Issue 03 May 2018
A Spotlight on Products, Promos, Insights and More
Human Resources Doing it right Just like large businesses, small businesses face human resources challenges such as hiring the right team, creating and maintaining a company culture, and complying with ever-changing laws and regulations. Here are a few tips to keep in mind with your Human Resources practices.
Keep Employee Files Organized and Confidential Whether your business has 3 employees or 300,000, it’s important to keep employee files organized and confidential. Items to include in the employee personnel file are: employee’s resume and original job application, salary records, transfers, job evaluations, and any disciplinary actions. Items to include in a separate confidential file are medical records, leave requests, payroll records, and reference checks. Create an Employee Manual
An employee manual explains your company’s policies and procedures, and communicates your expectations to employees. It also helps protect your business in the event of a dispute. It can be very short and concise, as long as it provides clarity so there is no confusion for anyone.
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Lay the Foundation for Being an “Employer of Choice” Being an “Employer of Choice” means that candidates are eager to work for you, people look up to your employees, you receive unsolicited resumes, and your most talented employees stay for
THE RIGHT
CULTURE
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Know, Understand, and Follow all Employment, Workplace Safety and Health, and Human Rights Legislation From the very first day an employee is hired, there are laws and regulations covering payroll, vacation time, employee discrimination and harassment, and termination - just to name a few. There are many online resources; most importantly, your Provincial Government Employment Standards Branch and Workplace Safety and Health. When in doubt, check it out!
CREATING
long periods of time. It signals your company’s brand is top-notch. When your company’s brand value is high, it is much less expensive to recruit and retain key employees. It’s not just reserved for the big dogs. In fact, where small businesses may lack resources, they make up for it by having a unique, tight-knit, “I can make a difference here” culture. Some ways you can build a unique culture is to focus on who you are recruiting and hiring, offering the right benefits, offering challenging and interesting work with opportunity for advancement, and recognizing your employees, even in small ways, on a consistent and timely basis.
Tracy Proutt, CPHR 204-791-9653 gfoffice@shaw.ca www.starhr.org *Univar Network Retailers receive 1 complimentary consultation provided by Univar, rate for future consultations are $75/hour
CONNECTIVITY 2018
Issue 03 May 2018
02
Spring is decision time When time is tight tradeoffs or compromises rarely result in optimum yields. Two of the first decisions we face are the state of winter cereal stands and early-season weed control.
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Winter wheat stand
Keep the stand or start again? Winter wheat stands need to be assessed now for the level of winterkill and stand condition.
Check for root growth and the production of new white roots as the key factor in determining if the crown is alive and viable. •S cout and take a representative sample of plant crowns from across the whole field, as variations in snow cover can mean big differences in stand survival. •K eep the crowns in a warm room with natural light, and keep them moist with soil, potting mix, paper towels, or sawdust. • I f the crowns are healthy they will show new white root growth and new leaf growth within a few days. •B e patient and don’t rush to take out the stand—give it a week or two, as temperatures warm, to better evaluate its recovery.
To burn or not to burn?
Slower than normal weed growth, or even no weed growth, does not necessarily mean no weeds. The soil is full of them and, as growing conditions improve, they will begin to emerge. The time crunch means not every field will get a burn off, and not every field will receive a tank-mix burn off, but more should.
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A pre-seed or pre-emergent burn off will only target any weeds present, so seriously consider a residual component for extended control, as it may carry your control into the in-crop application.
Weed seed on the soil surface waiting to germinate
Prioritize your your Prioritize application application • Which fields are weediest? • Which fields did not receive either a harvest aid or fall application? • Which crops will have the least in-crop weed control options if you miss a burndown? • What can you burndown now to save time on your in-crop spray program later?
CONNECTIVITY 2018
03
Issue 03 May 2018
Double Doubletrouble trouble These notoriously difficult-to-control weeds have different lifecycles and emergence patterns, and can complicate herbicide choices for that field.
Cleavers (Galium aparine)
Cleavers seed pods and whorl of leaves.
This is an aggressive spring annual with the ability to germinate in cooler temperatures. It takes advantage of poorer soils and gaps in the crop stand and grows rapidly, meaning it is often able to get ahead of the crop and cause major yield losses. Resistance to Group 2 (ALS/ AHAS) and Group 9 (glyphosate) products has further complicated control options.
TM ESTEEMTM Your Resistance Management Tool • Control of cleavers, including Group 2-resistant biotypes • Control of kochia, including Group 2 and glyphosate-resistant biotypes • Wide range of tank-mix partners Product information • Crops: Wheat (spring, durum) and barley • Crop Stage: 3-leaf stage to just
Kochia seedling
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A highly-adaptive, creeping, and competitive annual (or winter annual), even in low numbers, cleavers’ different emergence times can complicate in-crop control. As the most rapidly spreading weed in Western Canada, control of cleavers is further complicated by widespread resistance to Group 2 products.
Kochia (Kochia scorparia)
DID YOU KNOW?
• The botanical name for cleavers, Galium, means “milk” in Greek and was chosen for the weed due to its former use in curdling cheese. • In Japan, the seeds of the kochia weed are used for a food garnish called tonburi.
prior to flag emergence • Two rates to choose from depending on weed spectrum
Want to learn more?
Check out ESTEEMTM at ADAMA.com
Discussion of specific pest control methodologies may not be specific to the laws and regulations for your province, territory, or country. Product claims originate from supplier-provided information. Products may not be registered and/or available in all areas. Always check with your local Univar office for specific information to your area. Always read and follow label directions. ©2018. Univar Canada Inc. all rights reserved. Univar, the hexagon, and other identified trademarks are the property of Univar Inc., Univar Canada LTD., or affiliated companies. All other trademarks not owned by Univar that appear are the property of their respective owners; ESTEEMTM is a registered trademark of ADAMA Agricultural Solutions Canada Ltd.
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THE FAST AND THE FLEXIBLE. Get rapid, superior burndown and residual where you need it most.
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With the rising threat of resistant weeds, it’s more important than ever to get your pulses and cereals off to the best start possible. That’s why you’ll appreciate everything Heat® LQ herbicide has to offer. Applied at the low rate, it delivers fast, effective burndown of Group 2and glyphosate-resistant broadleaf weeds. And if residual is what you’re looking for, use the higher rate1 to suppress weeds emerging after application. >> Learn more 1
Residual rate available for barley, canary seed, chickpeas, corn (field, sweet), field peas, tame oats, wheat (spring, winter, durum) and chemfallow. Burndown rate only for lentils and soybeans.
Always read and follow label directions. AgSolutions is a registered trade-mark of BASF Corporation; HEAT, and KIXOR are registered trade-marks of BASF SE; all used with permission by BASF Canada Inc. © 2018 BASF Canada Inc.
CONNECTIVITY 2018
05
Issue 03 May 2018
Field thoughts The 5.3 Rule The moment you finish your herbicide burndown, or the day after seeding, the clock begins to tick towards post-emergent weed control. By keeping the 5.3 Rule in mind, you can balance your scouting schedule and time your applications to get the best results.
Knowing the rate at which wild oats grow and develop means you can plan for your scouting and application timing. Time your scouting to be in the field seven to eight days ahead of when you need to make that application. If you want to target your application at the 3- to 4-leaf stage, you will likely be back in the field 16 to 21 days after the wild oats emerge. If you do an early application to get that first flush, expect to come back at three weeks to catch things in the late 3-leaf to early 5-leaf stage, depending on when the flush emerged.
new course
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The 5.3 Rule is a rough estimate of the number of days a wild oat (Avena fatua) plant takes to add a new leaf. It’s also the schedule you accept if you want to time your scouting and post-emergent control in-crop weed control around wild oats.
Days from Wild Oat Emergence
Leaf Stage
Expected Stage and Tillering
0
0
Not emerged
5.3
1
1-to appearance of 2-leaf
10.6
2
2-to appearance of 3-leaf
15.9
3
3-leaf with first tiller
21.2
4
4-to appearance of 5-leaf + 1 tiller
25.5
5
5-leaf + 1 to 2 tillers
30.8
6
6-leaf + 2 tillers
ProTraining Course Description: Fusarium Head Blight Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a serious fungal disease that can cause both quality and quantity losses in cereal grains in Western Canada. This course looks at: •T he impact of the disease on Canadian wheat production • The low tolerance in the various grades of wheat and barley • How the disease genotypes are shifting to a more detrimental strain, and the possible impact on Western Canadian growers
• The timing and environmental conditions required for a serious epidemic • Best management strategies for a producer or agronomist to mitigate the risks of FHB • Sprayer technology to maximize coverage of a FHB fungicide
© 2018. Univar Canada LTD. All rights reserved. UNIVAR, the hexagon, and other identified trademarks are the property of Univar Inc., Univar Canada LTD, or affiliated companies. Always read and follow label directions. All other trademarks not owned by Univar Inc., Univar Canada LTD or affiliated companies that appear in this material are the property of their respective owners. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails.