Ontario Agriculture

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Mike Cowbrough's Blog (2)

I guess nightshade doesn't get frost bite

The sight of nightshade's purplish/black berries in a "food grade" soybean crop is every producer's worst nightmare. They stain the seed and dramatically reduce the value of the crop. In theory, you would kill uncontrolled nightshade prior to harvest with either a herbicide (i.e. Reglone, glyphosate) or mother nature (i.e. a frost), the berries would drop to the ground, never go through the combine and the seed would be left unstained. Unfortunately this is a theory, and reality shows us… Continue

Added by Mike Cowbrough on October 20, 2009 at 7:09am — 3 Comments

Field Bindweed Control in the Fall

Field bindweed is an aggressive perennial weed that reduces crop yield and slows harvesting speed especially in soybeans and cereals. Eradication is impossible, but minimizing its impact in field crops is possible with a management strategy that includes a fall application of glyphosate at 1.5 L/ac (360 g/L concentration). The photo below was taken in late May of 2004 and compares field bindweed populations in the untreated… Continue

Added by Mike Cowbrough on October 1, 2009 at 10:20am — 3 Comments

Agriculture Headlines from Farms.com Canada East News - click on title for full story

Meat Institute Pushes Back on Trump Processing Plan

President Trump has announced plans to allow farmers and ranchers to process their own meat as part of an effort to address concerns about concentration in the meatpacking sector.

AgriStability Deadline Extended to Oct. 1 for Alberta Producers

Alberta producers affected by excessive moisture this growing season have more time to enrol in AgriStability, while those already eligible for interim payments will be able to access a larger share of their estimated benefit sooner. According to the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation (AFSC), the Alberta and federal governments have opened late participation in the 2026 AgriStability program until Oct. 1 in response to wet conditions that have affected many farms since the original April 30 enrolment deadline. The interim payment rate for 2026 has also been increased to 75% of the estimated final AgriStability payment, up from 50%. AFSC said the change is intended to improve cash flow for producers facing financial pressure during a difficult growing season. AFSC CEO Darryl Kay said record moisture levels have left some producers unable to access fields or complete essential farm work, creating significant uncertainty and financial stress. “AgriStability is designed to

Map: August Weather Drier for Much of Western Canada

Western Canada saw a sharply uneven precipitation pattern over the 30 days ending Wednesday, with the driest conditions concentrated across Saskatchewan and parts of southern Alberta and Manitoba. As can be seen on the map below, large portions of southern and central Saskatchewan received less than 40% of normal precipitation during the period, with another broad area receiving just 40% to 60%. Much of southern Manitoba was also drier than normal, although some pockets received above-average rainfall. Alberta precipitation was variable. The pattern reflects a growing season finish that has been considerably drier across parts of the Prairies, particularly Saskatchewan, following wetter conditions earlier in the summer. In Saskatchewan, the lack of late-season rainfall likely accelerated crop maturation and helped fields dry down as harvest approached, although it may also have limited final yield potential for later-developing crops in the driest areas. In Alberta, comparatively

Saskatchewan Harvest Still Lagging Average Pace

The Saskatchewan harvest accelerated this past week but remains behind the previous year and well back of average. Thursday's weekly crop report showed the provincewide harvest at 11% complete as of Monday. That compares to 4% a week earlier, and the five- and 10-year averages of 25% and 21%. Last year at this time, 12% of the crop was in the bin. Harvest progress varied widely by region. The Southwest was furthest along at 27% complete, followed by the Southeast at 11% and West-central region at 8%. East-central Saskatchewan was 5% harvested, while the Northeast and Northwest were each just 1% complete. Warm daytime temperatures and cooler evenings helped crops mature across much of the province, while generally dry conditions supported fieldwork. However, rainfall, strong winds and periods of high humidity slowed operations in some areas. Later-seeded crops are now beginning to turn, with harvesting expected to expand soon, the report added.. Producers continued to focus o

Sclerotinia Fungicide Sensitivity Survey

Manitoba Canola Growers along with SaskOilseeds, Alberta Canola, Canola Council of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) are currently funding research projects that evaluate sclerotinia for sensitivity to fungicides with different modes of action. Sclerotinia with levels of insensitivity and immunity to common modes of action, have already been identified in Manitoba through this project. With favorable conditions across the province in 2026 we need samples from across the province to understand how widespread this problem is and provide farmers with recommendations for fungicide stewardship and efficacy. You will receive fungicide test results from the samples you have submitted. Combined results with samples from across Manitoba and the other provinces will be shared publicly at the RM level. All other field information will be handled confidentially. Sampling and Submission Instructions From a single canola field collect 1-10 sclerotia from infected stems at crop ma

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