Inputs - by Top Crop Manager

In what's already been a tough year due to extreme drought in Western Canada, and excess rain in many parts of Ontario, minimizing losses during harvest is more important than ever. In this episode of Inputs, Lorne Grieger, business development representative at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) shares insights on minimizing harvest through combine adjustments, referencing a recent report completed by PAMI.

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Harvest is a time of short timelines and quick turnarounds at the mercy of the weather and crop readiness. It's hard to find the time to get everything done, let alone sleeping and eating, which can lead to rushed decisions and increased risk.

This episode features Rob Gobeil, agricultural health and safety specialist with the Canadian Agricultural Safety Association. He discusses the factors that increase the risk of accident and injury at harvest time, as well as things farmers can do to protect themselves, their employees and their operation.

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Download a free poster on grain bin safety here.

Using winter wheat in rotation can be beneficial to Ontario producers – besides revitalizing soil and disrupting pest cycles, manure can be applied after winter wheat harvest and before planting a cover crop.

In this episode, Christine Brown, field crop sustainability specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs shares tips for fall manure application after winter wheat, and gives a preview of the North American Manure Expo, held virtually in 2021. Visit manureexpo.ca to learn more about the North American Manure Expo and register for this free virtual event.

Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

You've collected your farm data through the season – but as harvest approaches, how can you ensure you're set up for success? Good data in is good data out, and in this episode, Chapin Bell, Climate Business Manager for FieldView in Manitoba and southern Saskatchewan, breaks down how you can put your data to work at harvest time. Bell shares pre-harvest best practices, like ensuring your apps and equipment are compatible, and tips to understand what your data is telling you.

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We’re well into the growing season at this point. This episode aims to provide an update on how canola and soybeans on the Prairies are handling the challenges of this specific year – namely, the heat and drought conditions.

Top Crop Manager associate editor Alex Barnard speaks with Ian Epp, Saskatchewan agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, and Laura Schmidt, production specialist, west, with Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, for a mid-season update on crop progress, weather effects, and pest pressure and management tips.

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Sponsored by Climate FieldView.

• Seed Manitoba
• Canola Council of Canada (CCC)
• Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers (MPSG)
• Forewarned is forearmed: Soybean cyst nematode in Manitoba

Here’s the good news about wireworms: of the more than 300 species found on the Prairies, only four or five cause trouble for agricultural production. The bad news? This patchy pest can create serious trouble in fields – but also completely ignore neighbouring areas, making it a constant battle to scout and track wireworm populations. Research on wireworm management and thresholds is a little thin on the ground, but current projects and studies seek to change this, giving growers a better idea of when and how to control this insect complex.

In this episode, Haley Catton, field crop entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge, Alta., discusses what makes wireworms such a tricky pest to control. She also provides information on broflanilide – an active ingredient registered last fall with Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) – and pest management tips for growers.

Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Sponsored by Climate FieldView.

Technology has come a long way since its first uses in agriculture, and advancements are continually made. While traditional pen-and-paper tracking methods are still effective, digital tools provide opportunities for collaboration between all involved on the farm, from the key decision-makers to agronomists and consultants, and everyone in between. And, with more and more time spent planning, reviewing and analyzing data, digital tools can make the process easier and more collaborative than ever before.

In this episode of Inputs, Marvin Talsma, product marketing manager (Canada) with Climate FieldView, chats with editorial director Stefanie Croley about the Climate FieldView platform and the different ways to access and use the data it provides.

Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Sponsored by Climate FieldView.

Herbicide resistance: it's a major concern in Canada, with the list of resistant weeds growing. Where it exists, waterhemp is one of the biggest concerns, given its ability to rapidly evolve resistance and current four-way resistant populations.

In this episode, Top Crop Manager associate editor Alex Barnard chats with Peter Sikkema and Kim Brown-Livingston about multiple-resistant waterhemp. Sikkema, professor of weed management at the University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, discusses the spread of multiple-resistant waterhemp in Ontario and how to manage it, chemically and with other tactics. Brown-Livingston, crop specialist, weeds, with Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, emphasizes the importance of preventing further spread of this tier one noxious weed in the province.

 Never miss an episode by subscribing to Inputs on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are a useful tool in preventing crop lodging, but the decision to use a PGR is far more complex than the desired outcome would imply.

In this episode, Top Crop Manager associate editor Alex Barnard chats PGRs with Sheri Strydhorst, agronomy research specialist with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, and Joanna Follings, cereals specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). Strydhorst and Follings discuss PGR use information and tips for the Prairies and Ontario, respectively.

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As soon as conditions are just right, farmers across Canada are antsy to begin their spring seeding. In some parts of the country, #plant21 is already well underway by mid-late April, with other areas getting off to a slower start. No matter what your progress is, this episode of Inputs is packed with tips and reminders from two experts to help you kick off the spring season.

First up is Ben Rosser, the corn specialist at the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs based in Guelph, Ont., who gives a status update on corn planting in Ontario and shares some helpful tips to keep in mind as the season continues. Then, Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension specialist for Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, joins us from Calgary to chat about spring cereals, seeding progress and soil conditions, and some important initiatives underway on the Prairies.

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Show notes:

• FieldCropNews.com
• Prairie Pest Monitoring Network
• Prairie Crop Disease Monitoring Network on Twitter