Issue 06 Fall 2018
A Spotlight on Products, Promos, Insights and More
Maximizing yield vs. optimizing yield Getting Yourself the Biggest Piece of the Pie We have all heard about the exciting contests that give top honors along with bragging rights to the producer who can maximize crop yield -- or in other words, produce the most bushels per acre of a crop. A goal of maximizing crop yields assumes there is a greater potential in total returns for the produce r… but that may not be the reality of the situatio n. Maximizing yield means there is a bigger pie, but it does not account for additio na l crop input costs require d to produce that increased yield. Adding inputs to increase a cosmetic crop response may add biomass, but the costs do not guarantee that it is going to provid e an increa se d dollar return to the produce r.
Some practices like reducing tractor speed when seeding canola may have a minimal cost but provide significant improvement to crop establishm ent and higher yields. Applying best management practice s is not without costs but it optimizes crop yield to provid e a larger share of the leftovers; or more dollars in the je ans of produce rs. Currently, there are no official contests for optimizing yields in Western Canada; however, at the end of the day, there is a more valuable prize for optimizing crop yields which no contest can rival. That prize is the increased profit for the producer and the sustainability in the business of farming, long term.
Crop inputs are investm e nts that are expecte d to provide an increm e ntal return above the actual cost of the product. This investment may cost 'x' amount but can provide yield increases of 2x or 3x. Producers spend the money to gain incrementa l yield productio n, but a contest based on maximizing yield can lead the use of crop inputs which gives a declining return on a producer’s investme nt. It can also lead to incurring a cost of a crop input in hopes of winning the yield competitio n, but does not provide a return on the investment and becomes a true cost. Maximizing yield contests might provide honor and recognition amongst peers, but
When it comes to protect i ng your Nitroge n against
leachi n g, dentrifi c ati o n and volatil i z ati o n.... it’s your battle to win.
it m ay not be sustainable for the long term. So how can produce rs get a bigger share of the leftover pie or “profits?” The applicatio n of best managed practice s to optimize yield makes more sense as a real goal for crop produce rs. Best managed practices may incur added costs, but often double or triple a producer’s return on the initial investment. Take the use of a pre-burn application prior to seeding example. Early weed control reduces competition during the critical weed-free period of the crop -- increa sing overall crop yield -- and it may save on a second in-crop herbicide. This can be a double return on an investme nt (ROI).
By applyi n g NEO N Su r fa ce to urea for fall broadc ast i ng or bandi ng you are protecti ng your investm e nt from volatiliz at i on, denitrifi c ati on & leachi ng with Penxc el technology and thebalanced formulation of 17% NBPT & 25% DCD.
For more in format ion
call u s
1.800.234.5678 or g o on lin e
nexusag.com
CON N ECTI VI TY 2 0 1 8
Issue 06 Fall 2018
Safe and secure pesticide storage Winter pesticide storage
Ending the year with unused pesticides, and the need to store them, is common. Ideally, you’d return excess product to the dealer but, if that’s not an option, sending it to a collection point for unused pesticides, like Clean Farms, may be the best solution. Older or discontinued products, including those that are unusable due to settling, crystallization, or separation, should also be sent.
Before putting any products into winter storage on your property,
Always refer to the product label for specific storage recommendations.
you’ll need to ensure that it’s safe and doesn’t pose a hazard to people, livesto ck, pets or the environm e nt.
Ensure that the packaging is intact, lids and caps are in place, and there are no signs of leakage. Also make sure each package is correctly labelled, so you’re not left wondering what it is next year. Despite all best efforts, spills and accidents can happen. Keep a record or invento ry of the storag e contents and have perso na l protective equipment (PPE) on hand outside of the storage space in the event of a spill.
Engage in the resistance management conversation. Visit ManageResistanceNow.ca and follow @protectyourland
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CON N ECTI VI TY 2 0 1 8
Issue 05 July/August 2018
03
NexusAg
™
GET IN THE FIELD FIRST THIS FALL!
• Apply Fall NH3 early with the peace of mind that nitrogen will be there when your crop needs it in the spring • Nitrogen is a valuable and vital part of your 2019 yield goals, protect it against leaching and denitrification • Protect and store your NH3 in the ground • Insure that your crop has access to nitrogen next growing season and increase your yield potential • New Formulation with 34% DCD • Non-corrosive & non-staining formulation for NH3 components • Rate of 14L/MT of NH3 • Valuable protection for under $12.00 per acre Contact your local retail for more information and get started early this NH3 fall season.
©Univar Canada LTD. All rights reserved. UNIVAR. the hexagon, and other identified tradem arks are the property of Univar Inc., Univar Canada LTD, or affiliated companies. Always read and follow label directions. All other tradem arks not owned by Univar Inc., Univar Canada LTD or affiliated com panies that appear in this m aterial are the property of their respective owners.
Issue 06 Fall 2018
04
Ask Ms. Ag Expert Question: There w ere heavy pressures offlea beetles this spring and I saw flea beetle pressure again when I scouted the canola for harvest. Why were there so many flea beetles going into harvest?
The flea beetles that you sawin the spring began to lay eggs in late May throug h June and then died, leaving their eggs behind. The eggs hatch within 12 days, become tiny larvae, and then become pupae. By late July through to October, adult flea beetles emerged and could easily be found congregating on canola crops, which is a commo n food source for these beetles. Fortunate ly , their feeding does not cause yield losses at this late timing. It may be a good idea to note the size of the general flea beetle populatio n in the fall, as these will be the adults that threate n
flea beetles have only one genera tio n per year, the adults that cause the damage to canola next spring are the flea beetles you are noticing in your preharv e st scouting this year. There are three commo n specie s: The Crucife r (most prevalent species), Hop Flea Beetle (a less common native pest) and the striped flea beetle. The different species of flea beetles will emerge at different times in the spring depend ing on temperature s. The first to appear is the hop flea beetle, followe d by the stripe d flea beetle. The crucif e r flea beetle will be the last to emerge in the spring.
vulnerable canola crops the following spring. While
n ew course
ProTraining Course Description: Nitrogen Stabilizers
Nitrogen fertilizer is a large investment producers make to grow a crop. There is a risk of losing a portion of this nitrogen fertilizer
of the different nitrogen stabilizers’ active ingredients being used in Canada today. Such as: Slow release products, Nitrification and Urease
investment when the plant-available nitrogen transforms into forms the crop cannot use. This course will explain the potential losses of
inhibitor are some of the common products available in/on the market today. The course will review the economic impact of using a nitrogen
nitrogen fertilizer through volatilization, leaching, and denitrification and identify the conditions that are high risk for each. You will learn
stabilizer and provide tips on how to choose an effective nitrogen stabilizer for the farm operation.
Issue 06 Fall 2018
05
Field Thoughts What do doughnuts have to do with pest control? Well, the simple answer is “nothing”– but the more complicated answer is “maybe everything”. For over 30 years we have been talking about pest resista nce and many feel the message has been passing through the “hole of the doughnut”. We haven’t had the impact or tractio n that all the extension, marketing, and communications should have had. As such, we face a huge and growing problem with resistance today. Maybe we have been guilty of focusing too much on resistance and not enough on the normal decision process, with growers too focused on the short term and marketers too focused on long term. Now bear with me on this: Think of it as “clean crop, clean field”. That’s sound s simple enough, but what does it mean? Growers look at having a clean crop free of weeds, insects, and diseases to optimize their yield. These are the short term or annual decisions growers make several times a year – from selecting a disease-resistant variety to selecting a product to spray. These are the decisions that pay the bills for that year and make things work. They are normal decisions; they take you from the seed bag to the bin, and there is nothing wrong with that. "Clean-Field ”, however, is a long-term way of thinking to make the Agronomic decisions work over time. So, are you eliminating weed patche s; are you reducing the size of the weed seed bank in a
opportunity ? Agronomists make “clean field” decisions part of the “cle an crop” decision whenever possible. Are we suffering from decision fatigue with so much happening in a growing season? Maybe the doughnut “hole” must be filled in and the doughnut made “whole again” with a simple shift to a two-step decision process. What do we need to do today, and does it fit with tomorro w ’s plan? Making better decisio ns today could have long-term payoffs tomorrow.
field; are you mixing modes of action to delay resista nce and using multiple modes of action fungicide s; are you doing cultural and rotatio na l practice s; do you tank mix when you get the
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