with AAFC in Saskatoon.

Flea beetle damage is primarily caused by overwintering adults, which emerge in late summer of the previous year.

Flea beetle counts in 2015 revealed very high numbers of the insect in some Âť

Flea beetle damage is primarily caused by overwintering adults, which emerge in late summer of the previous year

PHOTO: wikimedia commons

Gavloski says that seed treatments only provide protection for about three to four weeks. Under good growing conditions, this usually provides enough time for the plant to grow large enough so that any damage done by flea beetles would not have a significant impact on crop yield.

However, many growers are now seeding earlier and into cooler soils, says Gavloski. This slows both germination and plant growth, so the seed treatment no longer provides optimum protection. This problem is exacerbated if the plants are set back by a late spring frost, as happened in 2015.

Second, growers have been lulled into complacency by the effectiveness of seed treatments and many fail to regularly scout for flea beetles, he adds.

Given the speed at which a flea beetle problem can intensify, failure to scout

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2016

23

PRODUCTiON still a lot we could learn including a better understanding of the population shift of flea beetle species; any existing natural enemies to control flea beetles; any biological means to control outbreaks; and better ways to predict infestations.

Alejandro Costamagna, entomologist and assistant professor at the University of Manitoba hopes to find some answers. He is entering the second year of a three-year study of the range of flea beetle species and their predators across the prairies.

Plant breeders are also working on developing a canola plant with a hairy leaf that could reduce the palatability of canola to flea beetles. FF

PHOTO: canola council of canada

areas, says Elliott. At AAFC’s Saskatoon research trial location, reports reveal that flea beetle trap counts were five times higher in 2015 than the year before.

And striped flea beetle numbers were up the most, he says. This means that this spring, significant crop damage from flea beetles is a real possibility.

The wild card in forecasting the flea beetle risk is environmental conditions.

According to Soroka, if we have a cool, wet spring, the risk of flea beetle damage could be low in spite of the high adult numbers the previous fall. If we have a warm, dry spring however, we could face a real problem this year.

As common as flea beetles are, there is

Tips to minimize the risk of flea beetle damage

S

eed treatments are an important tool for flea beetle control. And they perform even better when combined with cropping practices that help make your fields less attractive to flea beetles and foster strong stand establishment.

Control cruciferous weeds prior to seeding canola



Seed shallow



Seed when soil temperatures are warm enough to promote fast germination and quick plant growth



Plant large, high-quality, vigorous seed



Ensure seed is treated with a premium, long-lasting insecticidal seed treatment.

If the seed treatment has a variable rate, use the high rate if flea beetle numbers are expected to be high, in poor growing conditions, or if you use a low seeding rate



Flea beetles tend to move into canola from field borders so pay particular attention to field edges, especially if bordering fields were seeded to canola the year before



Occasionally, the requirement for a foliar control might be limited to the first few rounds in a field.



If summer fallowing, do not cultivate those fields until canola crops have passed the stage when they are susceptible to flea beetle damage



Be aware that flea beetles can move long distances, especially under hot and windy conditions. Even if there was no previous canola in the immediate area, flea beetles can still become a problem



— Sources: Canola Council of Canada, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry and Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development.

Use a seeding rate that targets at least seven to 10 plants per square foot



Direct seeding reduces flea beetle numbers over conventional tillage



Tall stubble impedes the movement of flea beetles



Scout fields daily for signs of flea beetle feeding. Be especially vigilant when temperatures are above 14°C



If feeding damage reaches 25 per cent, apply a registered foliar insecticide.

If plant stands are low (below 10 plants/sq. ft.), this damage threshold should be reduced accordingly



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FA R M FO R U M .CA / SPRING 2016

Managing flea beetles in canola www.farmforum.ca/managingfleabeetles Flea beetle info www.farmforum.ca/fleabeetleinfo Flea beetle forecast and control www.farmforum.ca/ABfleabeetleforecast Flea beetles on canola and mustard www.farmforum.ca/MBfleabeetles

Expect it.

You didn’t plant it, but you can certainly expect it. Volunteer canola is virtually indistinguishable from your intended canola crop and can introduce disease, carry unwanted herbicide tolerance, steal nutrients and otherwise limit the yield potential of your new crop.

Tank mix Pardner® herbicide with your pre-season application of glyphosate for control of all volunteer canola.

For more information, visit: cropscience.bayer.ca/Pardner

cropscience.bayer.ca

1 888-283-6847

@Bayer4CropsCA

Always read and follow label directions. Pardner® is a registered trademark of Bayer Global.

Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

R-66-03/16-10515073-E

production

Strong stand establishment ensures a healthy, profitable crop

N

o matter what crop you are growing, solid stand establishment will help mitigate weeds, make the best use of nutrients, sun and moisture and give your crop its best chance against yield-robbing pests and disease.

Without a good solid stand establishment, your crop will lack uniformity and present all kinds of challenges during the growing season, says Joanna Follings, cereals specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture,

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Food and Rural Affairs. “If your crop emerges unevenly, everything from weed control, to fungicide application to harvest timing will be a challenge to manage in a timely manner.”

While stand establishment is something most growers are well aware of, deciding whether or not to actively manage it varies. Follings says stand establishment during the 2013 and 2014 growing seasons in Ontario was very challenging and she saw a marked increase in how the start of the 2015 growing season was managed.

“After 2014 a lot of growers looked back at their records and, going into 2015, were more conscious of when and how they seeded,” she says. “They were walking their fields, looking for evenly spaced plants with good populations and well anchored roots. By adjusting their seeding practices, they had better growth stage uniformity which, on top of better weather, helped contribute to a much better start to the growing season.”

While the signs of poor stand establishment vary by crop, compromised

PHOTo: thinkstock

By Jennifer Barber

yield potential is a common threat. “In wheat, a poor stand is thin, with more tillers that increase your susceptibility to disease,” says Dan Owen, agronomist and product innovation manager with ATP Nutrition in Saskatchewan.

“While canola can compensate better than wheat, an uneven canola stand is not a competitive crop when it comes to early weeds. A crop that emerges well will cover the ground quicker, preventing weeds from interfering.”

“In canola, the fewer plants you have, the

longer they flower, which means a longer window for heat blasting and sclerotinia development,” says Autumn Barnes, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada in Lethbridge, AB. “If you start with only five plants per square foot, you might lose one to frost, one more may be taken by flea beetles or other pests and you could lose another to hail.

That doesn’t leave you much in the end.”

Steve Larocque, a crop consultant and owner of Beyond Agronomy in Three Hills, AB, agrees and adds: “Strong canola »

“A crop that emerges well will cover the ground quicker, preventing weeds from interfering” Dan Owen Product Innovation Manager ATP Nutrition

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2016

27

Production

Get canola off to a golden start  Properly prepare seeding equipment and continually check it while seeding “The easiest way to make sure everything is working the way you intended is to check your equipment every time you fill the bag,” says Barnes. “Every time you start up again, check for adequate seed depth and density as well as seed and fertilizer separation.

This will help ensure you get a good even plant stand with higher crop counts.”

“Strong canola stands help outcompete weeds, insects and diseases and allows you to apply crop protection products in a timely manner” Steve Larocque crop consultant, owner beyond agronomy

 Check seeding rates for adequate plant counts The Canola Council of Canada recommends a target of seven to10 plants per square foot. “If you identify what constitutes a good job from the outset it is easier to see if you hit those targets or come up short, and then you understand what changes may be necessary for your next canola rotation,” says Barnes. The starting point for seeding canola is 5 lbs. per acre.

If you plan on adjusting this seeding rate, Barnes recommends looking closely at soil temperature. (See canolawatch.org for more information about seeding rates.) “If the soil is cold you may need to seed a little heavier to offset plant mortality losses,” she says. “If it’s warm, and the seed bed looks good, you may consider lightening up in that particular field. While growers may need to adjust seeding based on their own schedules and conditions, data shows that the first week of May generally has the best soil temperatures to allow that canola to pop up quickly. Soil temperatures lower than 5°C are too cool for canola.”  Consider seeding depth and spacing A well-established crop is generally a uniform crop and the best way to make sure it emerges evenly is to carefully consider seeding depth and spacing. Attention should be given to placing the seed where it needs to go — not too deep, and into the moisture.

This could vary from half to three-quarters of an inch deep, depending on the location

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SPRING 2016

of the moisture. “Even if you have great plant counts, studies have shown that a non-uniform canola stand can reduce yield potential by 20 or 30 per cent,” says Larocque. “Don’t aim for average or just pretty good emergence — you need to shoot for excellence in order to get the kind of stand that results in a high yielding crop.”  Slow down With such a short window to seed, there’s naturally a push to get things done quickly.

But fast seeding rarely results in a wellspaced, even-depth crop. “I use a GoPro camera mounted to the shank of a drill so I can watch soil flow around the openers at seeding,” says Larocque. “There can be a huge difference in what’s happening at the soil level when you go from 4.3 mph to 5.3 mph It’s hard to go slower, especially when you are dealing with a lot of acres, but having the video evidence can help you fine tune what speed is best.”  Manage your trash While straw management has to be considered the year before, it’s an important part of stand establishment.

“I like to make sure the stationary knives in the chopper are out when harvesting wheat or barley,” says Larocque. “That way I’m not chopping straw into one or two inch pieces that I can’t manage after harvest. If I can keep straw length at four to six inches then I know I can manage it with a mid or heavy harrow.

“Chopping residue into fine pieces only serves to keep soil cooler for longer, and increase the risk of frost at the ground level,” adds Larocque. “Keeping residue long allows seed shanks to push residue away from the furrow during seeding and help warm up the soil faster.”

Particularly in direct seeding operations, soil temperature can be slow to reach optimum levels for rapid establishment if there is residue from the previous crop. “If you seed into colder soil, the canola will germinate when things warm up, but it will be slow,” says Owen. “Cold soil opens your crop up to slower emergence and an increased risk for disease,” he adds.

“In 2015, some growers in my area of Saskatchewan seeded their canola the last week of April, but there were serious yield repercussions when we received two late spring frosts leading to a large amount of reseeding,” adds Owen. “As a result, the crop required a longer season to finish, increasing the risk of early fall frost damage.” »

PHOTo: istock

stands help outcompete weeds, insects and diseases and allows you to apply crop protection products in a timely manner.

And timeliness is key when applying crop inputs because a poorly timed input, like herbicide, can create unnecessary stress.

That’s the last thing a crop needs.”

PHOTos: bottom: left, thinkstock, right, jeanette greaves, top: thinkstock

Getting your crop off to a great start will help control weeds, insects and diseases and allow you to apply crop protection products when needed.

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2016

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production

Aim for a well-anchored wheat stand  Get the crop in on time Whether it’s spring wheat or winter wheat, cereal crops are very responsive to planting dates. “Winter wheat growers will lose 1.1 bushels per acre per day for each day seeding is delayed,” says Follings.

“To make up for that, growers may have to increase the seeding rate by 200,000 seeds per acre for each week seeding is delayed. That can start to add up quickly 30

FA R M FO R U M .CA / SPRING 2016

and negatively impact your economics.”

While there are also risks to planting wheat early, such as cold soil for spring wheat, or the risk of developing snow mould on winter wheat, Follings says the risks of establishing a good crop are greater when planting wheat late.  Count carefully “While 25 to 30 plants per square foot is the recommended plant density, you can really plant wheat at high rates and have a really strong return on your investment,” says Owen. “The winner of our yield competition last year went in at 45 plants per square foot.”

Owen suggests calculating your seeding rate based on the thousand kernel weight.

“For each wheat plant, you want a single head with four tillers per plant head for a reduced risk of fusarium development, good fill potential, and consistent moisture levels.”

Follings adds that a newly seeded wheat crop holds 100 per cent of its yield potential, and plant counts can have a big impact on that potential. “When you have only 10 to 15 plants per square foot you start out the season with 95 per cent of that potential,” she says. “And when you get down to seven plants, your crop potential

is at about 90 per cent, and that’s with no other seasonal factors affecting your crop.”  Make sure you have adequate spacing For wheat, that means 10-inch row spacing in order to get good weed control. A well-spaced, uniform wheat field has a higher proportion of fertile plants for increased yield potential. “I usually tell guys to set their drill as wide as possible, which is a good guideline for wheat as well as canola,” says Owen.

“Just as important to the number of plants is uniform plant spacing so everything comes up at the same time,” says Barnes. “When everything is uniform you are able to manage the crop as a whole.

Weeds will be at the same stage so you often only need a single pass of a herbicide, which is better for time management, budget management and resistance management.”  Be aware of seeding depth When seeding wheat, the ultimate goal is finding moisture. But if that moisture is more than an inch deep, you can run into problems with stand establishment as the plant uses up most of its energy

PHOTo: allan dawson

 Consider nutrition Canola will emerge quicker with a nutritional supplement in the form of a well-balanced nutrient package to help reduce the stress on the germinating seedling, says Owen.

However, seedbed utilization is important, especially when dealing with narrow openers on the seeding unit. Make sure that the amount of fertilizer put near the seed does not exceed safe levels or seedling damage may occur. Sometimes, some of the starter blends need to be put through mid-row banders to ensure seed safety.

before it emerges. A depth of one inch helps for early emergence and the rapid development of a secondary root system to help anchor the plant.

“While you don’t want to go too deep, seeding too shallow can also leave you at risk of rain washing residual herbicides into the furrow,” says Larocque. “So it is important to make sure your crop is in deep enough to be protected, but shallow enough to emerge well.”  Use a seed treatment Wheat tends to be seeded first so it sits in the cool soil longer. This puts it at greater risk for seed- and soil-borne disease. “The greatest potential your crop has is when it is still in the bag,” says Owen. “A seed starts losing potential as soon as you plant it. Seed treatments will help you protect that potential before it goes in the ground.”

“In order to get plants that are well anchored you need to have good root systems,” adds Follings. “A seed treatment will reduce seed rot and seedling blight, and will help protect vulnerable seedlings for up to two weeks after that plant has

emerged, which can get it past some of those early season stressors.”  Know your soil profile Understand your soil nutrient levels when considering how to get as solid a stand as possible. “For example, if your soil test is showing less than 20 pounds of phosphorus per acre, you want to make sure the phosphorus is in the seed row,” says Larocque. “Adequate levels of seed-placed phosphorus are critical for that initial pop up effect.

Also, as we push to higher yields and nitrogen rates, we can’t ignore sulphur in wheat fertility programs.”  Choose good quality seed, and check germination Particularly with bin-run seed, have it checked for germination rates and the presence of disease. Wheat seed can have a mortality rate of up to 30 per cent so make sure you are putting down enough seed to address germination issues, mortality and still maintain plant counts.

“Variety selectionB:7.75” is important for

wheat growers, and growers should look to their specific needs when choosing a variety,” says Follings. “You should be looking at performance trials for different varieties in different areas to find a seed that works with your location, insect issues, disease and lodging profiles.”  Experience brings growth Careful record keeping can help you establish a benchmark for your fields so you can make adjustments in your next rotation of that crop. “Count plants once they have emerged, write everything down, compare it with your yield data and make a decision for the next year,” says Barnes.

“Getting a good stand establishment is really the most important thing you can do for your canola crop all season,” she says. “Problems at seeding are very hard to overcome throughout the growing season, so making sure you’re doing things right from the beginning is the best thing you can do all season long.” FF

T:7.125” S:6.625”

EARLY WEED REMOVAL 10% YIELD INCREASE* To learn more watch the Early Weed Removal video at cropscience.bayer.ca/YieldGain and enter for a chance to WIN a spray performance kit. * 2015 Agronomic Development trials, 3 replicated trials, 6 different treatments: Varro® or Simplicity® or Everest® + Pixarro™ or Paradigm™

cropscience.bayer.ca/Varro 1 888-283-6847 @Bayer4CropsCA Always read and follow label directions. Varro® is a registered trademark of Bayer Global. All other products are trademarks of their respective companies.

Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

C-78-03/16-10515073-E

+10%

YIELD OVER LATE APPLICATION OF GROUP 2 HERBICIDES FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 201 6

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FARM LIFE

'Slip-Slop-Slap' your way to better health Farmers spend most of their time outdoors so they are at a higher risk of developing skin cancer.

The good news is skin cancer is preventable — just slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat every time you head outside

PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK

BY JOY GREGORY

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SPRING 2016

W

hat’s one simple way for farmers to protect their most valuable asset? Limit sun exposure when working the farm to help prevent skin cancer, the most common type of cancer in Canada, says Kendra Ulmer, a registered nurse and educator with the Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture.

Based in Saskatoon at the University of Saskatchewan, the centre is a research and education hub for health promotion programs that target rural populations. And when it comes to skin cancer and farmers, there’s good and bad news, says Ulmer.

First, the bad news. According to data from Cancer Care Ontario, more than 80,000 Canadians will be told they have skin cancer this year. And more than 5,000 of those cases will be a form of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer.

On the plus side, even melanoma is curable when detected early — and skin cancer is preventable. “Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in Canada and it accounts for about 40 per cent of new cancer cases,” says Ulmer. “Since the risk of skin cancer is clearly linked to sun exposure, farmers are definitely at a higher risk because so much of their work is done outdoors. At the same time, that connection to sun exposure means skin cancer is preventable if we take steps to control that exposure.”

SLIP-SLOP-SLAP To remind Canadians about sun safety, health advocates like Ulmer borrow the Slip-Slop-Slap slogan of an Australian health campaign launched in 1981.

That campaign, which significantly reduced the incidence of skin cancer in Australia, tells people to slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen and slap on a hat every time they leave their homes.

These days, Ulmer adds another “S” to the slogan and encourages farmers to also slide on a pair of close-fitting sunglasses with UVA and UVB protection. In addition to causing eye damage over time, UV rays can lead to melanomas of the eye and eye area. Wrap-around sunglasses provide the best eye protection, since they prevent solar radiation from reaching the eye area from the side.

For many farmers, the “slop on sunscreen” part of the prescription is the toughest, especially for men who aren’t used to putting lotion-type products on their skin, says Ulmer. The number one rule about sunscreen is to buy a broad spectrum (UVA and UVB protection) product with a minimum SPF (sun protection factor) of 30.

(Lips can burn too, so don’t forget to slop on the SPF 30 lip balm as well.)

Once that rule is met, experiment with different types of products to find the one that works best for you.

Some sunscreens are less oily on the skin while others have different scents and there are options for rolland spray-on protection, says Ulmer.

“Sprays may work especially well for guys who are reapplying sunscreen to the back of their necks during the day.”

Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray SPF 30 Accuspray sunscreen is a great option since it retains SPF after 80 minutes in the water or if sweating, says Alex Grey, with Bayer HealthCare. The product is easy to apply, oil-free, nonirritating and won’t run into your eyes.

Another product, Clearly Sheer body spray and face lotions “won’t clog pores or cause breakouts, provides broad spectrum coverage, SPF 30 and a moisturizing formula helps keep skin smooth and soft,” says Grey. »

“For many farmers, the ‘slop on sunscreen’ part of the prescription is the toughest, especially for men who aren’t used to putting lotion-type products on their skin” Kendra Ulmer REGISTERED NURSE AND EDUCATOR, CANADIAN CENTRE FOR HEALTH AND SAFETY IN AGRICULTURE

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2016

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FARM LIFE If used as directed with other sun protection measures, sunscreen decreases the risk of skin cancer, adds Grey. Daily application of sunscreen also prevents sunburn, dry and itchy skin, premature aging of the skin, age spots and spider veins.

To help you get into the habit of applying sunscreen every time you head outdoors, Ulmer suggests making it part of your regular routine. For example, set a bottle of sunscreen beside your truck keys or boots or beside the coffee maker or go-cup.

“Remember to re-apply it every two hours because it gets rubbed off when we’re sweating,” adds Ulmer. Keep additional bottles of sunscreen handy in the machine shop and in the cab of vehicles and farm equipment to remind you to reapply.

RETHINK THE HAT For better protection from the sun, farmers should also rethink their baseball cap. Weather reports that note a UV index of plus three and higher “are cause for concern, since UV rays are an issue even on cloudy days,” says Ulmer.

“A wide-brimmed hat is much better because it provides better coverage for the entire head and neck,” says Ulmer.

“We are seeing higher incidences of skin cancer on the top of the ears

and backs of necks, probably because these areas are so exposed and we may not remember to apply, and reapply, sunscreen to those body parts.”

KNOW YOUR SKIN Beyond the rules of slip-slop-slap and slide, another way to help prevent skin cancer is to know your skin and make note of any changes, especially changes in moles, says Ulmer. The Canadian Cancer Society recommends people follow the ABCDE rule to help identify moles that may prove cancerous:

• Asymmetry (atypical moles are not the same on both sides) • Border irregularity (the visible edge of a malignant melanoma is irregular, ragged and indistinct) • Colour variation (colour of a malignant melanoma may range from brown to black, and have areas of red, grey or white) • Diameter (moles greater than 6 mm in diameter may prove cancerous) • Evolving (cancerous moles may change in size, colour, shape and/or elevation) Skin cancer is also a topic you should discuss with your family doctor, since risk increases with a family history of the disease. FF

“A wide-brimmed hat is much better because it provides better coverage for the entire head and neck” Kendra Ulmer

Canadian Skin Cancer Foundation www.farmforum.ca/skincancerfoundation Canadian Centre for Health and Safety in Agriculture www.farmforum.ca/healthandsafetyinag

SEND US AN EMAIL FOR A FREE SUNSCREEN SAMPLE! The first 25 emails sent to farmforum@bayer.com with the subject line “I need sunscreen” will receive a free sample of Coppertone Clearly Sheer sunscreen. If your email is one of the first 25 received, we'll request your address, ask you a skill testing question and then your FREE sunscreen sample will be on its way.

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FA R M FO R U M .CA / SPRING 2016

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER PRODUCTS

Mix It Up: Start today to keep herbicides working tomorrow

R

esistant weeds are changing the way growers around the world manage their crops. For some growers in Australia, crop selection is based simply on what they are able to grow given their wide resistant weed spectrum. In the U.S., some growers have had to revert back to costly, less efficient methods of weed control including hand weeding.

While the spread of weed resistance in Canada is still at a point where it can be managed, it won’t stay that way for long without a fundamental shift in the way growers approach weed management. If you want to keep resistance at bay, start with one change to your herbicide plan by mixing things up.

At one time, loyalty to a single product was seen as a plus. These were products you knew worked well at the right price for your farm. Today, continuous use of a single product could be your downfall.

Using the same product repeatedly from the same herbicide group is the fastest way to develop resistance.

Resistant weeds take more time and money to manage, and ultimately leave you with fewer weed control options. In addition, once you have developed weed resistance it will never go away. Set up your management strategies now to avoid the resistance issues tomorrow. Managing herbicide resistance starts with one field, and it starts today.

So what can you do? Mix It Up. Take it one field at a time and make a change to how you think about weed control. Here are some strategies you can start applying today: Consider herbicide selection:

 Rotate herbicide Groups  Match herbicide(s) to the most difficult weeds  Use multiple effective herbicides in the tank Either spot spray or hand pick weeds that weren’t knocked down  during herbicide application Focus on field planning:

 Rotate crops  Choose competitive varieties with the best crop genetics  Maximize crop competitiveness with optimal seeding rates and fertility  Use a crop cover  Consider incorporating tillage Continue managing herbicide resistance in-season:

 Keep equipment clean when moving field to field  Change the direction you seed/cultivate Manage perimeter weeds (in ditches and areas surrounding your crop)  to prevent them from going to seed

Visit MixItUp.ca for more information.

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2016

35

Break down the barriers to better weed control Include AMS in your tank mix to optimize herbicide performance

T

o understand why adding ammonium sulfate (AMS) to herbicide results in top-notch weed control, it’s important to first understand how a herbicide enters a plant and how less than ideal growing conditions can affect this process.

In order to be effective, foliar herbicides need to move from where they make contact on the outside of the plant, to target sites within the plant. The initial barrier a herbicide encounters after it comes in contact with a plant is a waxy layer on the leaves known as the cuticle. A plant uses the cuticle to protect itself from the environment.

The thickness of the cuticle can depend on weed species, plant development and environmental conditions. Under ideal growing conditions, the cuticle will be thin and more permeable which will allow for better uptake of the herbicide. Under less

When weeds are advanced, the addition of AMS to your tank mix will maximize the herbicide’s uptake and improve its performance than ideal growing conditions, a herbicide alone may not be able to effectively penetrate a thick cuticle. By adding a liquid spray grade Ammonium Sulfate (AMS) to the tank, you will increase the speed and amount of active ingredient that the plant can uptake by improving cuticle penetration. This allows more active

Take control of weeds early to boost yield

ingredient to be translocated to the plant cells where it can access the target sites.

The result is increased herbicide efficacy compared to not using AMS, especially under less than ideal growing conditions.

If the weed growth stage is advanced, there will be more target sites for the herbicide to reach in order to achieve effective control. In this case, even a thin cuticle can prevent enough herbicide from entering the plant, resulting in a loss of control. When weeds are advanced, the addition of AMS to your tank mix will maximize the herbicide’s uptake and improve its performance.

Whether you’re dealing with an advanced weed stage, high weed populations, cool temperatures or even ideal conditions, AMS will improve uptake of a herbicide and its efficacy.

For top-notch control of your weeds, consider tank mixing with AMS.

D

on’t let weeds steal from your crop. When your crop is young — at the 1- to 4-leaf stage — the timing is optimal to get weeds under control. Any delays allow early emerging weeds to firmly entrench themselves and outcompete your crop for available resources.

Products such as Varro® herbicide are engineered for early weed removal and provide the best yield potential for your crop. Bayer trials have shown a 7% increase in wild oat control when Varro is applied during the early stages.*

Find out how to increase yield potential by up to 10% or more and enter to win a spray performance kit. Visit cropscience.bayer.ca/YieldGain to learn more. * Source: Bayer internal trials, n=78

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FA R M FO R U M .CA / SPRING 2016

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER PRODUCTS

Complete your cereal acre and maximize your savings It’s about dollars and sense

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ombining Bayer seed treatment, herbicide and fungicide purchases protects your cereal crops for the duration of the season and helps increase the yield and quality of your harvested grain. In addition, with BayerValue purchase incentives, mixing and matching from the complete offering of high-performing cereal products can increase your savings and maximize your return on investment.

BayerValue rebates help you start strong and stay strong. Begin by saving up to 25% on Bayer cereal seed treatments. Raxil® seed treatment products are well known for unparalleled disease and insect control,

superior emergence and outstanding plant health benefits, leading to a significant increase in yield potential.

Next, choose from Bayer’s family of herbicide solutions to find the products that best fit your fields and the weed profile of your operation.

Allow your cereal crops to thrive by taking out the toughest weeds before they can outcompete your crop for moisture, nutrients and other resources. Save up to 17% on Bayer cereal herbicide purchases.

Now complete your cereal acre with a first-class fungicide treatment to prevent dangerous diseases from destroying the yield and quality of your crop. More than eight years of replicated trials prove that even in drier conditions, fungicides will help improve yield performance and provide better grades and bushel weights at harvest.

Save up to 14% on Bayer cereal fungicides.

By completing your cereal acre, you can save up to $10 per acre in total, while at the same time maximizing the potential of your crop.

To calculate your savings, visit: cropscience.bayer.ca/BayerValueCalculator

The InVigor ‘Performance Driven Tour’ continues

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e’re keeping the tour going. The InVigor® “Performance Driven Tour” features a one-of-a-kind, customdesigned trailer and acts as an interactive, mobile learning centre that demonstrates what goes into every InVigor bag. It showcases the breeding and production technology behind

the development of each new InVigor hybrid, as well as information on the new pod shatter reduction technology and trial data.

Track the progress of the tour on Twitter by following @Bayer4CropsCA and looking up #InVigorPerforms, or contact your local Bayer representative.

FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2016

37

Start with a clean field Keep volunteer canola out of your crop

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estern Canadian growers continue to favour canola, as it’s consistently one of the highest gross margin crops they can reliably grow. With this in mind, canola is grown more frequently in rotations, which is why volunteer canola has become fourth on the list of weeds growers are most concerned about.* Like any weed, volunteer canola competes with your intended crop for nutrients, moisture and other available resources, which can significantly limit your profitability.

Furthermore, unmanaged volunteers can introduce disease, carry unwanted

herbicide tolerance and otherwise reduce the yield potential of the new crop.

The good news is that volunteer canola can be effectively controlled by having a plan that helps eliminate volunteers before they can become a problem.

Accurately calibrating your combine and ensuring the header is set appropriately can greatly reduce the amount of potential volunteer seed left on the ground after harvest. Also, allowing fall-germinated volunteer canola to grow until either the fall frost can kill it or birds and insects attack it can help reduce the amount of seed in the seed

bank come spring. However, even the most diligent grower will struggle with volunteer canola prior to seeding. This brings us to the most essential part of any volunteer management program, the need for a pre-seed burn down.

A pre-seed application of Pardner® herbicide, tank mixed with glyphosate, controls all types of volunteer canola and over 28 other broadleaf weeds.

To maximize the profitability of your farm, implement an integrated program that utilizes a combination of good farming practices with a pre-seed burn down that includes Pardner.

* Agriculture Canada’s compilation of the most prevalent weeds in Saskatchewan, 2014-15.

cropscience.bayer.ca 1 888-283-6847

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T

he 2015 Fungicide Demonstration Strip Trial (DSTs) results are in!

Conducted for the past eight growing seasons, the results have consistently shown that a fungicide application will pay off in the end with better-yielding, higher-quality crops. New this year are results from fungicide DSTs on pulse crops. As with other crops, it also pays to spray fungicide on pulse crops.

Visit ItPaysToSpray.ca for more information on the Bayer Fungicide DST program and to see how different fungicides performed in your area.

@Bayer4CropsCA Always read and follow label directions. InVigor®, Pardner®, Raxil® and Varro® are registered trademarks of Bayer Global. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

FA R M FO R U M .C A / SPRING 2016

PHOTOS: BOTTOM, THINKSTOCK, TOP, JEANETTE GREAVES

Latest results continue to show ‘It Pays to Spray’

Stop settling for good.

Start this season with the best.

Use Converge XT and see how great your crop can be.

Get the best out of your field by using Converge® XT herbicide. It offers the broadest spectrum of weed control, a wide application window and the ability to recharge through residual technology that’s re-activated by rain.

Converge XT is also the most consistent solution for crop-safe grassy and broadleaf weed control.* Learn more at cropscience.bayer.ca/convergeXT

cropscience.bayer.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer representative.

Always read and follow label directions. Converge® is a registered trademark of Bayer Global. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada. *Based on five trials at three different Ontario locations in 2011. Trials were conducted comparing weed control with pre-emerge herbicides in corn. Trials were funded in part by the Grain Farmers of Ontario.

The assistance of OMAFRA through the OMAFRA/University of Guelph Partnership is also acknowledged.

More than the best products.

Great rewards.

Ask your retail about our program.

LIGHT ’EM UP Resistant or not, powerful Infinity® herbicide provides you with the ability to take out the toughest broadleaf weeds in your cereals.

With its unique Group 27 mode of action, Infinity helps ensure the profitability of your farm today and for years to come.

Managing herbicide resistance is everyone’s fight.

Spray Responsibly.

cropscience.bayer.ca/Infinity

1 888-283-6847

@Bayer4CropsCA

Always read and follow label directions. Infinity® is a registered trademark of Bayer Global.

Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

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Lynn.Skinner None None None Laura.Zschach FARM FORUM