Farm Forum Summer 2017

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MANAGING

FUSARIUM calls for A MULTI-PRONGED APPROACH

Technology

Business

Production

Farm Life

Make the most of your weather data

Seed diagnostics offer insight into crop performance

Potato growers search for new weed control options

OYF winners ‘talk turkey’

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farm forum / summer 2017

CONTENTS COVER STORY

Managing fusarium calls for a multi-pronged approach /6

photo: Donald Groth, Louisiana State University AgCenter, Bugwood.org

features

farm life

production

Editor's Note / 4 Healthy pulse crops demand good disease management / 22 Western bean cutworm causes concern for Ontario corn producers / 26

OYF winners ‘talk turkey’ / 10

technology

New fungicide DST results / 29

Make the most of your weather data / 16

Potato growers search for new weed control options / 13

business

Seed diagnostics offer insight into crop performance / 18

FARMFORUM.CA / s umm er 201 7

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EDITOR’S NOTE

Publisher Bayer CropScience Inc. Editor Sherry Warner

— Sherry Warner 4

FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

Design/Production Glacier FarmMedia LP 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 Crop Science Inc. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743517 Registered in Canada Copyright 2017 Website www.farmforum.ca Return undeliverable copies to: Bayer CropScience Inc. Suite 130 160 Quarry Park Blvd. SE Calgary, AB T2C 3G3

photo: Mary Burrows, Montana State University, Bugwood.org

D

uring the 2016 growing season, increased disease pressure on virtually all crops has forced Canadian farmers to take a long hard look at their disease management plan.

Equipped with the knowledge about which diseases to watch for in your area and a solid disease management plan will go a long way to ensuring your crop is healthy and better able to fight off disease.

In this issue we look at several diseases and pests that many Canadian farmers battle every season starting with one of the most troublesome — fusarium. This disease is the most devastating fungal disease of wheat in the country, costing the industry over $1 billion annually in yield, quality and market losses. But it’s not just wheat. Most cereals and grasses including barley, oat and corn are susceptible to fusarium.

In our cover story about this disease, we offer farmers a number of strategies to help manage fusarium including carefully choosing your seed, using treated seed, increasing seeding rates, paying attention to crop rotation, monitoring your crop during the growing season and using fungicides when necessary.

Potato growers are awaiting an announcement by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency as to whether or not they can continue to use linuron, a trusted tool to control weeds in potato crops. The good news is the industry has known for some time that linuron’s days may be numbered so they have been actively seeking alternatives. The key is a strong weed management plan that includes new chemistry. Turn to our story on page 13 to find out more.

A great way to help fight disease is to start off with quality seed. While many farmers choose seed based solely on variety and germination, our story on page 18 talks about the value of testing your seed for other things such as vigour and disease, especially when faced with heavy disease pressure.

The 2016 growing season was very challenging for many Canadian farmers, including pulse growers. This has prompted them to be more proactive in their approach to disease management in 2017. Agronomists say that Canadian pulse growers should be prepared to manage for disease including the timely use of fungicides. In our story on page 22, we talk about strategies for fighting off a number of diseases in pulses including ascochyta blight, anthracnose, sclerotinia and botrytis as well as the nasty pea leaf weevil.

Another pest that’s causing concern, particularly for Ontario corn producers, is the western bean cutworm. This insect, unlike most non-native pests that usually come and go every season depending on conditions, keeps growing in number. Our story on page 26 gives farmers some insight as to how to best handle the western bean cutworm.

In this issue, we didn’t only want to talk about disease, so we lightened things up a bit with our Outstanding Young Farmer profile and a subject everyone loves to talk about — the weather. Marc and Hinke Therrien won the 2017 OYF program award for the Alberta/NWT region. Meet the Therriens on page 10 and find out how they became one of the largest turkey producers in Alberta.

And finally, our agricultural meteorologist, Andrew Nadler, reveals how you can make the most of both historical and in-season weather data to help you plan, assess and review your crop in an effort to boost that bottom line.

Contributors Jennifer Barber, Dianne Finstad, Andrew Nadler, Gerald Pilger, Kevin Link, Nicole Plewes and Laura Rance.

On the cover Estimated economic losses in cereals due to fusarium tops $1 billion annually. Managing this disease will take a multi-layered strategy.

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Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

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PRODUCTiON

MANAGING

FUSARIUM calls for a multi-pronged approach

PHOTO: Mary Burrows, Montana State University, Bugwood.org

By Gerald Pilger

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FAR M FORU M.C A / SUMM ER 2017

F

usarium is the most devastating fungal disease of wheat in Canada, costing the industry over $1 billion annually in yield, quality and market losses in cereals, said Dilantha Fernando, professor in the Department of Plant Science at the University of Manitoba, in a presentation at the Crops Disease Summit held this past February in Sydney, Australia.

This revelation isn’t news for prairie farmers especially in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. They know first-hand the losses due to fusarium head blight (FHB), which is caused by the fungus, fusarium graminearum. Unfortunately, there is no way to completely eradicate FHB. This is not to say the disease can’t be managed and losses reduced. But there is no single magic bullet — even the best fungicides on the market can only suppress the disease. Farmers must follow an integrated pest management program to have any hope of minimizing the damage.

To understand why this disease is so troublesome, consider the disease triangle.

There are three factors that must be present for an outbreak: the pathogen, a host, and the right environmental conditions.

In the case of FHB, the causal pathogen is widespread across Manitoba, most of Saskatchewan and is rapidly expanding in Alberta.

Spores survive for many years in the soil, on stubble, on seeds and even inside seeds. It can be spread by soil movement, water, wind, via seed or plant material.

Bruce Carriere, president of Discovery Seed Labs, told attendees at a Bayer meeting at Saskatoon in March: “Once you have it, it’s always there. You have to learn to live with it.”

Even if you’ve never had FHB in your fields, it can easily blow in from infected fields or grasses bordering your fields. And planting untreated seeds

infected with fusarium is a sure way to bring the disease to your farm. Even treating infected seed is not 100 per cent effective in preventing disease transmission. This is why some areas of Alberta, still considered fusarium free, have a zero tolerance for using fusarium-infected seed.

It’s not just wheat, either. Most cereals and grasses, including barley, oat and corn, are susceptible to FHB. Spores can also survive on pea and canola stubble, which just adds to the problem. The key to breaking any plant disease cycle is rotation to non-host crops, and with so few options available to prairie farmers, there’s little opportunity to reduce FHB levels through crop rotation once the disease is present.

Finally, farmers have little control over environmental conditions conducive to FHB. Warm, wet conditions increase the prevalence of the disease. Temperatures between 25 C and »

Fusarium is a serious fungal disease of wheat. You can see the effects of this disease in damaged wheat kernels (above left) versus healthy kernels.

FAR MFORUM.CA / SU MMER 201 7

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PRODUCTiON

Above you can see the contrast between a healthy green head (middle) and those infected with fusarium.

30 C at wheat flowering are ideal for FHB spore production and disease spread. While rain splash increases spore spread from plant to plant, high humidity or a damp crop canopy, for as little as 12 hours, is enough to increase spore development and release.

Of even more concern is the risk of a warming, wetter climate, which could increase FHB problems exponentially for prairie farmers.

So what can farmers do?

Farmers are advised to take a multi-pronged approach to FHB management. This has proven to be the more successful way to mitigate the effects of the disease. Below are several strategies to consider including in your FHB management plan.

■ Watch your seed source First, if you are fortunate enough to not have FHB on your farm, under no circumstances should you plant infected seed.

Farmers in areas where FHB outbreaks have occurred in the past should not plant seed with more than five per cent fusarium graminearum infection, or 10 per cent total fusarium infection.

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FAR M FO RU M.C A / SUM M ER 2017

Carriere admits this may be hard to do this year given the low germination results he is seeing in the lab from last year’s crop samples, but stresses farmers need to stay away from seed with 15 to 20 per cent infection levels. By planting heavily infected seed, he says you are simply loading the levels of disease in the field.

If there is one bright spot regarding infected seed, Carriere notes that disease levels in seed carried over a full year (over a summer following the harvest of that seed) tend to drop by 50 per cent. So seed harvested in 2015 at eight or nine per cent infection may be in the range of four to five per cent infection in 2017. However, he warns there may also be a corresponding drop in germination that growers need to keep in mind.

Most importantly, seed treatments must be used if there is any detection of fusarium on seed.

According to Carriere, “This is a rule!”

■ Increase seeding rates Primary disease spread happens at flowering so if you can shorten the flowering period by reducing crop tillering, you reduce the risk of late infection.

■ Consider varietal differences Unfortunately all CWHWS, CWSWS, CWIW and durum varieties are susceptible to fusarium, so seeding these classes of wheat increases the risk of an outbreak. Some hard red varieties are rated as moderately resistant.

A couple of options for farmers wanting to grow wheat in high-risk areas include AAC Tenacious, a Canada prairie spring red with an R-rating for fusarium, or AC Emerson, a hard red winter variety also rated R. ■ Pay close attention to crop rotation Rotate away from cereal crops for at least one year, preferably two. Do not rotate between cereals and corn, as both are susceptible to the disease. There is also an increased risk if you follow a two-year rotation of cereals and canola. Work done in Saskatchewan found this rotation actually increases the severity of fusarium infections over time.

■ Monitor your crop during the growing season One way to check your crop for FHB is to cut the roots open and check for red vascular tissue. This is a good indication that the disease is present.

As well, track environmental conditions that are conducive to disease and spore development.

Organizations such as the Saskatchewan Wheat

Development Commission have online fusarium risk maps based on real-time weather data. Use these maps along with cropping and disease history to determine whether or not you should spray a foliar fungicide.

■ Apply fungicides when necessary When considering application of a foliar fungicide, you need to remember three things: 1. Fungicides provide suppression only, they will not provide total control.

2. By the time you observe disease symptoms it is too late to apply fungicides — they are not curative.

3. While the window is narrow there are still benefits in reducing FHB when spraying a little early or late but if you hit the optimal timing you do often get the best results. FF

FHB info for Saskatchewan farmers: www.farmforum.ca/FHBinfoforSK FHB info for Alberta farmers: www.farmforum.ca/FHBinfoforAB FHB info for Manitoba farmers: www.farmforum.ca/FHBinfoforMB

Spray right A return on investment in foliar fungicides not only depends on timing of the spray operation but also on the application practice. If you are going to apply a fungicide, Tom Wolf, application specialist with AgriMetrix Research and Training, offers the following spray tips for FHB management: 1. Angle nozzles forward, or use double nozzles.

2. The greater the angle of the nozzle the better.

3. Use coarse sprays.

4. Maintain low boom heights.

5. Slow speeds are always recommended to ensure fungicides are applied correctly, especially if the spray needs to go deep into the canopy. However faster travel speeds are not as detrimental with FHB because the more horizontally the spray moves, the more droplets will stick to the heads.

PHOTO: bayer

6. Maintain over 10 to 20 gpa (45 to 90 litres) for fungicide applications.

FAR MFORUM.CA / SUM MER 201 7

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farm life

OYF winners ‘talk turkey’

By Dianne Finstad

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

photos: courtesy the therrien family

E

xceeding expectations is what Marc and Hinke Therrien like to do daily in their approach to farming. The two have turned their passion for agriculture into a thriving turkey operation that has, in just a few short years, become one of the largest in Alberta.

With eight barns on their farm, located south of Redwater, the couple produce nearly 1.7 million kilograms of turkey annually (that’s about 140,000 birds), as well as broiler chickens. While that’s impressive enough, the enthusiasm the two have about raising quality food made them a fitting choice for the 2017 Outstanding Young Farmers’ program award for the Alberta/NWT region.

Marc Therrien proves that growing up urban can still sprout an interest in agriculture. He caught the farming bug working many summers on his grandparents’ dairy farm. That led him into agriculture studies at the University of Alberta. After trying out a variety of farm jobs (he actually even owned some beef cows at one point), he eventually entered the world of poultry.

Above left: Hinke and Marc Therrien with their three girls L to R: Natalie (1), Emile (3) and Annelies (4). Above: One of the Therriens animal welfare practices is to put large straw bales in the barn. This keeps the birds occupied with an added bonus: the birds help to re-bed the barn.

Hinke Therrien was born in the Netherlands, and immigrated with her family to the Ponoka area, where they set up a dairy farm.

She had already decided her future was in agriculture when the two met at university. “We met in dairy production class in my last semester, and that’s when we connected,” says Marc.

His career began in the feed business, while hers was in milk testing. They married in 2009. In the meantime, Hinke’s family had switched gears and now had two turkey farms (one in Devon, the other in Redwater) and offered the younger couple the opportunity to get involved.

“We thought, well, farming is farming and we’ll take whatever we can,” says Hinke. With her parents’ retirement timeline set, it was up to Marc to “pass the test”, which required him to get some handson experience first, which he did by working for another poultry producer in the area.

“Being a city kid, I had to prove to them I was capable of doing it,” laughs Marc. “They had the single biggest broiler farmer at the time

in Alberta, so it was a pretty steep learning curve. But I was adamant that if this is what we want to do for the rest of our life, we would have to sacrifice and do it,” he explains. “It was a huge investment and risk for Hinke’s parents, so they had to make sure they were entrusting someone with the farm who was going to do the work.”

Marc says those two “apprenticeship” years gave him valuable training in both the practical and the business aspects of poultry production. “I would do it again. I would make my kids do the same thing,” he smiles.

About a year into their full-time farming career, a fire took two barns at the Redwater site. In the end, they made the decision to shift all turkey production to that location, which made for a challenging time for the young family. Marc lived mainly at Redwater, supervising the rebuilding and consolidation plans, while Hinke stayed back to manage the Devon farm. The transition was complete by the fall of 2014, and Marc and Hinke became full owners in 2015. Even with all this going on, the Therriens »

FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 201 7

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farm life

were still able to double production annually during their first five years operating the farm on their own.

Marc’s detail-oriented management style is a great fit for the turkey business. “I try to manage and set systems for the birds, and not cut too many corners,” he says. “We’ve implemented standard operating procedures to make sure we avoid the birds getting sick or stressed, giving them every opportunity to succeed.

“The whole thing with turkeys is stress.

Limit, limit, limit stress. If you have stress, you’re going to lose animals. Turkeys are very sensitive to change. They’re more challenging to grow than broilers.”

Marc likes the fast feedback that comes with poultry production’s fast turnaround times.

“You get a really quick response to your input,” he says. “With chickens, I can make a management decision every cycle and 38 days later, I know if that’s succeeded or failed. Turkeys are the same way.”

Focusing on quality water, making sure the barns are cleaned and disinfected, and properly rotating supplies has made a big difference in flock health and bird survival rates. “We had some existing disease challenges when we took over both farms,” recalls Hinke. “Now, for as big as we are, our mortality is about half the industry average.

It’s an impressive benchmark for Marc.”

The two newest barns, built after the fire, were the right place to try out technology, 12

FA R M FO R U M .C A / summer 2017

like a five-minute timer ventilation program, which uses air speed and fans, rather than heat, to control humidity.

Computerized systems allow Marc to montitor every aspect of the barn from his smartphone, and they’ve also got computers for weighing feed, which enables the Therriens to buy wheat from local farmers and blend their own rations.

“We’ve implemented standard operating procedures to make sure we avoid the birds getting sick or stressed, giving them every opportunity to succeed” Marc Therrien

The family also made some energy efficiency and maintenance improvements to the existing barns — some of which were decades old — like switching the whole farm to more efficient LED lights.

One of their animal welfare practices is to put big straw bales in the barns. “Turkeys are very cannibalistic, so we thought about starting this program,” says Marc. “We were blown away by how the birds reacted to it,

how they played with it, how they re-bedded the barn, and spread the straw for us.

“It’s an extra step in our production system and an extra cost, but at the end of the day, it’s our way of trying to enrich the system. We tried soccer balls, milk jugs, all kinds of stuff, but the bales always seemed to be the best way to go. It’s improving their environment, not just their welfare.”

Marc and Hinke are always eager to share their story with the community and consumers, and have already hosted several farm tours. Hinke is also a Classroom Ag Program volunteer and she’s been helping the Green Certificate Program for youth ag training to set up a poultry learning module.

Marc is always looking for ways to go forward with their appropriately named operation: Ment-2B Agribusiness Ltd. “Because I’m a city kid, I’m a little more open to taking the science of what people tell you and implementing it, not being too afraid or stubborn to do it,” says Marc.

“My advantage is that no one’s ever told me how to do it, so I’ve taken ideas from the research and science I learned at school and in the field selling feed and just applied it, and it’s been tremendous.”

Hinke agrees and says that their willingness to take advice from professionals has been key to their success. “We consult with vets, industry people and breeder experts.”

“I want to always strive to learn more and do better. There’s always something to learn,” adds Marc. FF

production

Potato growers search for new weed control options As farmers wait for an announcement by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency as to whether or not they can continue to use linuron to control weeds in their potato crops, the search is on for alternatives

By Jennifer Barber

PHOTO: bayer

L

inuron’s days could very well be numbered. This active ingredient has been a trusted weed management tool for Canadian potato growers for years. Now, growers are awaiting a decision by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) as to how, or even if it can be used going forward. With an announcement about the chemistry’s future expected sometime in 2017 or 2018, potato growers are asking, what’s next?

“We’ve known about the possible phasing out of this product since 2012, so we’ve had some time to explore other options,” says Clarence Swanton, a weed scientist in the Department of Plant Agriculture at the University of Guelph.

“But linuron has been critical for the control of early season broadleaf weeds in particular, and potato growers have been reluctant to look at using other products.”

Linuron is the only Group 7 chemistry for early weed control in potatoes, which makes it an excellent rotational tool for a crop that has been plagued by increasing weed resistance. Linuron is one of the best pre-emergent herbicides on the market targeting both annual grassy and broadleaf weeds. But it’s not without its detractors.

On top of increasing linuron resistance, the herbicide fell under PMRA’s review process due to potential health and environmental concerns.

“I don’t think the loss of linuron is a crisis for potato growers,” says Mario Tenuta, professor of applied soil ecology at the University of Manitoba. »

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production

“We’ve known about the possible phasing out of this product since 2012, so we’ve had some time to explore other options” Clarence Swanton weed scientist, Department of Plant Agriculture, University of Guelph

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FAR MFO RUM .C A / SUMM ER 2017

“The issue is more about our alternatives.

Potatoes may not have the same range of weed control alternatives as other crops, but we do have options. The greater concern is that we are losing a unique chemical group which makes managing resistance more challenging.”

Early weed control is crucial for potato production. During the critical early period, competition from weeds can cause dramatic and rapid yield loss. Given this sensitivity to weeds, there is no cultural option that will effectively eliminate the need for herbicides in potato production. Weed control is generally added to the soil so the crop is protected from the moment of germination.

“If weeds emerge in the first week after the potatoes first emerge, you could get up to 50 per cent yield loss,” says Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill, a weed scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in PEI. “If those weeds are held back to three weeks after emergence, that yield loss drops down to 15 per cent or less. So, growers need to focus their efforts into that very early weed control.”

One of the challenges for weed control in potatoes is that hills large enough for potato seed piece planting are surrounded by flat furrows. “If those hills get packed with weeds in the early season, the crop may not compete,” says Tenuta. “Potatoes need weed free conditions at emergence.”

McKenzie-Gopsill says that more management will be required with loss of linuron in order to get the same yields

without increasing the incidence of herbicide resistance. “Growers will have to make sure they have a three-year crop rotation to try to promote soil building activity and eliminate some weed seed,” he says. “We would also recommend a preplant, or a post plant, pre-emergent burn down again to strive for that weed free crop.”

One new option on the horizon for growers to include in their weed management plan is Sencor STZ. The herbicide recently received registration and will be available for pre-emergent weed control in potatoes for growers in eastern Canada for the 2018 growing season. Bayer is still conducting trials for use in western Canada.

Sencor STZ is a co-pack containing Sencor (metribuzin) and STZ (sulfentrazone), and will add to Sencor solo by targeting triazine-resistant weeds such as lamb’s quarters and pigweed. Its Group 5 and Group 14 chemistries will also tackle glyphosate and linuron resistant weeds.

“We have been working to develop a complete package for potato growers, and finding something new in herbicides can be a challenge,” says Jonathan Weinmaster, crop and campaign marketing manager, horticulture and corn at Bayer. “The STZ portion of Sencor STZ is essentially replacing the linuron in the popular Sencor plus linuron tank mix that’s being used today, and will provide equal or better weed control. We will be conducting field scale demonstration trials this summer to

top photo: luc gamache

Andrew McKenzie-Gopsill, a weed scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in PEI, urges potato growers to focus their disease management efforts on early weed control.

show growers the control they can get from this product.”

Adding a second active ingredient to any herbicide helps eliminate a broader range of weeds, reduce selection pressure and slow down existing resistance to that chemistry to provide potato growers, in this case, with the early season weed control they need, says Weinmaster.

Swanton encourages the potato industry to become more proactive in developing new options for growers, whether or not linuron is removed from the shelves.

“Linuron has been a very effective treatment for potatoes because of its broad range in controlling broadleaf weeds,” says Swanton. “We always hope there is another silver bullet readily available but as there have been no new modes of action for weed control in potatoes in over 20 years. We are working to use existing technology in different ways so we can still get a good result.” FF

Fight nematodes in potatoes with Velum Prime Potato growers in Canada have a new option for managing nematodes in potatoes. Velum Prime is the first and only non-fumigant nematicide registered in Canada for potatoes. It helps sustain high plant vigour and maximize crop yield by protecting against nematodes and early blight.

“Velum Prime is applied in-furrow and kills the nematodes it comes in contact with,” says Jonathan Weinmaster, crop and campaign marketing manager, horticulture and corn at Bayer. “While it is highly mobile in the plant, it is relatively immobile in the soil and will only kill nematodes where it is applied, meaning it will have no impact on beneficial nematodes outside of the furrow.”

top PHOTO: Bonsak Hammeraas, NIBIO - The Norwegian Institute of Bioeconomy Research, Bugwood.org

A secondary benefit of Velum Prime is its early blight fungicidal activity.

Velum Prime is highly plant mobile and uses the same active ingredient (fluopryam) as one of the components of Luna Tranquility fungicide, which has proven early blight protection.

“We have been working to develop a complete package for potato growers, and finding something new in herbicides can be a challenge” Jonathan Weinmaster crop and campaign marketing manager, horticulture and corn Bayer

Velum Prime is the first product with a new mode of action and chemical class for nematode protection. Its low rates can be applied with existing liquid infurrow application equipment.

Nematodes are one of the most populous animal species in Canadian soils. Most are beneficial, improving soil health and nutrient mineralization. But some make a living in plants, feeding on root systems resulting in stunted, yellow plants that grow slowly and take a long time to reach canopy closure.

The root feeding can be a vector to disease later in the season. Nematodes often go unrecognized in potato crops

in Canada as identifying them requires soil sampling and specialty lab analysis depending on the nematode type.

Without treatment, many nematode species can cause extensive damage to potato roots, reducing yield by up to 80 per cent. In the past, growers managed nematodes through crop rotation or fumigation. “Fumigation is not viable in some areas because strict regulations, often requiring specialized application and large buffer zones,” says Weinmaster. “Growers should be aware that Velum Prime is not a fumigant replacement, as fumigants go beyond nematicide activity. Velum Prime can be used with a fumigant to provide additional nematode activity, early blight protection and yield gains over a fumigant alone.”

While it can be difficult to measure the cell-like microscopic worms on a field-by field basis, field trials with Velum Prime showed yield and quality improvements over untreated checks.

They also demonstrated a reduction in parasitic nematodes including root lesions, root knot and potato cyst nematodes.

Maximum residue limits that will support trade in countries such as Japan are expected for the 2018 season. Until then Bayer is asking processing potato growers to not use Velum Prime since it is not trade enabled and/or approved by most processors when applied as an in-furrow application. Bayer will communicate any changes to maximum residue limits as soon as they are established.

—Jennifer Barber

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technology

Make the most of your weather data

By Andrew Nadler | Agricultural meteorologist

 T

hese days farmers collect endless amounts of data about all aspects of their operation, including the weather. Despite the cost and effort to collect all this data, much of it never gets used.

A 2016 Stratus Ag Research survey of field data management practices found that over 60 per cent of farmers in western Canada who collected precision agronomic data stated that it is being stored with no further analysis, or that it simply remains on the equipment.

Thankfully, times are changing.

Not only are farmers becoming more technically savvy, eager to dig into their data to gain valuable insights, but the tools are also evolving to make data analytics

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more accessible. Farmers can now use sophisticated management platforms to converge data and help manage production at a granular level.

Historical weather data Knowing what has already happened with respect to the weather can be of real value to farmers. Historical weather data shows a certain degree of predictability; some idea of what tricks nature has up its sleeve.

For example, a given location will have a somewhat consistent range of seasonal temperatures, precipitation and frost dates. Of course, there will always be variability, but even this variability is an important piece of information that can be leveraged.

Climate records can be used to determine factors such as frost risk. For example, over the past few decades, Saskatoon has recorded first fall frost dates ranging from August 28 to October 6. While a 40-day range is extremely broad, a closer look at the data reveals more valuable information.

Saskatoon has a 50 per cent probability of receiving a first fall frost on or before September 15. There is a 25 per cent risk of a fall frost on or before September 8.

Depending on the farmer’s individual level of tolerance, these numbers can be used to effectively manage agricultural risk.

Likewise, similar risks can be tabulated for heat units, rainfall, temperature, moisture stress, yield and other variables.

Crop simulation models are used to calculate the many interactions between the soil, crop and atmosphere. Weather, being the major influencer of crop behaviour, must be accounted for within any simulation. Historical weather data allows multiple simulations of various scenarios.

The results provide insight pertaining to nutrient uptake, crop development, stress, and yield. For instance, a farmer could simulate growing a new crop variety using weather data from the past 10 to 20 growing seasons, including the best and worst years. He can then evaluate how many of those years the crop would have succeeded, and whether it’s worth growing.

While the past has always been a helpful indicator of agronomic risk, this method has proven to be less reliable in recent times. Unprecedented weather events have become more common.

Floods, droughts, heat waves and storms have been increasing in frequency and severity. For this reason, you should exercise caution when using weather records that go too far back in time.

In-season weather data Climate data relies on an established network of highly accurate, well-sited weather stations. While these stations provide excellent regional data, they are not meant to represent local conditions.

These stations rarely capture the spatial extent of a rainfall event, particularly during the summer when local convective activity dominates.

This is where on-farm weather stations come in. As weather conditions vary, even from one field to the next, farmers can accurately monitor temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind and soil moisture where it matters — in the field.

Crop simulation models can also be run in real-time to track the progress and requirements of a crop. Knowing your crop’s stage of development can help focus scouting for weeds and disease on the fields that are at their most vulnerable growth stages. For larger farms with thousands of acres and dozens of fields, knowing when and where to deploy resources is key.

Finally, post-harvest, it is important to understand what factors, whether agronomic or otherwise, caused the crop to turn out the way it did. Weather information from the growing season is

often the first place to look. Suboptimal yield or crop quality could have been attributed to certain weather-related stresses. Often, these influences can only be known by having a nearby weather station.

Putting it all together Most people like the appeal of being able to see what the weather is doing outside their door or in the field. While useful, it represents a small part of the overall value that a weather station can bring. Having weather data in order to plan, assess and review a crop can mean the difference between profitability and loss. As more farmers see the value of field-level weather monitoring, the number of tools are also expanding, making collecting and analyzing weather data a worthwhile investment. FF

Not only are farmers becoming more technically savvy … the tools are also evolving to make data analytics more accessible

FARMFORUM.CA / summ er 201 7

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BUSINESS

Seed diagnostics offer insight into crop performance

By Gerald Pilger

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

fusarium graminearum severity level for Saskatchewan wheat samples was 10.8 per cent while in Manitoba it was 12 per cent.

Winter wheat, which is highly susceptible to fusarium, saw detection rates of 16 per cent in Alberta samples and 100 per cent in samples from Saskatchewan and Manitoba!

BioVision uses 100X magnification when examining seed for signs of disease as fusarium-diseased seed can look normal to the naked eye. The lab uses DNA testing and/or a plated test when looking for fusarium.

The DNA test is specific to the fusarium graminearum species — and it’s quick. In just two days, DNA from 400 to 600 seeds is extracted and analyzed to see if the seed has been exposed to fusarium graminearum.

It’s also a highly sensitive test, able to detect disease levels at 0.125 per cent infection rates. However, the DNA test cannot tell you disease severity or if other fusarium species are present within a sample. For that there’s the plated test.

“There was heavy disease pressure in 2016 therefore seed quality could be compromised” Holly Gelech BioVISION SEED LABS

PHOTO: thinkstock

oday’s farmers pride themselves on using technology and science in their operations. They soil test to formulate the right nutrient package needed to maximize yield, use specialized seeding equipment, GPS and variable rate technology to ensure nutrients are accurately placed, and so on.

Yet many farmers tend to forgo hightech diagnostic tools when it comes to seed selection. Seed is most often chosen on the basis of variety and germination, with the idea that as long as the variety has good germination it will grow well. But seed diagnostics can offer growers so much more.

Which is why, besides germination, farmers might want to think about testing their 2017 seed for vigour and the presence of disease. In a presentation at the SeedGrowth Solutions Expo held in Saskatoon in March, Holly Gelech, from BioVision Seed Labs, said there was heavy disease pressure in 2016 therefore seed quality could be compromised.

To illustrate her point, Gelech talked about fusarium graminearum, which may pose a serious problem for farmers this growing season. Last winter, fusarium graminearum was detected in 35 per cent of Alberta wheat samples submitted to BioVision. The average detection level for the previous four years was just 20 per cent.

This is a huge increase in a province where fusarium is not yet considered a major problem in cereals. Thankfully, the severity level in the samples was relatively low, with an average infection rate of two per cent this year. Still, this means two out of every 100 seeds in over a third of the wheat samples tested was infected with fusarium graminearum.

In Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where this disease is solidly established, the news is even worse. Fusarium graminearum was detected in 87 per cent of Saskatchewan wheat samples this year and in 92 per cent of Manitoba wheat samples. The average

PHOTOs: top, laura rance, bottom, thinkstock

This consists of first washing 200 seeds in a bleach solution to destroy any surface bacteria that can impact fusarium growth.

The seeds are then placed in a fungal growing medium and incubated for five days at 30 C. This initiates seed-borne fungal growth.

Gelech warns there could be multiple fungal pathogens on the seed so it takes visual examination to determine if the fungal growth is a critical disease such as fusarium, root rot, mildew or blackpoint, or if it’s a less critical storage fungus.

Not just for cereals Cereals are not the only crops threatened by seed-borne diseases. At the Expo, Trevor Blois with 20/20 Seed Labs spoke about seed-borne pulse diseases. Indeed, pulse and canola diseases were both higher in 2016, with ascochyta being the prime concern for pulse growers.

Blois said this disease can cause 30 to 50 per cent yield loss in peas, up to 70 per cent yield loss in lentils, and total yield loss in chickpeas. Chickpeas have very high levels of seed-to-seedling disease transmission, so growers must use seed with very low disease levels — less than 0.25 per cent.

And yet, this past year, 60 per cent of chickpeas tested positive for ascochyta, with an average infection rate of 1.5 per cent — well above recommended levels. Ninety per cent of peas tested were positive for ascochyta, with five per cent infection rates.

With numbers like that, can you really afford not to test pulse seed for disease?

Besides ascochyta, seed labs regularly test for botrytis, anthracnose, sclerotinia and aphanomyces in pulses and blackleg, alternaria, and clubroot in canola seed.

As well as testing for seed-borne disease, consider asking for a vigour test, also known as a cool stress test. A germination test typically involves placing 200 seeds in a blotter soaked with water and potassium nitrate (used to break dormancy), then incubating them in a growth chamber at 20 C to see how many germinate under ideal conditions. For the vigour test, the growth chamber temperature is only 7 C, to mimic the less than ideal cool soils that farmers typically seed.

This year Gelech compared the germination and vigour test results of 100 random samples received in the lab.

She treated a subset of these samples with recommended rates of various seed treatments so she could compare the germination and vigour of untreated versus

Pulse crops can also benefit from seed testing because of their high susceptibility to disease.

treated seed. Untreated seed germination was 89 per cent, and vigour was 86.7 per cent. Treated seed germination was 94.5 per cent, and vigour 91.2 per cent. These results show that seed treatments improved germination.

Farmers should also consider getting a 1,000 kernel weight (TKW) test on their seed so they can set seeding rates more accurately to achieve target yields. There

can be a big difference in TKW from seed lot to seed lot, even of the same crop, so one size does not describe all seed. Unless you know the TKW there is no way you can accurately set a seed drill for the desired plant stand.

While no seed test or diagnostic can guarantee a bumper crop, it can tell you that seed quality is not the issue should you have a disappointing harvest. FF FARMFORUM.CA / SU MMER 201 7

19

BUSINESS

On a personal note …

After writing this story, I wasn’t surprised to find out after talking with six prairie seed cleaning plants, that very few farmers test their seed for anything other than germination.

Five out of the six managers said that either seed diagnostic testing is not normally done or very few farmers do any seed testing other than germination. One manager said that most of his customers do not test for seed diseases and some not even for germination.

Often when I research an article, I have an “aha” moment. I learn something new. I discover a practice or product that I want to try on my own farm. I find a new way of tackling a problem — sometimes even before I realize I have that problem.

Murray Van Petten, manager of the Camrose County Seed Plant, triggered such a moment for me when I interviewed for this article. He estimates only about one per cent of the commercial farmers he cleans seed for regularly test for diseases other than fusarium graminearum. (In Alberta, by law, all seed must be tested for fusarium graminearum before it can be cleaned.)

Van Petten says many farmers balk at the cost of diagnostic testing. However, he points out that the $150 to $200 cost for a full fungal scan is a fraction of the cost that a farmer spends on seed treatment before even knowing if and what seed-borne diseases he’s treating for.

By showing farmers the comparatively low cost of seed diagnostic testing and assisting farmers to select seed treatment products based on actual disease presence, about five per cent of Van Petten’s customers opted for additional diagnostic testing this winter.

While Van Petten opened my eyes to the potential value of diagnostic testing, I have to admit I only test for fusarium graminearum, germination and vigour. I zero-till and often seed into cool damp soils, which are conducive to disease and slow germination.

I also want to protect against both seed-borne and soilborne diseases, so I treat all seed every year. I rotate between seed treatment chemistry annually. Through field trials I have found seed treatment consistently increases yield on my farm through disease suppression, improved germination and plant health.

Is it possible that I am spending more than I need by treating seed for diseases that I may not have? Yes. However, I consider seed treating not only to be effective, but also as insurance.

Simply knowing what seed-borne diseases may be present likely wouldn’t change my practices. However, other seed diagnostic tests like TKW are worth considering. After all, yield hinges on plant stand and plant health.

—Gerald Pilger

photo: kevin link

Over the past winter, Van Petten encouraged farmers to try additional seed testing to find out what diseases might be present and to make a more informed choice about which seed treatment would be best. He also hopes some of those

who did test will also test the harvested seed this fall to see the effects of their treatment decision. If the harvested crop shows a decrease in seed-borne disease, it will validate their decision to treat.

20

FA R M FO R U M .CA / S UMMER 2017

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production

Healthy pulse crops demand good disease management

By Jennifer Barber

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

T

he 2016 growing season is one many pulse growers in Saskatchewan would rather forget.

It was one of the worst seasons for disease in recent memory. Some diseases took down yield while others, such as white and grey mould, had a big impact on quality. But with a new year and a new season ahead, there are still reasons to be optimistic.

“Last year was like nothing we’ve ever seen,” says Troy LaForge, head agronomist with Ultimate Yield Management Institute in Saskatoon. “In some areas, threequarters of the field had such high levels of disease damage that there was nothing to harvest,” he says. “We knew at some point the perfect storm of tight rotations and weather would combine and last year it happened.”

With that in mind, this year, many producers are changing management systems. Heading into the 2017 season, pulse growers are being more proactive in their approach to disease management, says LaForge. Crop rotation can be problematic in many pulse regions as tight rotations are common and many rotational crops are susceptible to the same diseases that attack pulses. But increasingly, he says, where growers can rotate, they do. And they are prepared to spray.

“It really is a matter of being proactive,” says Marilyn Kot, an agronomist with Green Acres Tech Inc. in southeast Saskatchewan. “If you are going to grow pulse crops in this part of the world you have to be prepared to manage for disease, and that means timely use of fungicides,” she says. “And as long as you stay on top of the disease you can be very successful.”

Keeping chickpeas clean Ascochyta blight is the nemesis of chickpea growers. The disease can make an otherwise good looking crop look bad, and perform even worse. Fifteen years ago, growers struggled with ascochyta as it developed resistance to strobilurin fungicides. Today there are different fungicide chemistries available to better manage this disease. »

FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2017

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production

Taking on disease in lentils Ascochyta is also problematic in lentils.

“Even a few years ago you could get away with not spraying depending on the season,” says Kot. “But now it is everywhere. Last year I scouted in fields of first time lentil growers and even they had ascochyta.”

Anthracnose can also be an issue in lentil crops, but it doesn’t show up every year and requires wet, cold summers to flourish. The good news is that most fungicides that are used for other diseases in pulses can easily manage this disease.

What caught some pulse growers off guard last year were sclerotinia and botrytis.

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FA R M FO R U M .CA / SUMMER 2017

These white and grey moulds show up later in the season once the canopy is heavy and moist — ripe conditions for disease development. Both diseases move quickly through the canopy. Kot says decisions on how to best manage these diseases should be made on a field-by-field basis, before there are visible signs of the disease.

“The challenge with managing sclerotinia and botrytis is getting the fungicide into the canopy,” she says. “You need to make sure you have the appropriate nozzle on your sprayer and lots of water to make sure you get deep into that canopy.

Sometimes you can prevent damage, and sometimes you are just protecting what you already have.”

In addition to fungicides there are some other methods to help manage for disease such as planting wider rows to allow more air to get down through the crop to help prevent the disease from flourishing and using biological products to help control the spread of disease.

“Our research division is looking into better managing pulse production and we’ve seen a statistically significant difference when you combine balanced fertility, low stress herbicide combinations and fungicides to better manage for disease,” says LaForge. “When it comes to all disease in pulses, a timely, multipronged approach helps set up the crop to be more successful at fighting off disease for better quality and bigger yields.” FF

“Chickpea growers know they are going to get ascochyta so it’s no longer a question of if they are going to apply a fungicide, it’s a matter of when” Marilyn Kot agronomist green acres tech inc.

PHOTO: NICOLE PLEWES

“The key is to not let disease get ahead of the crop,” says LaForge. “There are varieties with some level of resistance, and, combined with a seed treatment, can help start a healthy crop that is less susceptible to disease,” he explains. “But all that is not enough if you are not using a foliar fungicide program to control disease incrop.”

Kot agrees and says: “Chickpea growers know they are going to get ascochyta so it’s no longer a question of if they are going to apply a fungicide, it’s a matter of when.

The first application is the toughest call as you want to wait as long as you can. Then, depending on the nature of the disease, you will need to apply every 10 to 14 days until that crop reaches maturity.”

Keep ahead of pea leaf weevils

O

ver the past decade, pea leaf weevils have made a relentless march across Alberta pea fields. The larvae feast on the nodules of field peas and faba beans, preventing them from fixing nitrogen, which limits growth. To manage pea leaf weevils, growers need to think ahead and make management decisions before their crop goes in the ground.

“There has been a significant range change for this insect, especially in the past three years, and we don’t have a clear reason why,” says Scott Meers, insect management specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in Brooks, AB. Since 1997, when the pea leaf weevil was first reported in southern Alberta, it remained for many years south of the TransCanada highway. Pea leaf weevils are now well established throughout southern Alberta, west central areas of the province and as far north as Sturgeon County, north of Edmonton.

“We suspect the milder winters in recent years have facilitated the movement. Regardless of how they are moving, they are reducing yields. In the most affected fields in 2016 we saw damage in the range of 15 to 20 per cent yield loss,” says Meers.

Based on the wet weather in August 2016, researchers are predicting the potential for widespread damage by the pea leaf weevil in 2017. Predictions are based on how many notches per plant were damaged in the previous season.

Experience has shown that areas with greater than nine notches suggests a very high potential for damage the following year.

“Seed treatments are the best way to reduce losses from pea leaf weevils,” says Meers. “There is no real economic threshold developed in-season, as once the insect arrives it’s too late to apply a seed treatment,” he explains.

Meers cautions that current studies show minimal economic benefit from foliar insecticides in controlling pea leaf weevils.

In addition, foliar insecticides should be applied with extreme caution so as not to injure beneficial ground beetles.

bottom PHOTO: Alberta Agriculture & Forestry

Part of the reason people grow peas is for the crops’ nitrogen fixing properties and unfortunately pea leaf weevil larvae consume nitrogen fixing nodules. “So while there may be some yield benefit to adding nitrogen, it won’t help growers use peas or faba beans to fix nitrogen in the soil.”

“Seed treatments are the best way to reduce losses from pea leaf weevils” Scott Meers insect management specialsit, Alberta agriculture & forestry

Pea leaf weevils don’t fly when temperatures are below about 18 C so during a cool spring their arrival in pea fields may be delayed. If the weevils do not arrive until after the six-node stage, there will be very little yield loss from feeding activity.

However, every spring season usually has a stretch of warmer weather that will enable the migration of pea leaf weevils into fields.

“This really is a new pest for many growers in Alberta and there is always a transition period,” says Meers. “It takes a few years of yield loss for growers to adopt new strategies. But given the spread of these insects and the impact they have on yield, managing pea leaf weevils should be part of every pea growers’ annual pest management plan.”

—Jennifer Barber

FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2017

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production

Western bean cutworm causes concern for Ontario corn producers

By Jennifer Barber

T

top of the plant and then determine the percentage of plants affected.

Once a week for three weeks after pretassel starts, growers should scout and calculate the percentage of plants with new eggs. Once those figures cumulatively add up to five per cent, an insecticide application is warranted. If you spray too early you won’t get at the eggs. You want to target the newly hatched larvae that are moving about on the plant before they get into the ears, where they are protected from insecticide, Schaafsma explains.

“There is a several day period that is very attractive to the females for laying eggs in pre-tassel corn,” he says. “We set pheromone traps to tell us when the flight is happening. Once you start to see flight, you have a seven- to 10-day window to find and kill the cutworms before the damage becomes serious.”

For most corn growers, it’s not the damage from the cutworms themselves that causes yield loss, it’s the fact that feeding cutworms open up the ear, allowing easy entry for fusarium.

Even then, fusarium itself is not the

For most corn growers, it’s not the damage from the cutworms themselves that causes yield loss, it’s the fact that feeding cutworms open up the ear, allowing easy entry for fusarium

PHOTOs: top: Adam Sisson, Iowa State University, Bugwood.org

he western bean cutworm caught Ontario corn growers off guard in 2016. It’s not that they hadn’t seen it before — this pest has been slowly increasing in population over the past eight years.

But it’s the insect’s ability to overwinter and its strong flying ability as adults that helped it to spread further than ever before, wreaking havoc on corn crops throughout much of the province.

“The western bean cutworm has been moving up from the southwestern U.S. and into Ontario, where it continues to move east,” says Art Schaafsma, a professor of field crop pest management at the University of Guelph. “But it is defying conventional thinking on invasive species because, unlike most non-native pests that come and go each year depending on conditions, this one just keeps on increasing in numbers.”

These cutworms lay eggs on the upper leaves of corn at tasselling time. Scouting for cutworm eggs can take time but, with some experience, they are easy to identify.

Growers need to look for eggs at the

26

FA R M FO R U M .CA / SUMMER 2017

PHOTO: thinkstock

biggest problem, rather it is the DON mycoctoxin that a fusarium infection produces. DON is toxic to human and animal health, making the corn difficult to market.

“The mycotoxin was the big problem in Ontario last year,” says Schaafsma.

“But the fusarium would never have done the damage it did without the cutworms paving the way. The high levels of DON in this province meant corn was refused or down graded at ethanol plants.”

There are two ways that fusarium can get into the ear of the corn. One way is when it gets into the silk as it starts to turn brown — a narrow time span that requires just the right moist, warm weather conditions to happen. The second way is when the fungus gets in after the ear is damaged in some way, as from western bean cutworms.

The Alberta experience In Alberta, fusarium incidence is increasing in corn, but not due to insect damage. Alberta corn growers don’t have to contend with western bean cutworms.

They do, however, have to manage for other diseases.

“In Alberta we don’t have any truly catastrophic diseases in corn,” says Michael Harding, research scientist, plant pathology with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “Most of our damaging disease happens very early — issues like seed rot, root rot and damping off. Those early fungi can cause big problems for an emerging seedling and ultimately the success of that crop.”

Harding says that these issues can generally be managed with careful seedbed preparation. He says an even bed with moist soil will help the corn seed to explode out of the ground before soilborne fungi can take hold. In addition, the majority of corn production in Alberta is in arid areas that are under irrigation, so growers can control the amount of moisture the crop gets if they spot signs of disease after emergence.

While fusarium is prevalent in Alberta corn fields, it’s not a major production concern for growers as the majority of the infections are in the stalk, not the ear, so they rarely accumulate significant DON levels in the ear or grain. That being said, the prevalence of fusarium in Alberta corn has increased from about 49 per cent in 2010, to 69 per cent in 2016. »

FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 201 7

27

production

Practicing good agronomy, such as recommended seeding rates, proper fertility and weed control all help deliver a strong stand and healthy plants that are better able to fight off disease

fertility and weed control all help deliver a strong stand and healthy plants that are better able to fight off disease. While seed treatments are effective, especially for managing seed rot, damping off, seedling blight and root rot, their efficacy is limited to a two- to three-week window, which may not be long enough if spring conditions are cool and emergence is slow.

In season, there are effective fungicides that work well if applied at the silk stage.

In terms of insect management, Ontario growers can seed corn varieties with traits offering resistance to cutworms, and there are several types of insecticides that can kill the cutworms before they hatch. Ideally a tank mix of a fungicide and insecticide will tackle both problems at once for a pest-free corn crop. FF

photo: bayer

“In addition, the 3-ADON type of fusarium graminearum, which produces higher levels of DON, has been increasing in corn as well, from less than 10 per cent in 2015 to 19 per cent in 2016,” says Harding. “This indicates that while fusarium stalk rot and mycotoxin contamination has not been a major issue for Alberta corn producers in the past, the disease and mycotoxins are becoming more prevalent.”

Using disease free seed with high vigour along with good crop rotation, are the best first steps to prevent the development of many corn diseases, including fusarium.

There are also varieties with stronger stalk strength that are better at tolerating stalk rots.

Practicing good agronomy, such as recommended seeding rates, proper

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

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TRUSTED PROTECTION WITH PROLINE Sclerotinia Mythbusters

Costing canola growers an average 10% yield loss, or more depending on the severity of infection, sclerotinia can

wreak havoc on bottom lines. With this much to lose, you can count on the number one brand choice of Know the facts to understand the benefits ofgrowers' proactively protecting your canola canola growers in Canada – Proline® fungicide. More growers use Proline for reliable control of sclerotinia than any other canola fungicide.

Evaluating risk Myth: If last year’s sclerotinia pressure in my region was low, this year’s will be low again.

Reality: No two years are alike and key risk factors can shift quickly. It’s recommended to evaluate disease risk each year and to always have a proactive plan in place.

Make sure to assess your field in the critical time frame prior to flowering, paying specific attention to the moisture and the environment. Consider current conditions, crop rotations and disease history to correctly assess the risk. If an increase in risk is suspected, using a trusted fungicide is an effective part of ensuring protection.

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All fungicide applications outperformed the untreated check under high sclerotinia pressure, but Proline led the way with a 16% yield increase.

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Your results may vary according to agronomic, environmental and pest pressure variables. *High sclerotinia pressure was measured by a susceptible check that was greater than 10% disease incidence.

Planning for protection Myth: Sclerotinia in the area but not on CANOLA BLOOM STAGE GUIDE your farm is not a problem you need to worry about.

OPTIMUM TIME TO SPRAY PROLINE® Reality: Growers are equally exposed to SCOUT YOUR sclerotinia over the longer term. Spores FIELDS TO FIND THIS CROP STAGE move and can infect adjacent fields.

Scouting for conditions that are conducive BCS10741847_ProlineTechsheetUpdate.indd to the disease and planning proactively Proline TechSheet each year are critical.

8.5" x 11" Consider your crop’s potential return on investment as well; if you anticipate strong Bayer then it’s yields that are worth protecting, 10741847 worth the investment to spray. 5-31-2017 10:13 AM 5-31-2017 10:13 AM Henderson, Shane (CAL-MWG)

Optimal timing Myth: Quickly reacting to sclerotinia is better than spraying in advance.

Reality: Remember that once you see sclerotinia in your field, it’s already too late.

Spray between 20 percent and 50 percent bloom to ensure you’re proactively protecting your crop.

Continues on next page »

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

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The goal when applying Proline fungicide is to protect as many canola flower petals as possible, prior to significant petal drop.

The optimum timing is

Dinno.Espiritu based on growing Mark Lovely conditions and can be Noel.Blix anywhere between -20% and 50% bloom.

Heather MacLeod

17

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aking the right steps to protect your canola from the scourge of sclerotinia is critical for a strong crop in 2017.

Sometimes, there are misconceptions when evaluating the risk for sclerotinia as well as when and how to treat this disease. Following is some myth-busting information you need to know:

sclerotinia to be a major concern in every canola field this season.

Note: Results may vary according to agronomic, environmental and pest pressure variables.

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pment

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our best protection against yield-robbing sclerotinia. Its unique mode of action represents a new standard please visit our fungicide ROI Calculator at mize plant health, yield and profitability. Regardless of disease-favourable conditions, be prepared for ncern in every canola field this season.

ic, environmental and pest pressure variables.

visit

Loss potential Myth: Growers should expect about 5 percent yield loss from sclerotinia infections.

Reality: Yield loss from sclerotinia is generally half the infection level. You can use the equation for a quick way to estimate your potential yield loss (see equation, right).

How to quantify your yield loss potential:

MAIN * STEM YIELD To calculate your potential return on investment, INFECTION % RATE our fungicide ROI Calculator at cropscience.bayer.ca/ProlineROI Maximizing fungicide benefits and ROI Myth: You only need to spray when risk is high.

Reality: Degree of risk is unpredictable with sclerotinia. Failing to protect your * YIELD canola, even when only light risk is LOSS suspected, can result is substantial losses.

our yield loss potential:

50 %

POTENTIAL

The key to maximum long-term ROI from a fungicide application is to take advantageRATE of fungicide benefits whenever HALF OF INFECTION risk is apparent, rather than play a costly guessing game.

Consistent management Myth: If you take care of sclerotinia one year, you don’t need to worry about it the next year.

Reality: Success against sclerotinia isn’t a one-season battle. Effective long-term management requires attention every year. To keep on top of the threat, as spray time approaches consider the weather as one of the key indicators of potential infield activity. Another good practice you can apply when spraying is to leave a “test strip” of untreated area for comparison.

This will make it easier to spot dying plant material that indicates the presence of sclerotinia.

50

YIELD LOSS POTENTIAL

YIELD LOSS IS HALF OF INFECTION RATE

*

CALCULATION EXAMPLE FOR 50 bu./ac. YIELD WITH 30% INFECTION RATE:

50 bu./ac. yield

30 infection rate

%

50

*

THE PROLINE AD

%

7.5 bu./ac.

YIELD LOSS POTENTIAL

FOR BEST RESULTS, APPLY PROLINE IN THE 20% TO 50% BLOOM STAGE

• More growers trust their canola with Proline than any other sclerotinia fungicide “The use of a trusted fungicide is the number one option canola growers have for effective sclerotinia protection. It provides peace of mind that no matter how the sclerotinia pressure shifts from year-to-year, you will be protected against the very real threat of severe losses.”

•L

•L e

PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

• Maximizes your canola yield THE PROLINE ADVANTAGE • Powerful prothioconazole reduces sclerotinia • S Tim Gardner, Senior Field Marketing Specialist with Bayer infection –rates and provides growers with •A the satisfaction of knowing that their canola their canola with Proline • Long-lasting protection fl is protected from yield-robbing sclerotinia (s rotinia fungicide • Liquid formulation with one convenient •R • easy-to-use Consistentlyrate provides the best sclerotinia nola yield protection for outstanding yield performance nazole reduces sclerotinia • Single case treats 80 acres provides growers with forBayeruse onthat growers corn, sunflowersregistered are for export outside of Canada, is advising do notmustard, use Proline on those sunflowers. Proline is only re knowing that their canola •**IfAlso ** flax, safflowers and sunflowers eld-robbing sclerotinia (seeVisit label for correct application timing) cropscience.bayer.ca/SclerotiniaMyths to bust additional myths

es the best sclerotinia anding yield performance

on sclerotinia and to read other tips on managing this costly disease.

• Rainfast one hour after application

FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 201 7

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Sowing Seeds of Karma InVigor growers Pay It Forward with charitable donations, as part of a celebration of two decades of InVigor innovation

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ike seeds planted in fertile ground in hopes of a bountiful harvest, donations made on behalf of InVigor® hybrid canola growers are set to produce a legacy of benefits for three deserving charities.

As part of the InVigor Pay It Forward initiative, celebrating the 20th anniversary of InVigor, donations of $20,000 each on behalf of three Prairie growers have been made to the charity of their choice.

Celebrating 20 years of InVigor The Pay It Forward initiative, which included a contest whereby InVigor growers submitted entries about deserving charities or organizations, was designed to acknowledge the last two decades of grower trust and support in driving InVigor innovation.

In the spirit of giving back, the contest builds on the strong relationships forged with InVigor growers by supporting the charities that are important to them.

Grower-directed charitable donations “We couldn’t be more pleased to make these donations on behalf of growers,” says Blaine Woycheshin, Crop Manager for Canola at Bayer. “Part of the concept is the belief that ‘if it’s important to you, it’s important to us’ in recognition of our relationship with growers. The InVigor Pay It Forward initiative is just one small way to say thank you and acknowledge the tremendous support we have received over the years.”

Winners were selected by random draw of eligible entries, with the following growers selected.

Keith and Lisa Vanbeselaere Medora, Manitoba The Vanbeselaeres are among many farm families who have had loved ones touched by cancer.

The charity they have selected for their Pay It Forward donation is the Deloraine Cancer Care Unit, which serves a large area of South Western Manitoba.

Jason and Deanne Olsen Irma, Alberta When the Olsens were looking to start their family, they were supported by the Regional Fertility and Women’s Endocrinology Clinic at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, located in Edmonton, AB. To thank the facility for all its help, the Olsens directed their Pay It Forward donation to the Royal Alexandra Hospital foundation.

Ryan and Amanda Glubis Strongfield, Saskatchewan Glubis and his wife are strong believers in the value of community and recreational facilities as a vital part of the quality of life in rural communities. They selected the Strongfield Rec Board as the recipient of their Pay It Forward donation, to help keep the local hall and rink thriving for current and future generations.

Thank you to all of the growers who have supported InVigor for more than 20 years and who participated in the Pay It Forward contest!

Visit cropscience.bayer.ca/PayItForward to learn more about these InVigor growers and their charities of choice.

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FA R M FO R U M .C A / SUMMER 2017

WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER PRODUCTS

Game Plan for Success: Plan Ahead to Win Disease Battles With high disease pressure anticipated across Western Canada this year, protecting your crop with a fungicide is a must

A

s forecasters point to a high risk of disease pressure for the upcoming growing season, proactively planning for a fungicide application is one of the best things you can do. Regardless of conditions, you can ensure you’re ready to protect your crops and keep on track for strong yield and quality results.

There are a number of valuable fungicide tools to consider and Bayer experts across Canada are available to help you find the best solutions to your biggest challenges.

Expanded risk expected for 2017 The 2016 season proved to be a high disease pressure year due to increased moisture levels in many regions. Those pathogens have now overwintered in the soil, raising the likelihood of more widespread disease pressure in 2017.

fungicide products help to maintain grades, Prosaro fungicide applied at head timing is a standout option to keep your grade potential at its highest level. Prosaro provides the best defence against a broadest spectrum of leaf and head diseases, including unsurpassed protection from fusarium head blight.

When conditions include heavy leaf disease pressure, tried and true Folicur EW fungicide is also an excellent choice. With a wide window of application, Folicur EW provides outstanding protection from leaf and head diseases allowing you the flexibility to spray from flag to head timing in your cereal crops.

Best options for protection Leading options include: Prosaro for cereals. Although all

Proline for canola. The most trusted choice of canola growers for control of sclerotinia is Proline fungicide. This proven option reduces infection rates by up to 80

Capture Big Savings with BayerValue

percent, providing the protection you need for peace of mind.

Delaro® for pulses. No other product has a disease spectrum as wide as Delaro fungicide against all key pulse diseases. It is an excellent option for the first pass as it provides long-lasting protection against all major stem, pod and leaf diseases, including white mould. Trial results show it provides best-in-class disease protection in both dry and wet years to consistently get you the most out of your pulse and soybean crops.

Managing disease A foliar fungicide application is an important tool among a broader spectrum of disease management options, including seed treatment and other integrated pest management practices.

Have you purchased Bayer herbicides for this growing season? Don’t miss the opportunity to flip that investment into savings on your fungicide purchase by tapping into the 2017 BayerValue program. This rebate program allows you to mix and match qualifying purchases to receive savings on quality Bayer fungicides. Get complete details at cropscience.bayer.ca/BayerValue FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 201 7

33

Dynamic Disease Protection for Corn Turning the tide on a host of rising threats

P

roviding a powerful defence for your corn crop is critical for 2017, with heavy disease pressure anticipated including key threats such as gibberella and related DON that are poised to strip away both yield and quality.

The past year was bad for both of these issues in a number of key growing areas.

This has the potential to carry over and amplify the challenge as a new crop year takes hold.

But there is also good news for your crop. While the disease challenges for corn have evolved and strengthened, so

too have the options you have to fight these costly challenges and help put the brakes on further expansion.

Top tools Among the top tools is Proline fungicide, featuring broad-spectrum control of key leaf diseases along with suppression of fusarium and gibberella ear rot. It’s also the only fungicide on the market offering stalk rot suppression.

Adding to the fungicide portfolio of options is Stratego® PRO fungicide, a top tool for effective control against rust, eyespot and Northern corn leaf

blight when applied early, ideally before tasselling begins or at the onset of disease.

Through field testing conducted between 2013 to 2015, Stratego PRO demonstrated strong ROI by effectively controlling labelled diseases under a wide range of disease pressures, delivering an average of 6.2 percent yield increase.

By taking charge and planning for a fungicide application, you can shield your corn crop from the high risk anticipated for 2017 and sleep well knowing you have taken one of the most important steps required to ensure a strong harvest.

See the latest innovations from Bayer

This popular event is back for 2017 and better than ever. Hear from industry experts for practical advice on setting up for success when straight cutting your canola – from seeding through to harvest.

Visit cropscience.bayer.ca/CuttingEdgeExpo for an expo near you. cropscience.bayer.ca 1 888-283-6847 @Bayer4CropsCA #AskBayerCrop Always read and follow label directions. Delaro®, InVigor®, Folicur®, Proline®, Prosaro®, and Stratego® are trademarks of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

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FA R M FO R U M .CA / SUMMER 2017

TOP PHOTO: THINKSTOCK

Cutting Edge Expo

Holding

c i f f a r ui sp to u t

. t h g i s of

Get ready to cause even more gridlock out there. Trust Stratego® PRO fungicide to drive up the quality and yield of your winter wheat, spring cereals, soybeans and corn. While you may not end up too popular on the road, you can count on protecting against devastating diseases including rust, Septoria and white mould… and harvest healthier, higher-yielding crops.

Learn more at cropscience.bayer.ca/StrategoPRO

cropscience.bayer.ca

1 888-283-6847

@Bayer4CropsCA

#AskBayerCrop

Always read and follow label directions. Stratego® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

More than the best products.

Great rewards.

Ask your retail about our program.

Quality meets quantity.

In addition to providing an exceptional yield increase, Prosaro® fungicide protects the high quality of your cereals and helps ensure a better grade.

With two powerful actives, Prosaro provides long-lasting preventative and curative activity, resulting in superior protection against fusarium head blight, effective DON reduction and unmatched leaf disease control.

With Prosaro you’ll never have to settle for second best again.

cropscience.bayer.ca/Prosaro

1 888-283-6847

@Bayer4CropsCA

#AskBayerCrop

Always read and follow label directions. Prosaro® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group.

Bayer CropScience Inc. is a member of CropLife Canada.

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