TRACK DOWN CORN DISEASES EARLY
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BAYER CROPSCIENCE Supporting Canadian Farm Families Summer 2014 · $5
What’s HAPPENING WITH BEES?
The answer is complicated A Farm Forum Special Feature TECHNOLOGY Let your trait flags fly
BUSINESS
New InVigor cuts pod shatter and yield risk
PRODUCTION
Top winter wheat yields from down under
FARM LIFE
OYF alumni share sage advice
From flag to head. Who says you can’t be in two places at once? With the wide window and flexible rate options of Folicur® EW fungicide, it means you simply have more time to work with. Folicur continues to provide exceptional value for cereal growers who want longlasting protection from a broad spectrum of diseases, including fusarium head blight and the most dangerous leaf diseases.
BayerCropScience.ca/Folicur or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Folicur® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
C-50-05/14-10208533-E
Publisher Bayer CropScience Editor Sherry Warner Associate Editor Dave Wreford
Volume 28 / Issue 2 / Summer 2014
C OV E R S T O RY
Contributors Jennifer Barber, David Drexler, Dianne Finstad, Joy Gregory, Jeff Melchior, Gerald Pilger and Genesis Studio Design/Production Farm Business Communications Farm Forum is published seasonally by Bayer CropScience. Contact Farm Forum at: Bayer CropScience Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3 T. 1 888-283-6847 F. 1 888-570-9378 E. farmforum@bayer.com www.bayercropscience.ca
WHAT’S HAPPENING WITH BEES?
Contents of this publication are copyrighted and may be reproduced only with written permission of the publisher, Bayer CropScience.
Publications Mail Agreement Number 40743517 Registered in Canada Copyright 2014 Website www.farmforum.ca Return undeliverable copies to: Bayer CropScience Suite 200 160 Quarry Park Blvd SE Calgary, AB, T2C 3G3
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The views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher.
The answer is complicated SPECIAL FEATURE: PAGES 9 - 20
PRODUCTION
Top winter wheat yields from the bottom of the earth
BUSINESS
6
New InVigor hybrid cuts pod shatter and yield risk
T E C H N O L O GY
22
Let your trait flags fly
32 4
Editor's Note: usable solutions to today's farming challenges On the cover Kevin Nixon of Nixon Honey, near Innisfail, AB, shares his views on the complicated issue of bee losses in our special feature beginning on page 9.
Track down corn diseases early: scout fields early and often
26
Augers go super-sized: critical piece of equipment matches capacity of today's farm
28
OYF alumni share sage advice on success: great ideas that helped each succeed
34
Let crop reach full potential by targeting head timing
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FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2014
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S H O R T TA K E S
Bayer cares about bees
Bayer understands the necessity for healthy bees as pollinators and their critical role to agriculture, and has committed to working with scientists, beekeepers and growers to create new approaches and solutions to benefit bee health and the global food supply. To that end, Bayer opened its Bee Care Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina in April 2014. This 6,000 sq. ft. state-of-the-art research and extension facility includes lab, office and demonstration space devoted entirely to understanding and improving the health of honey-bee colonies. It is staffed by beekeepers, bee researchers, grad students and other professionals dedicated to providing solutions to the challenges that beekeepers face on a daily basis. And it will be a source of information to actively promote bee-responsible use of Bayer products.
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Editor’s note Bees are an integral part of our global food supply. Nearly one-third of all agronomic crops produced globally depend to some extent on insect pollinators. So we’ve produced a special section in this issue of Farm Forum to examine concerns over the many factors affecting bee health. In Canada, and around the world, scientists as well as thousands of beekeepers are looking for answers. One thing most agree on is that no single cause can be blamed for bee losses. There are several culprits. Starting on page 9, we have a look at some of the major problems affecting bees and some possible solutions. Other stories you’ll find in this issue cover a new InVigor canola hybrid that’s less prone to pod shatter, a simple low-cost technology that helps applicators direct herbicides at their intended target and nowhere else, farming down under, how to minimize losses to corn disease, and practical advice from Outstanding Young Farmers’ program alumni. One major challenge for canola growers is harvest management — minimizing seed losses and yield risk. Bayer’s new InVigor L140P significantly reduces pod shatter and pod drop, and provides the option to swath later or straight cut. Turn to page 22 for the whole story. A new crop protection practice introduced in 2011 to Arkansas farmers is a simple, inexpensive way to reduce crop damage from misapplication of herbicides, off-target spraying and herbicide drift onto sensitive crops. It’s called Flag the Technology and it’s really catching on in the U.S. and now in Canada. Who could have guessed that New Zealand would be home to the Guinness Book of World Records holder for the highest yielding winter wheat crop? Mike Solari, who farms 370 acres in the country’s far south reveals how he achieved his record-setting yield. When it comes to corn diseases, it’s important to identify them early to minimize losses. There’s no better way to do that than by regular scouting. Turn to page 26 to find out more. Rounding out the issue is our Farm Life feature. Past winners of the Outstanding Young Farmers’ program dish up the one piece of advice that’s helped them succeed in their farm operations. — Sherry Warner
FARM FORUM / SUMMER 2014
PROSARO PROSARO
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. For more information, please visit BayerCropScience.ca/Prosaro
BayerCropScience.ca/Prosaro or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Prosaro® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
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PRODUCTION
TOP WINTER WHEAT YIELDS FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE EARTH
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By Jennifer Barber
hen we think New Zealand, that small island country about 4,000 km south east of Australia, we mostly picture its diverse, beautiful landscape of mountains, beaches, lakes and raging rivers. Who would guess that New Zealand is also home to the Guinness Book of World Records holder for the highest yielding winter wheat crop? Together with his wife Margaret, Mike Solari crops 370 acres in the far south of the country. His farm is on deep, heavy river silt soil and, unlike much of New Zealand’s cropland, it’s not irrigated. But regular, timely rains along with fairly reliable in-season sun allow for an extended grain-fill period. Solari first earned the Guinness Book of World Records top spot for wheat yield in 2007 and then again in 2010. His most recent record of 232.5 bu./ac. still stands. But his standard yield ranges anywhere from 188 to 211 bu./ac. So how does New Zealand winter
wheat have such a spectacular yield advantage over its Canadian counterpart? “What you in Canada call winter wheat, we refer to as autumn wheat or slow-developing wheat,” says Graeme Jones, arable business manager with PGG Wrightson Seeds, and the agronomist who helped Solari achieve his record yields. “For this area of the world, yields close to 180 to 200 bushels per acre are the norm, not the exception.” Winter in Solari’s region of New Zealand is akin to an endless fall in Canada, meaning short days and cool temperatures minus the threat of severe frost and snow. While many of his agronomic practices could not be replicated in Canada, his message is all about good crop management and making your growing conditions work for the crop. The long season is just one of the reasons growers on the other side of the world can achieve yields more than »
New Zealand producer, Mike Solari (middle) and agronomists from PGG Wrightson Seeds, check out his prize winter wheat crop.
FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2014
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four times greater than Canadian prairie growers usually expect. “In general our growing season lets the plant reach its full potential,” says Jones. “Variety selection is important and we usually use cultivars from the U.K. that are slow-developing. We trial them in our region first and then we put them into production once we have a good idea how they’ll perform here.” These cultivars, however, are not suitable for Canada’s long, cold, snowy winters. “Our milder winters also make a big difference to the kind of yield we get,” says Jones. “Our winter wheat rarely goes completely dormant. It continues to develop very slowly throughout the winter. It might stop growing briefly, but more often than not it continues to grow.” Jones says when Solari decided to make high yields a priority, he was achieving only about 100 bu./ac. But through several years of trial, they found a recipe for consistently high yields. Solari’s strategy actually begins with his nine-year rotation. He starts with two years of pasturing to sheep to “reset” the soil. Next comes winter wheat, then spring barley, peas, winter wheat, canola, winter wheat, winter barley and then back to pasturing. He targets a record on the second seeding to winter wheat, but usually gets his highest yield on the third seeding to the crop. “He makes sure his fields are as weedfree as possible going into a winter wheat rotation, and to keep his soil as clean as he can, he never seeds wheat to wheat,” says Jones. “He (guards against) compaction and takes a good measure of his base fertility. Then it’s all about timing — accurate drilling, timely fertilizer and fungicides.” New Zealand growers seed their winter wheat in late March or early April, which is halfway through fall in the Southern Hemisphere. Growers going after top yields aim for earlier fall seeding to achieve one to two tillers before growth slows dramatically. But the crop can gain another one or two tillers over the winter months. “If it comes out of the winter with good above- and below-ground development it can take off quite quickly,” says Jones. “The critical part of our management happens right at the beginning of spring, when we want to capture that growth potential so we have a solid root system to take up nutrients.” Depending on soil test results, winter
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“While testing is important, growers know that when you sow early, wheat will tell you what nutrients it needs” – Graeme Jones Arable Business Manager, PGG Wrightson Seeds
wheat growers usually put the seed down with a small amount of nitrogen, as well as phosphate and, in some cases, sulfur. A second fertilizer application is usually done following another soil test down to 60 cm below ground. “While testing is important, growers know that when you sow early, wheat will tell you what nutrients it needs,” says Jones. “You need to get out and walk the paddocks. If it’s growing well, you know it has enough nitrogen so you just need to decide how best to top up your nutrients to maintain growth until the grain has filled.” Winter wheat growers in New Zealand, including Solari, continue to apply nitrogen through to the flag leaf stage. Their goal is to manage canopy biomass up until flag leaf. “We generally apply two-thirds of the nutrients up until flag leaf, and then the final third at early ear emergence, keeping the crop growing until the grain has filled.” The disease profile for winter wheat
in New Zealand is very similar to that of the Canadian prairies. Septoria, rusts and fusarium head blight are all issues each spring. “We are pretty heavy-handed with fungicides as we know what these diseases do to yield,” says Jones. “We try to keep the top three leaves as clean as possible to make sure we retain maximum green leaf area for optimal yield response.” This year, Solari experimented with a higher seeding rate, aiming for close to 150 plants per square metre, an increase over his normal 100 to 120 plants per square metre. “Targeting high yields makes Mike more profitable,” says Jones. “He learns from the year before and gets better at growing every year. If the weather is cooperating and the crop looks good in its later stages, we think about trying for a world record. But that is an added bonus, not the goal of good crop management. Mike’s goal is for a high-yielding, highquality, profitable crop.”FF
Bee Health A Farm Forum Special Feature
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Bee Health
What’s happening with
bees? The answer is complicated STORIES By David Drexler
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photo: bayer cropscience, Gialamidis
F
ive years ago, if you brought up the subject of bees with farmers, you’d likely get a shrug and a comment like: “They sting, don’t they?” Not anymore. These days you seldom read a farming magazine or newspaper without seeing something about bees. Bees are important. Some of our staple foods and most of our vegetables, fruits and nuts need to be cross-pollinated — the flower’s pollen grains moved from one plant to another — to produce what we eat. Bees do that. In the process of collecting pollen and nectar from flowers — their main sources of nutrition and energy — bees shift pollen to where it needs to be. And it’s not only food plants that benefit from bees, but also many trees, wild flowers and garden flowers.
When it comes to bees, one usually thinks about honey-bees or maybe bumble bees, but there are more than 800 types of bees flying around in Canada, and they all contribute to pollination, along with thousands of different kinds of flies, beetles, butterflies and other insects that feed on pollen and nectar. But honey-bees are the pollination workhorses of agriculture, because they can be managed and moved to meet the pollination needs of many crops. In recent years, beekeepers have been concerned that their bees are not doing well. In Canada, the health of a hive can be negatively impacted after a long wintering period. If bees go into the fall healthy, chances are better that they’ll emerge in the spring the same way. But if bees go into the winter break unhealthy, it can be a very different story. Annual statistics as measured in the spring show that more hives are suffering following the overwintering period. Most beekeepers acknowledge normal losses of 10 to 15 per cent of their hives following the winter season, but lately it’s been anywhere from 20 to 30 per cent — double what they’re used to. So how do we improve bee health?
photos: inset - Stephen Ausmus, USDA Agricultural Research Service, Bugwood.org, Bottom: ©thinkstock
Left: A Varroa mite on a worker bee's thorax. Below: Scientists from around the world agree that there is no single problem causing bee losses.
Lots of people are looking for answers. In Canada, it’s dozens of bee researchers and every one of our 7,000 or so beekeepers, and it’s the same story around much of the world. In the U.S., Europe and Russia, scientists and beekeepers are puzzling over high bee losses every year. Have they found a smoking gun? No. If there’s one thing that almost every scientist around the world agrees on, it’s that no single problem is causing bee losses; there are, in fact, many. They may debate about which of these stressors are the toughest on bees, but there is no clear main problem. Keeping bees today is not as easy as it was 50 years ago. In those days, bees pretty much kept themselves and you couldn’t go into the woods on a hot afternoon without worrying about being stung by a wild bee. Today, bees need full-time keepers, and bees that escape their hives and move to the forest almost always fail to form healthy self-sustaining colonies on their own. What’s changed? Well, quite a lot. Some of the biggest challenges that beekeepers face today didn’t even exist prior to the 1980s, and others are more unpredictable. For example, two problems that cause the most headaches for Canadian beekeepers today are Varroa mites and Nosema disease; neither was a problem until recently. »
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What's Happening with Bees? Varroa mites are parasitic pests that latch onto bees, bite through their skin and feed — a cross between a mosquito and a vampire — and are so large that you can easily see them on bees with the naked eye. They came to Canada in the late 1980s even though the government, in response to beekeepers pleas to keep Varroa out, closed the U.S. border, preventing bee movement back and forth for the first time ever. Nosema, a kind of a fungal disease, causes dysentery within the colony and in severe cases may make bees unable to fly. When a hive is infected, you can see evidence of visible stripes on the outside as the bees struggle to control their own digestive systems. Serious infections of either Varroa or Nosema are capable of killing hives, and most hives have one or the other or both. Weather, identified by beekeepers as another major factor in bee deaths, is becoming less and less predictable as climate stability continues to change around the globe. Adverse weather conditions in the spring, for example, can cause significant difficulties for bees, which must get going early in the season as they come out of winter survival and start the normal processes of food gathering for egg laying and perpetuation of the hive. Agriculture has changed significantly in the past 50 years as well. This is a critical adaptation for bees, since, by their very nature, they live in partnership with farming. What used to be a countryside filled with many different crops and plants that offer nutritional forage for bees — has become a short cycle of cereals and oilseeds in the west, and corn and soybeans in the east. Not much there for bees to eat, with the exception of canola, and beekeepers in the west are mighty glad it’s become as important a crop as it has. Pesticides can also be an issue with bees if they are exposed to products that are toxic to them. Recent discussions about neonicotinoid insecticides (those applied to corn, soybean and canola seed) have placed them at the centre of controversy, although most bee researchers agree that there are a number of complex issues affecting bee health. In fact, large scale studies in Europe and North America show that poor bee health correlates well with the presence of Varroa mite and bee diseases, but not with agrochemicals, including neonictinoids. A number of other factors can impact bees; for example; management techniques and experience, queen bees that don’t or can’t perform and a long list of diseases that can hit a hive. But, as in farming there are many things beekeepers can’t control so they understand the need to concentrate on those they can do something about. (See sidebar: A beekeeper’s perspective) As a crop producer, here are some simple things you can do to make life easier for your neighbourhood bees and beekeepers:
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A typical commercial hive has about
50,000 BEES in the middle
• Get to know beekeepers whose of summer bees forage on your fields. Normally, there’s an arrangement made if bees are going to be put on your land, or close to it. If you know who the owners are, any kind of problem, from a bee sting to a sprayed hive can be more easily discussed. (An app, called DriftWatch™, is being built and will be introduced this year.) A commercial hive typically has about 50,000 bees in the middle of the summer and they will fly several kilometres for a good meal. • Be aware of wind direction and speed when you’re planting treated seed or spraying crops — both dust and errant spray can cause problems. Leave a sprayer-width buffer if you have any concerns. • When planting seeds treated with insecticide, don’t shake all the dust out of the bottom of the bag and be careful where and how you dispose of those bags. • Bees forage outside the protection of the hive typically from between 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. to between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m., depending on weather and time of year. Any field activities outside that window generally will have a limited impact on bees. Everyone seems to be concerned about bees and their health these days, with good reason. Anything that the agricultural community can do to help will be greatly appreciated. David Drexler has had a 30-year career in the agricultural industry helping growers solve their pest problems. After graduating in 1982 from the University of Guelph with a M.Sc. in Plant Physiology, he worked for a number of international firms including Hoechst, AgrEvo, Aventis CropScience and Bayer CropScience, in Canada as well as France and Germany. David held senior positions with those organizations, primarily in the area of research and development, but has worked on a global basis in marketing and project development. For the past 10 years, his focus has been on the interactions between agriculture and apiculture (bee-keeping), their dependence upon one another, and the challenges both are facing. David is now consulting privately on these issues.
photo: bayer cropscience, Julia Hinkel
Bee Health
A
beekeeper’s perspective Kevin Nixon is the president of Nixon Honey, a honey and pollination operation just east of Innisfail, AB.
PHOTOs: GENESIS STUDIO
Kevin and his family have been keeping bees in central Alberta for years. They have 7,000-plus hives, and are into their second generation of business. They encounter lots of challenges but, for their operation, the three biggest are Varroa mites, nutrition and weather. Nixon, who runs the operation with his father and brother, says that virtually all their hives are touched by Varroa at some time during the season. Âť
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Bee Health
A Beekeeper’s Perspective
Beekeeping by the Numbers
2012 Production Statistics
Number of Beekeepers1
Number of Colonies1
Total Honey Production2
Prince Edward Island
46
3,719
184
551
Nova Scotia
244
24,000
250
752
New Brunswick
244
5,650
199
746
Quebec
271
42,500
3,306
10,500
Ontario
3,100
101,000
8,277
26,487
Manitoba
517
80,000
13,200
21,384
Saskatchewan
765
125,000
23,125
38,156
Alberta
800
282,000
40,520
65,938
British Columbia
2,139
42,560
1,817
8,190
Canada2
8,126
706,429
90,878
172,704
Province
Pounds (000)
Value of Honey3 CAD$ (000)
Source: Statistics Canada. Newfoundland and Labrador is excluded since the province has no honey production to report. 1. Numbers may include pollinators that may not extract honey. 2. Production excludes inventory. 3. Value excludes inventory sales except for in Quebec.
Their struggle is to keep Varroa numbers down below critical levels in each of their more than 7,000 hives at all times. They use a combination of methods to do this, some cultural, others chemical. But even their best efforts are only about 95 per cent successful, with the holdout five per cent representing the strongest infestations. Resistance management to chemical mite controls is a critical issue and the Nixons are down to their last tool in the box. Kevin says that unless beekeepers find something new that works soon, they’ll be in big trouble. They’ve already lost a couple of miticides to resistance in the past 10 years and there’s little new on the horizon. Nutrition is another huge challenge and, unlike Varroa mites, it’s a bee management factor that the Nixons have less control over since the most important contributor to honeybee nutrition is the pollen and nectar that worker bees forage and bring back to the hive. Nixon says the problem these days is that everyone is trying to maximize profitability, which, in agriculture, means less out-of-production acreage, thinner hedgerows and fence lines — places where bees would traditionally get a good meal. Left, clockwise from top: Nixon Honey staff applying hive treatment; empty bee box blamed on winter mortality; scraping wax off dead boxes; workers cleaning and scraping hive boxes; and worker carrying dead hive.
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Barrels of Nixon Honey, part of 2013 production.
When their bees need to be fed early in the spring or late in the fall when there’s insufficient natural forage available, the Nixons give them a combination of sugar solution and commercial pollen patties. If bees don’t get good quality nutrition, winter survival can be compromised. Kevin says that, just like us, balanced and sufficient nutrition is needed to keep bees’ immune systems working well, which, in turn, helps ward off attacks from parasites and diseases. The least controllable variable in Nixon’s operation is, of course, the weather. “Winter bees”, those that stay alive in a hive over the winter months, are “programmed” to live for about five months, then slowly begin the foraging and egg laying that will sustain the hive. When winter stretches to five-and-a-half or six months, like it did in 2013, then the number of old bees dying can’t be replaced quickly enough by new bees hatching, and the colony dwindles. Beekeepers actually call it “spring dwindle”, and Nixon says it’s responsible for two-thirds of bee deaths in Alberta in 2013. But it’s not just a late spring or a brutal winter where weather can weaken a bee operation. Last July was cool and wet in Alberta, and when bees should have been out
enjoying a fine canola crop, they simply couldn’t fly. The wet July also pushed the hay cut late into the fall, when it was too late for bees to take advantage of it, and a normal winter preparation just wasn’t there for them. Nixon Honey needs to stay in operation for at least another 20 years before the next Nixon generation can take over. It’ll be a struggle, but they’re optimistic. So far this spring, the bees look fine and appear to have come out of the winter happy and healthy. •
The crew at Nixon Honey, near Innisfail, AB.
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Bee Health
Bees are critical to
global food supply Pollination is the transfer of pollen from the male parts of flowers to the female parts so that fertilization occurs and a seed is born. But not all flowers are the same. In some plant or crop types, male and female parts are positioned together inside the same flower. In others, separate male and female flowers require pollen to be moved to a completely different plant for seed to be created. And in some cases, it’s somewhere in the middle. But when pollen needs to be moved from one flower to another, or from one plant to a different one, bees can be extremely useful if not critical. Around 800 different kinds of bees are found in Canada and almost all of them pollinate. Dozens of crops are grown here and most need to be pollinated to produce what we eat or feed to our animals. But how many of these crops need to be pollinated by bees? And, of the foods we eat, which require pollination by bees and which don’t? Interestingly, the world’s top five food/feed crops — rice, wheat, soybeans, corn and potatoes — don’t need insects to
pollinate them. They either fertilize themselves, or their pollen is light enough to be carried on the wind to neighbouring plants. Of the next five most important world staples, only cassava and sweet potato flowers are visited by bees and other insects, however the plants are propagated by root or shoot cuttings, so it’s not critical. However, besides meat, the rest of our diet is not, and should not, be restricted to the starch and protein that these staple foods provide. Much of our nutrition comes from fruits and vegetables, and the vast majority of those are pollinated by bees. In fact, many of them need insects to pollinate them, or they simply won’t produce edible foods. The FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) has estimated that of the slightly more than 100 global crop species that provide 90 per cent of food supplies for 146 of the world’s countries, 71 are bee-pollinated (mainly by wild bees). That is a significant number and a good reason to do everything we can to protect bees. •
Bee Colonies & Beekeepers in Canada Since 1927 800000
50000 45000 40000
600000 35000 500000
30000
400000
25000 20000
300000
15000 200000 10000 100000
5000
0 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012
0
Year Colonies
Beekeepers
Source: Melhim, A., et al., Beekeeping in Canada: Honey and Pollination Outlook. General Information Report, 2010, NSERC-CANPOLIN.
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Number of beekeepers
Number of colonies (thousands)
700000
neonics The lowdown on
Neonicotinoid insecticides, or neonics for short, are the most widely used insecticides on the planet today, having replaced other pest control families such as the organophosphates (OPs), carbamates and, to some extent, the pyrethroids. Four or five main commercial active ingredients make up the neonic family, and while all are a bit different, they basically do the same things. This new crop protection family was discovered in the 1980s, registered in Canada in the late 1990s and, depending on how you do the calculation, some 40 to 45 per cent of Canada’s agriculturally productive fields will receive some kind of neonic treatment in 2014. Why so popular? Well, mostly because they’re highly effective on insect pests, can be delivered in a spray or coated on a seed (most is delivered on seeds in Canada), and are significantly safer to the applicator and the environment than the older insecticide families, especially the OPs and carbamates. There is quite a bit of discussion in the media on the safety of neonics to bees and other pollinators. Much of it centres on the fact that many (but not all) of these products are toxic to bees. But it’s problematic to assume that something is dangerous or risky in the world because tests in a lab show that it’s toxic to bees. Here’s an example: Say you’re picnicking in the Serengeti Plain in Africa with your
photo: BAYER CROPSCIENCE
Neonics are highly effective in treating insect pests and are often delivered on seeds.
family (could happen), and around the corner walks a very hungry lion. Are you in danger? Well, yes, because not only do you have a hazard (the hungry lion), you also have exposure to that hazard. On the other hand, if you’re walking with your family at the zoo, and you turn a corner and find yourself at the lions’ cage, there is substantially less danger. The hazard is still there, but the exposure is not. No exposure, no danger. It’s the same with insecticides. If you do things to prevent bees from being exposed, then the potential risk to them is significantly reduced. That’s exactly the reason for insecticide labels, and for recommendations on how to use products properly. One of the ways growers can reduce exposure to bees is to replace their seedbox lubricant, if they are using one. Typically, when using highly efficient negative pressure air seeders, growers ensure that single seeds are planted exactly the right distance apart with the help of a lubricant to keep seeds from sticking together. Historically, talc and graphite were used for this purpose, but recent research has shown that these materials may increase exposure of seed treatment dust to the environment. Bayer CropScience has developed a new material (Bayer Fluency Agent, or BFA), which improves singulation of seeds, but doesn’t contribute nearly as much to environmental or fugitive dust. It’s an idea to help farmers retain an important crop protection tool while reducing exposure to bees. •
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Bee Health
NEW
Bayer centre
By Gerald Pilger “We care about bees” was the take-home message Bayer CropScience delivered at the grand opening of the North American Bayer Bee Care Centre at Research Triangle Park in Raleigh, North Carolina on April 15, 2014. The US$2.4 million centre represents just a small part of Bayer’s total investment in bee health over the past 25 years. In fact, Bayer has budgeted US$12 million for bee health programming in 2014 alone. All the dignitaries at the opening event spoke of the importance of bees to agriculture and food production;
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none more directly than Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP North America, who said: “Honey-bees are essential to modern agricultural production.” Steve Troxler, ag commissioner for the state of North Carolina said: “Bees are the spark plugs of agriculture.” He compared their importance to gas engine spark plugs, pointing out that while they are very small components, they are essential to the engine’s operation. Bees are likewise critical to agriculture. Many fruit, nut and vegetable crops require bees for pollination. In the United States, these crops alone are worth billions of dollars annually.
photoS: BAYER CROPSCIENCE
takes multi-pronged approach to bee health
Bees are crucial for the success of Bayer CropScience. For example, all canola hybrid seed production, including the InVigor varieties, would be impossible without pollinators. The role of bees is so important to the company that, according to Murray Belyk, manager of scientific affairs with Bayer in Regina, Bayer CropScience has become the largest single user of pollination services in Canada. “The bee care centre is devoted to bee health in general,” says the centre’s manager, Dr. Dave Fischer, adding that the facility features pollinator-friendly gardens, a research and learning apiary, a honey extracting facility and a full research lab for furthering bee health work. There is also an interactive learning area, office space for researchers and graduate students and meeting space for visiting beekeepers, farmers and educators. The new centre will greatly expand Bayer’s ability to research bee health issues and concerns, enable the company to share new information and revise best management practices, and share its findings with all stakeholders. According to Fischer, it offers a “coordinated program to bee health.” Belyk outlined the CARE program that the centre embraces that consists of four components: Communication between beekeepers and farmers; Awareness of weather and environmental conditions that could impact bees; Reduction of the exposure of bees to pesticides; and Ensuring planting accuracy. A primary focus of the centre will address the impact
of insecticides on honey-bee health. Over the past few years, a number of laboratory studies have attempted to link neonicotinoids, or "neonics," to colony losses. Neonics are safer for both humans and the environment than many of the older chemistries, such as organophosphates. Fischer points out that most of the early neonicotinoid studies were done on small numbers of bees in laboratory settings. He says more recent studies have been unable to reproduce any irregularities. “Plenty of studies find neonics are safe when used as labelled and by following best management practices,” Fischer says. The centre will enable Bayer to further refine best management practices and investigate new ways of protecting and improving the health of bees. Here is a small sample of work currently underway at the Bee Care Centre: Improved seed treatment application equipment, designed and promoted by Bayer CropScience that reduces exposure of seed treatment products to the environment. This equipment is now used in countries around the world. Introduction of a “fluency agent” to replace talc as a seed lubricant. This product works by significantly reducing the risk of pollinator exposure to insecticide dust, which can be released from some corn planters. Bayer has made it available to all corn and soybean seed dealers. Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency will require all corn planted in Canada in 2014 to switch from talc »
Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP North America, cuts the ribbon marking the opening of Bayer's Bee Care Centre in Raleigh, North Carolina.
FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2014 / BEE HEALTH
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Bee Health
Bayer Bee Health Centre
to Bayer’s agent. Supply will be sufficient to meet the needs of Canadian growers. Developing a smartphone application for growers and beekeepers to improve communication and understanding of bee yard and hive locations, by collaborating with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture and DriftWatch. Testing of a new chemistry for Varroa mite control. Research aimed at finding repellents that growers could use to keep bees away from areas where insecticides have recently been applied. The Bee Care Centre will also research a long list of factors that impact bee health, including pests and parasites, microbial diseases, inadequate diet and even climate change. It is not simply addressing chemical issues and solutions but will promote an integrated pest management approach of chemical, cultural, mechanical and biological solutions to bee health issues. Most of all, the North American Bayer Bee Care Centre will be a place that brings together everyone working on bee health issues. According to Annette Schuermann, head of the Bayer Bee Care Centre in Monheim Germany, the North Carolina facility will complement the chemical-focused bee health work underway at her facility and the biological focus of the work Bayer is doing at the University of California (Davis). “This new centre can merge both,” she says. “Everyone can come to this Bee Care Centre and learn from each other. It will connect the dots between growers, beekeepers and the public.” FF
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Top: The Bayer Bee Care Centre provides facilities for open discussion on bee health topics. Below: Just one of the many highlights at the centre is the pollinator garden.
A record harvest is a good problem to have. Proline pays off by maximizing your corn yield, thanks to its broad-spectrum disease control. It’s the only fungicide registered to suppress fusarium and gibberella ear rot and lower DON levels. And because it’s also the only corn fungicide to suppress stalk rot, your combine won’t be slowed down by stand problems. With Proline, you really do get the most out of your corn. Learn more at BayerCropScience.ca/Proline BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative.
Always read and follow label directions. Proline® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
BUSINESS
By Gerald Pilger For many canola growers, their biggest challenge is harvest management. Instead of harvesting for maximum yields and profit, they have to focus on ways to minimize seed loss and yield risk. But this year there’s a new option that can reduce risk and seed loss while maximizing yield and profit. It’s called InVigor L140P. All plants of the Brassicaceae (also known as the Cruciferae or mustard) family, including canola, rely on the process of dehiscence (splitting open or pod shattering) to naturally spread seed. There is some genetic variation between current canola hybrids in how easily pods shatter but, as canola ripens, shattering increases in all registered hybrids. Farmers, especially those with large canola acreage, often start swathing early, when there is very little seed colour change, in hopes of cutting most
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of the crop before shatter losses become excessive. There are two issues with this practice. First, significant yield can be lost if you swath too early. Research by the Canola Council of Canada found that yields declined by eight per cent when canola was swathed at 30 to 40 per cent colour change (instead of 60 per cent). Yield loss rose to 12 per cent when canola was cut at 10 to 20 per cent colour change. Swathing before 10 per cent colour change resulted in a 19 per cent yield drop. The second issue is that under hot, dry conditions, seed can go from 10 per cent to 50 per cent colour change in just three to five days or even less. If your canola is all ripening at the same time, do you have the equipment and manpower to swath all of it in just three days? Probably not. Furthermore, swathing in hot, dry conditions greatly increases the risk of pod shatter and green seed. Weather also presents a real risk.
Hail, heavy rain and, especially, wind can cause significant shattering — in both standing and swathed canola. Many prairie farmers remember the windstorm of September 10, 2012 that literally blew canola swaths away. It’s impossible to know the exact economic cost of that event, but Larry Weber of Weber Commodities estimates that 1.5 million tonnes of prairie canola was shelled out. This amounted to a loss of over $1 billion to farmers. Saskatchewan’s provincial oilseed specialist estimates Saskatchewan alone may have lost 480,000 tonnes of canola. Some growers try to mitigate the impact of wind and weather on pod drop and shatter by leaving canola standing for straight cutting. Unfortunately, even though they often see increased yields as a result of larger and heavier seeds with this practice, it doesn’t prevent shatter. A 2011 North Dakota State University publication, comparing straight
photo: ©thinkstock
New InVigor hybrid cuts pod shatter and yield risk
combining to swathing, showed that pre-harvest weather and mechanical (combining) shatter resulted in losses of eight to 54 per cent. Straight combining is still considered riskier than swathing. And no matter when, why or how canola pods shatter, those shelled out seeds lead to volunteer canola problems for years to come; problems complicated by the fact that these volunteers are likely to be resistant to glyphosate, Liberty or Group 2 chemistry (Clearfield), which means pod shatter losses adds to weed control costs.
New technology creates a new canola Reducing pod shatter is a hot topic in the canola industry. Some companies have developed polymer sprays to physically seal pods until the crop dries down and can be harvested. Unfortunately, results from third party testing of this technology, in both Canada and North Dakota, are mixed at best. Part of the problem may be that sealants do not prevent pod drop, and pod drop losses can be as significant as pod shatter losses. Today, a number of companies are focusing on plant genetics and breeding to select new varieties with stronger pods and pedicels (the attachment of the pod to the stem) in an effort to reduce both
shatter and pod drop. Bayer CropScience is the first to market a hybrid canola with genetic tolerance to pod shatter: InVigor L140P. Leighton Blashko, senior market development specialist with Bayer CropScience, is quick to point out that InVigor L140P was developed using a brand new patented technology combined with conventional breeding techniques. According to Blashko, the new technology puts this hybrid in a class by itself when it comes to shatter reduction. “InVigor L140P is the result of more than just selective breeding,” he says. “There is nothing on the market like it. It is a game changer.”»
“No matter when, why or how canola pods shatter, those shelled out seeds lead to volunteer canola problems for years to come …” — North Dakota State University
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The trait was developed using nonGMO technology. In fact, much of the research work and development was done overseas in countries where GMO crops are prohibited. By using nonGMO technology, Bayer can offer the pod shatter reduction trait to growers everywhere.
The science behind the trait So-called “seed shattering delay” patents protect the technology Bayer scientists used to identify the genes responsible for regulating dehiscence in canola and then mutate those genes. The mutated genes strengthen the attachment of the replum (the central rib within the pod that separates the two halves) to the valves, thereby increasing pod strength. The result was reduced activity of genes and enzymes responsible for pod shatter. This process was combined with traditional plant selection to develop a variety with improved resistance to pod shatter — but not complete resistance, because if the force needed to open the pod is greater than the seed can stand, seed will be crushed during harvest. Bayer researchers then inserted the mutated genes into a canola variety known to have a strong pedicel. The resulting new hybrid has both good shatter resistance and pod retention. Blashko stresses that InVigor L140P is not completely shatter resistant, but it does offer greatly reduced pod shatter and drop. “InVigor L140P mitigates losses through new technology,” he says. “It has real advantages in harvest flexibility. Growers have the option to swath later or even straight cut this variety. InVigor L140P offers a way to protect yield and manage risk.” He also points out that InVigor L140P has been harvest-tested and works well with all types of equipment from swathers to draper or auger combine headers. “You do not need specialized equipment to harvest InVigor L140P,” he says. FF
Growers praise InVigor hybrid Don Boles Three Hills, AB » Boles grew InVigor L140P in a research trial in 2013 and was impressed. “Last year was not a bad year for shattering, but I expect InVigor L140P will stand out in a year when there is shattering. It also has better agronomics and yield than many canola varieties,” he says, adding that performance of InVigor L140P was similar to, and even a little better than, InVigor 5440. Boles started straight cutting two years ago when he had three quarters of canola ripen before he could get it swathed. He prefers straight cutting but worried about shatter. This variety eases those fears. However, he warns growers who have not straight cut canola before that it can be tougher combining and you will never be first at the elevator delivering canola. You need patience while the standing crop dries down. But he feels these disadvantages are offset by larger and better quality seed and not having the expense and time commitment needed for swathing.
Franck Groeneweg
Edgeley, SK
» Initially, Groeneweg was not impressed with the InVigor L140P he trialed in 2013. “The seed we got for the trial was very small, less than 3gm per one thousand,” he says. “Early in the year and right through to flowering it seemed to have smaller stems than other varieties.” While he noted little agronomic difference between InVigor L140P and other InVigor varieties when it came time to swath, yields were a different story. Groeneweg found little yield difference between InVigor L140P and the check varieties when swathed at the normal 50 to 60 per cent seed colour change. Yields were equal at late swathing (90 per cent seed colour change). But when left to straight combine, Groeneweg saw a five per cent net advantage with the InVigor L140P.
He also noted less shatter across all varieties in 2013 due to absence of wind or weather conditions that would cause pod shatter or drop. Groeneweg normally straight combines most of his canola, and will be growing some InVigor L140P this year. “It looks like a variety that should be considered for straight combing,” he says. “It is quite promising. It has potential for taking away the swather.”
Jim McCowan
McCowan has swathed his canola only twice since 1995, both times because plant stands were thin and he considered the risk of pod shatter way too high if he left the crop standing. “When dealing with shatter you have to think about seeding first,” he says. “You want even germination of lots of plants which will result in a very heavy, lodged crop with little branching and that ripens evenly.” He says you can lose a third of your yield to shatter if you have to wait for late-germinating plants to ripen when most of the field is ready to harvest. In last year’s trial, McCowan compared InVigor L140P to InVigor L130 and InVigor 5440 at optimal swathing time, late swathing and straight cutting. He reports yields were highest for all varieties when straight cut, and yields of InVigor L140P exceeded the two checks in all three harvest scenarios. InVigor L140P is the only canola variety McCowan is seeding this year. Agronomically, he found it very similar to Invigor L130 and InVigor 5440, but the higher yields and decreased shatter risk convinced him this is the ideal canola to plant if you are planning to straight combine.
InVigor L140P information: www.farmforum.ca/InVigorL140P InVigor L140P pod shatter reduction demo: www.farmforum.ca/InVigorL140Pdemo InVigor L140P virtual tour: www.farmforum.ca/InVigorL140Pvirtualtour Canola Council of Canada harvest management encyclopedia: www.farmforum.ca/ harvestmanagement
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Grosse Isle, MB
» McCowan calls InVigor L140P “the last piece of the puzzle we have been looking for in canola harvesting.”
PRODUCTION
Track down corn diseases early By Joy Gregory Corn growers can’t do anything about the weather. But when it comes to preventing and managing disease outbreaks, they can learn a lot from scouting fields early and often, says Albert Tenuta, plant pathologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Scouting is not only the best way to find out what’s happening in your fields, it also gives you a clear picture of how your on-farm practices contribute to disease outbreaks now and, maybe more importantly, in the future. “Scouting is the best way to track what’s happened over time,” says Tenuta. “Then you need to use that data to your advantage.”
Why scouting matters
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Goss's wilt, shown here in its late stages, is a bacterial disease that's currently spreading throughout corn-growing areas in the U.S. and Canada.
out there and scouting. If you don’t have time, then get your retailer or crop consultant to do it for you.” Scouting is also essential to proper disease identification. Goss’s wilt, for example, is a serious bacterial disease that’s currently spreading throughout corn-growing areas in the U.S. and Canada, and has the ability to cut yields by 50 per cent if not addressed early. Goss’s wilt can be mistaken for drought stress, blights, or nutrient deficiencies so scouting is needed to get you close enough to correctly identify the disease. Goss’s wilt looks much like northern leaf blight, where you get that brown necrosis on the leaves, says Tenuta. “Also you can get a freckling on the leaf itself. Another characteristic you’ll see early in the mornings is a shiny ooze on the upper leaf surface, very similar to a slug’s slime trail.” Keep in mind that fungicides do
not work on bacterial diseases so it’s important to know what you are dealing with before you come up with a solution, says Vikram Bisht, a plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives. Given the lack of control options, he adds, rotations are essential to controlling Goss’s wilt. Just like Goss’s wilt, other fungal and bacterial diseases can overwinter on corn residue so historical data about diseases found in individual fields should influence your cultivation practices, says Bisht. In southern Manitoba’s Pembina Valley region, “corn disease is so prevalent it’s important for growers to consider tillage as an option,” he suggests.
Go for good genes Information about a particular field’s disease issues, fungal or bacterial, should also guide growers towards resistant varieties. Everyone knows that
photos courtesy of
Tightened crop rotations make it easier for many corn diseases such as anthracnose leaf blight, grey leaf spot and northern leaf blight, to thrive. Corn diseases are specific to corn, and short rotations (or continuous corn) increase the amount of ideal host plant material on which corn diseases can overwinter. Diseased residue compromises future crops, so rotations are essential. As a corn producer, the more crop types you grow, the better, says Tenuta. “Having corn every other year is better than corn every year, but every third year is even better.” These days, it’s become common practice to leave more and more plant residue on the soil. As a result, spores from that residue can be transferred to the lower parts of new-season corn plant by wind or rain splash, explains Tenuta. If growers scouting early in the season see fungal disease on the lower leaves of young plants, he says, that’s a pretty good indication that the primary inoculant is within that field. “If spores are blowing in from elsewhere, you’re going to see problems in the upper canopy of the plant later in the season,” adds Tenuta. “I can’t overemphasize the importance of being
“Even if growing conditions are just perfect for this disease, these new hybrids will be much better” — Vikram Bisht plant pathologist, Manitoba Agriculture, Food & Rural Initiatives
yield matters. “But if you know you’ve got issues with leaf diseases or stalk rots in your fields, then matching the best hybrid in terms of its yield and disease package will reduce your risk,” says Tenuta. “There’s often effective genetic resistance or tolerance to common diseases, but growers don’t necessarily look at the disease package.” Goss’s wilt is a case in point. Some hybrids are less susceptible so, if this bacterial disease is present, a resistant variety is essential, says Bisht. “Even if growing conditions are just perfect for this disease, these new hybrids will be much better.”
The case for fungicides London, ON corn grower Mark Brock says yield and quality are the two factors that influence his corn management practices, including his decision to stick with a corn/soybean rotation in spite of concerns about disease accumulation in his fields. But Brock’s not only pushing rotations. He’s also reduced his plant row widths to 20 inches (10 inches closer than standard) and applies fungicide at tasseling. Using research data from seed and other input companies, Brock figures the denser canopy offers two benefits: first, he grows more corn per acre and second, the thicker stand means more leaf contact for his fungicide buck. Brock, who plants 600 to 700 acres of corn every year, is familiar with the argument that fungicide application at tasseling is too late or, at the very least, less than optimum. But he sees it differently. While the application is “not insurance”, it does what he needs it to do. According to his records, the later application and increased row density boosts his yield by seven to 14 bushels per acre. While his own scouting shows that disease is prevalent in his fields, fungicides manage the risk. Indeed,
Goss's wilt has the potential to cut yield by up to half if not addressed early.
knowing that he’s going to apply fungicide enables Brock to grow highyielding traditional varieties. “The tools are there to mitigate that lack of genetic resistance,” he says. Fungicides are changing the choices corn farmers make, especially when prices are good, admits Tenuta. He expects an industry trend towards combinations of active ingredients to continue to broaden the spectrum of disease control.
The bottom line is that some corn growers are at higher risk of yield losses due to management choices, including those related to rotations and varieties, says Tenuta. He urges growers to talk to extension specialists, private and public, about their options, but says the final choice rests with the guy who pays the bill. “Some growers tolerate risk more than others,” he says. “That’s a very important contributor to the decision-making process.” FF
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T E C H N O L O GY
Augers go
super-
By Jeff Melchior The auger is one of the most critical pieces of equipment on any farm. Although the fundamentals of the machine remain virtually unchanged since its origins in the 1940s, augers have literally grown to match the capacity of today’s large, high-throughput farm operations. “Every year fewer people are farming, but those who are in the business have bigger operations needing bigger equipment,” says Gerry Davis, inside sales manager of augers and corrugated bins with Meridian Manufacturing in Regina, SK. “This last year we brought our first 14-inch diameter, 115-foot long swing-away auger to market. That’s what our customers and dealers were asking for.”
sized Augers have grown to match today’s high-capacity farm operations
Two popular types of auger with Canadian producers are: belt-drive and swing-drive. Belt-drive augers are driven by electric, gas or diesel engines, or from the power take off (PTO) of a tractor. Although in the past they were used for both loading and unloading bins, today belt-drive augers are primarily used for unloading, says Davis. “Belt-drive augers have their limitations when it comes to length and diameter, which restricts their capacity to fill today’s high-capacity bins,” he explains. On smaller farms a belt-drive auger may be used for both filling and »
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photos: GENESIS STUDIO
Different augers for different needs
Here is a look in photos at how Meridian Manufacturing in Regina, SK, produces its line of augers. Welding and cleaning of augers is completed before they are run through powder bake oven (bottom left). Assembling auger mover (bottom right).
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Clockwise from top left: Unique milling equipment allows auger flighting to be formed in a continuous length. Auger flighting ready to be inserted into auger tubing. Conventional unload augers are pre-assembled and tested. Final assembly of large bottom boot for swing auger. Bottom: Auger tubes are pre-assembled before delivery. Opposite page: Finishing touches of powder paint before entering bake oven (top left). Testing swing hopper (top right). Testing for paint thickness (middle). Augers ready for delivery or pickup (bottom).
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unloading. Many producers have large, swing-drive augers to fill the bins and a couple of belt-drives to take the grain out. Swing-drive augers are typically larger, are PTO tractor-driven and are used to fill large bins. Swing augers are often outfitted with a hopper mover that can be operated by remote control. This feature makes it easier to position the hopper under grain trailers and to position behind a tandem or ordinary truck.
The flight assembly The fundamental feature of all augers is the flight mechanism — often referred to as “flighting” — which is the rotating screw that moves grain and other granular materials. “We roll our flighting directly onto the flight shaft so we have a uniform, balanced flight assembly,” says Davis. Some flight assemblies are made with short sections of flighting that are welded together but this can cause problems with balance, he adds. “With a lot of augers — especially the longer ones — if the assembly is not balanced and running true in the tube, it can wind up shaking and vibrating and causing extra wear.”
Auger manufacturing challenges One of the biggest challenges in crafting an auger is the sheer number of parts involved, says Davis. “A lot of people look at a grain auger and think there’s not much to it, but a lot of small parts have to be manufactured, painted and packaged.” Different areas of the plant are dedicated to separate activities in the manufacturing process. The fabricating department makes and welds the many different components required. The tube line then welds components to the tube, which is then painted with a state-of-theart powder coat system. “The auger and its components go through a nine-stage wash and dry and then through the powder coat line,” says Davis. The next stage is assembling all the various components to complete the auger. The drive shaft, bearings and gearboxes skip the powder coat process and are built in after painting. “Those items can’t go through the paint booth due to the terrific heat.” To sum up, Davis says when it comes to today’s augers: “Everyone is looking at higher capacity and dependability.” FF
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T E C H N O L O GY
Let your trait flags fly By Gerald Pilger In 2011 a new crop protection practice was introduced to farmers in Arkansas. It provides superb crop protection and offers peace of mind to growers, crop consultants and custom applicators alike. After just three years, it’s estimated that 65 per cent of Arkansas farmers have adopted it, and interest in the practice is spreading across the U.S. Midwest. The best part is, it's simple and cheap, costing only pennies an acre. It is time Canadian farmers joined in. It is called Flag the Technology. Four years ago, extension agent Ron Baker, at the University of Arkansas, became increasingly concerned with the amount of crop damage resulting from misapplication of herbicides, offtarget spraying and herbicide drift onto sensitive crops. Custom applicators were not the only ones responsible. Baker says busy farmers managing large acreages, and fields spread over wide distances, sometimes mixed up the herbicide tolerant crops they were planting and/ or spraying. Baker often saw crops damaged, or even completely killed, when a farmer or custom applicator mistakenly applied the wrong herbicide to a field. So he proposed a solution to the local crop committees, of which he was a member. He urged them to encourage farmers to flag the entrance and corners of each field with a colour-coded flag that would identify the herbicide tolerant trait of the crop in that field. In this way, the farmer, his crop consultant, farm employees, neighbours or custom applicators would know instantly which herbicides could and could not be applied to that field. With the endorsement of the committees, Baker, along with weed scientists from the University of Arkansas, contacted a flag maker who supplied a
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variety of flags in a wide range of colours. They even went up in an airplane and identified what combination of flags and colours would be most visible to an aerial applicator. They found that 12 x 18 inch, red, white, fluorescent green and bright yellow triangular flags mounted on sixfoot fibreglass poles could be seen easily, both from the ground and air. Farmers involved in these trials liked the idea, so the University of Arkansas formalized the colour identification system and it was introduced state-wide in 2011. Today, many Arkansas corn, rice, cotton and soybean fields planted to herbicide tolerant varieties are flagged and anyone driving by can identify the Roundup Ready crops by the presence of white flags at field corners and entrances. Fluorescent green flags indicate Liberty Link technology, bright yellow tells you the crop carries the Clearfield trait. Red flags indicate either a conventional crop or a sensitive area where extreme caution must be used when applying herbicides. Baker has already picked out colours for when new herbicide tolerant systems are introduced, as well as flag colour patterns for crops that carry stacked traits. Numeric codes identifying the exact colours and patterns are available from Arkansas agricultural extension offices, so growers wanting flags can order them from any flag maker and get the correct colour match. A quick check with Parker Flags, a flag maker used by the Arkansas extension service, shows flags with poles are currently available in lots of 100 (you can mix and match colours) for US$5.30 each, including shipping. So, a field marked at the four corners and entrance would require five flags for a total cost of just US$26.80 — a small price to pay if it can save the entire field from herbicide damage. (Parker Flags ships to Canada, but growers should call for Canadian pricing and shipping costs.)
In Arkansas, Baker points out, crop supply retailers and/or custom application services often supply flags free to farmers. Baker sums up the program by saying: “This is a very simple, very inexpensive practice, but it works. It solves a very common problem.” Steven Parks, of Parks Crop Consulting in Arkansas, likes Flag the Technology. “When you see the flags in a field you really know what herbicide tolerant system is there. It gives a crop consultant peace of mind by reinforcing what the farmer has told you.” Parks recalls messes in the past where the wrong herbicide was applied because of confusion over field location or the technology used in a field. He says the flags are effective in reducing the risk of applying the wrong herbicide on a crop. He also feels they can reduce the risk of crop damage from herbicide drift. “Applicators love the flags because it instantly shows them what is in the adjacent field. Applicators are the ones ultimately responsible for damage to crops.” Even with flags in their fields, says Parks, farmers still need to talk to neighbours and applicators. Flags only supplement the conversation and confirm what was discussed. Mark Ahrent farms in Clay County Arkansas and, when asked about Flag the Technology, said: “It really works. It is a very simple, very inexpensive and easyto-understand answer to the complicated problem of dealing with so many different herbicides and herbicide tolerant crops. It clearly defines what is growing in a field, and reduces the risk of crop damage. “We put flags in every one of our fields; even those surrounded by our own fields where we know what is planted. It makes it easier for aerial applicators. Most farmers around here flag their fields. You do not see many fields without flags in our county.” Ahrent added that the Arkansas State Plant Board, which is funded by growers through a checkoff, uses some of those funds to buy flags in bulk and provide them free of charge to growers. They also provide stickers showing the colours for each herbicide tolerant system. Growers and applicators can put these in the windows of their trucks and application equipment. Keith Turner farms near Jonesboro, Arkansas, and is also a strong advocate for Flag the Technology. “Putting flags
in the field works very well. It is simple and easy to do. It keeps everyone on the same page. We know what type of crop is growing in the fields next door instead of having to contact all the neighbouring farms.” Turner said he is well aware of herbicide application errors made before fields were flagged, and of the crop losses that resulted from these mistakes and from spray drift. Simply flagging fields has reduced these risks. The only advice Turner gives Canadian growers is to get out and get everyone to participate. The more fields flagged, the better the program works. Flag the Technology has now been endorsed by the Southern Weed Science Society of America and is attracting interest across the U.S. and from as far away as Australia. It’s time for Canadian farmers to consider this popular practice as a means to simplify the ever changing complexities of modern farming. FF
“When you see the flags in a field you really know what herbicide tolerant system is there. It gives a crop consultant peace of mind by reinforcing what the farmer has told you” — Steven Parks Parks Crop Consulting
University of Arkansas Flag the Technology info: www.farmforum.ca/flagthetechnologyinfo
Take ‘Flag the Technology’ to the cloud The only problem with flags is the risk of them disappearing. This could happen by anything from someone swiping them to being blown out of the ground by severe winds or thunderstorms. Dr. Dharmendra Saraswat, an agricultural engineer at the University of Arkansas has developed a solution: the web-based Flag the Technology Cloud. Arkansas farmers who are practicing precision farming and have created field boundaries can download Saraswat’s free Internet-based program that allows them to colour code their fields for the herbicide tolerant crops they are growing. This field boundary and crop technology information is then uploaded to the program’s “cloud” and can be accessed by any registered user of the program including farmers, crop consultants, aerial applicators and custom applicators. Registered users can download a satellite map view of Arkansas on their Internet-connected devise and instantly identify locations of herbicide tolerant crops. They can zoom in on the field they are interested in and obtain GPS coordinate data and see if there are other herbicide tolerant systems or conventional crops adjoining the field. Saraswat points out Flag the Technology Cloud is not meant to replace physical flags but provide supplementary information for farmers and especially applicators. “This is something custom applicators have been asking for.” This new service will be offered state wide in Arkansas in 2014 free of charge. For more information visit: www.farmforum.ca/fttcloudinfo
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FA R M L I F E
OYF alumni share some sage advice on success By Dianne Finstad Successful people listen and learn. They’re the first to tell you they didn’t get to where they are alone. They had help. And that help often came in the form of great advice. With that in mind, Farm Forum asked past Outstanding Young Farmers’ (OYF) program winners — some of Canada’s best and brightest — what one piece of advice helped them achieve their success.
Warren and Carla Kaeding: WAGON Wheel Seed Corp, Saskatchewan
“Well, I’m not farming now, and that was actually part of the advice!” laughs Warren Kaeding. The best advice he and his wife Carla received wasn’t to abandon agriculture; it was to have a succession plan. The Kaedings set up Wagon Wheel Seed Corporation in Churchbridge, SK in 1985, and grew it to 7,500 acres of seed production plus a retail pedigree seed business. In 1999, they were co-winners of the national OYF title. Warren says the OYF process forced the family to look ahead and identify their goals, including a succession strategy. “We had to put pen to paper,” he says. “We’d always heard about it, read about it, but never really thought much about it, until we actually filled out the relatively onerous OYF form. It got into a lot of the things that we were dealing with, like long term goals and vision.” When the Kaedings’ sons, Michael and Matthew, grew up, all that visioning work paid off in spades. “They both enrolled in the college of engineering,” says Warren. “They’d certainly been interested in what we were doing on the farm, but running a farm business was just not on their radar.” Realizing that, the Kaedings came up with a unique approach that allowed them to still meet the goals they’d identified through the succession planning process. One wish was to see the business carry on intact, and that became a guiding light when they decided to retire in 2012. “We had all kinds of offers to buy the farm without the value-added seed business, and we were reluctant to accept them because we really wanted to sell the business as a going enterprise,”
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FARM FORUM / SUMMER 2014
says Warren. “As it turned out, we were able to do that. Once the deal was made, part of it was to sign a mentorship agreement with the new owner.” That setup provides guidance to purchaser Graham Sorgard, a newcomer to the pedigree seed business, while giving Warren the opportunity to wind down his involvement in agriculture. He still keeps a foot in the industry by retaining distribution rights to several different grain varieties, which are actually being grown and marketed by the farm’s new owner. It’s worked so well that many of the Kaedings’ contemporaries are now turning to them for advice as they design their own exit strategies. “I think in today’s business environment where farms, even relatively small ones, are multi-million dollar operations, we’ve got to move to that next era where we really have to endorse the fact that we are a farm business,” says Warren. “That’s one thing OYF does. It really teaches you about treating your operation as a business.”
Steve and Jessica Reeves Brookhill Holsteins, Prince Edward Island
It’s a short, simple quote from my father, Farrell,” says Steve Reeves. “He said, ‘On every deal you look at, if two plus two makes four, go ahead and do it. If it doesn’t, don’t do it.’” Steve says these words of wisdom are the basis of every business decision he and Jessica make on their Freetown, PEI dairy farm. “Sometimes your passion will overrule your mind. It’s just a good, analytical way to sit down and look at something. If it doesn’t add up on paper real easy, then it probably doesn’t work.” The Reeves were the OYF Atlantic region winners in 2005, and went on to be named national co-winners. Their farm has been in the Reeves family for six generations, and they took it from a traditional mixed farm to a specialized dairy operation. Steve kept his father’s words top of mind during the growth phase. “You’re young and inexperienced and sometimes you can just get too excited and want to build, build, build,” he says. “I would always go back to that advice, and make sure I did my math. If it was only just close on paper, it never worked in the real world.” Steve believes applying a basic, “Does it make financial sense?” query to every prospective project has helped them stay on track as they’ve increased quota and added a corn and soybean seed business to the operation. “It didn’t let us get too far ahead of ourselves, get too buried in debt, or make a bad decision,” he says. “It’s a good tool to make you sit back and look at your plans from a third party point of view. “I know the ‘two-plus-two’ test is a simple piece of advice, but it’s served me pretty well over the years — just to take that extra second to really separate your heart from your mind and let yourself make a real business decision. “It’s great to be passionate, don’t get me wrong,” Steve adds. “But with the dollars farmers are dealing with today, you can’t afford to make too many bad financial decisions.” continues on page 36 »
Bon Voyage, Sclerotinia!
For countless ages, sclerotinia “The Pirate of the Prairies” has ravaged the countryside, butchering canola yields and plundering grower profits. But now, thanks to Proline® fungicide, sclerotinia is in over its head. A single application of Proline can reduce sclerotinia infection rates by up to 80%. Say goodbye to sclerotinia and enter for a chance to WIN* 1 of 3 - $5,000 travel vouchers. For more information visit BayerCropScience.ca/EndOfPirates
BayerCropScience.ca/Proline or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Proline® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada. *Contest will be subject to eligibility requirements. See online for contest details, contest ends June 27, 2014.
R-29-10208533-05/14-E
Ryan and Annette Mercer Mercer Seeds Limited, Alberta
The best advice Ryan Mercer ever received was to look beyond his front yard. Ryan and his wife Annette began farming full-time near Lethbridge, AB in 2004 and purchased Mercer Seeds from his parents. They expanded the operation, increasing capacity, adopting new technologies, developing new markets and diversifying their crops. The insight that helped propel Mercer Seeds forward was to think globally, says Ryan. “You need to know what’s happening in other countries, because they can more easily become customers now. You need to know what’s happening in their businesses.” Ryan notes that access to global information is so much easier now than it was for his father’s generation, which had to rely on traditional media. With the Internet, Ryan connects directly with international buyers, sellers and other farmers to get real data and perspective about what’s happening in the marketplace. “My wife and I have contacts all over Canada now, and in other parts
of the world too,” he says. Some of that network-building came through their experience as the OYF Alberta Regional winners in 2010. Ryan points out that a global vision is critical in the seed business, where you have to be at least three years ahead of commercial growers in selecting and reproducing varieties they’ll be demanding. Serving on industry organizations and boards has also been an effective way for Ryan to be in touch with fellow producers and trends further afield. “The more people you can talk to the better,” he says. “I learned a lot about that from my dad, Lloyd. He was on a lot of boards, too.” Ryan is also part of SeedNet, a group of more than a dozen progressive southern Alberta seed growers working together to explore opportunities across Canada and abroad. “Learning to think globally has helped when looking at new ways of doing things on our farm, whether that’s agronomy, production or even marketing.”
Thatcher Farms: www.farmforum.ca/thatcherfarms Wagon Wheel Seed Corp: www.farmforum.ca/wagonwheelseedcorp Mercer Seeds Limited: www.farmforum.ca/mercerseeds
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Dana and Adam Thatcher Thatcher Farms, Ontario
Thatcher Farms is an innovative farmto-fork business in Rockwood, ON. Dana and Adam were named Ontario region OYF winners in 2013. What was once a struggling hog farm is now a thriving sheep operation plus farm gate retail store complete with on-site butcher shop and bakery. Dana says the best advice they received was to talk to neighbours. Over the past five to 10 years the Thatchers consulted neighbours — “the old pros” — about various farming issues they had. “We have incredible neighbours who have been here and done this, so we’re always consulting them. They’re in their 60s and 70s, and we rely on them,” says Dana. Dana grew up in Fergus, ON, while Adam spent summers on the farm where his grandfather was a hired hand. His parents purchased the farm the couple now run, but always maintained off-farm jobs, so Adam and Dana consider themselves first generation farmers since they draw full-time incomes from the business. While they have plenty of progressive ideas, they’ve turned to the experience around them to answer nuts and bolts questions that range from fixing tractors to gardening to livestock husbandry. Dana believes the “wisdom of age” is an overlooked resource. “I’m talking about our neighbours but I know a lot of young people struggle with parental relationships,” she says. “When mom and dad tell you something, you might balk at it, or not accept that advice. I guess you treat neighbours with different respect in a way,” she explains. “I do think we undervalue our elders’ perspective, advice and experience. Because they’ve been around the block … they’ve had time to reflect on their mistakes. That’s of tremendous value to us as farmers, to seek their expertise.”
WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS
LET CROP REACH FULL POTENTIAL BY TARGETING HEAD TIMING
F 
Early Head
Head is completely exposed and freshly emerged from the flag
Optimal Head
Head extended up from the flag leaf with its first flowers visible
Late Head
Head fully flowered, flowers falling off
photo: thinkstock
or growers intent on applying one fungicide application per year when flag leaf disease levels are low to moderate, Bayer recommends waiting and applying Folicur EW or Prosaro at head timing for best results. Applying at head timing will protect against various head diseases including fusarium head blight and leaf diseases while maximizing both quality and yield. On the right are three photos of a wheat head at various stages of development. Targeting the "optimal head" stage will most often deliver the best results. However, Bayer research indicates that slightly earlier or later will still provide a positive return on investment. Remember, an application at head timing can supply both flag leaf and head protection throughout the grain-fill period.
FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2014
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WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS
IT PAYS TO SPRAY Fungicides continue to add value
R
ecent cereal prices have left some growers questioning how they can save on input costs, but according to the most extensive Cereal Fungicide Demonstration Strip Trial (DST) program in western Canada, you should never skip a fungicide application. In fact, failure to use a fungicide can cost you even more. Bayer has compiled the results from over six years worth of cereal trials across western Canada under all kinds of conditions and the results are conclusive: fungicides provide one of the best returns on your investment on the farm. At the focal point of the Cereal DST program are Folicur EW and Prosaro fungicides. Although both provide superior
Folicur: put time on your side
From flag leaf to heading, Folicur EW has one of the widest windows of application available on the market. This, combined with its long-lasting protection, provides cereal growers with unsurpassed timing flexibility. Folicur EW also has two different rate options; a ¾ rate for specifically targeting leaf diseases and full rate for effectively managing both leaf and head diseases.
TREATMENT
RATE
Folicur EW
3/4 Rate (150 mL/ac.) RATE TIMING
TREATMENT
4.50 $ 4.50
$
RateFlag (200 mL/ac.)
Folicur EW
/BU.
Folicur EW
WHEAT PROTECTION WHEAT PROTECTION ACROSS THETHE PRARIES ACROSS PRARIES LEGEND: ROI INDICATORS FUNGICIDE LEGEND: ROI INDICATORS WITHWITH FUNGICIDE ROI = making money
ROI = making money
ROI = breaking even
ROI = breaking even
ROI = losing money
ROI = losing money
BIG TIME YIELDS
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FARM FORUM / SUMMER 2014
Full Rate (200 mL/ac.)
Folicur EW
Prosaro
Prosaro
Flag 2008
2009
2008
2009
+2.7
+0.4
n=12 2010
+2.7 +0.4 +3.7 +7.3 Flag n=9 n=12 n=16 n=8
Flag
+3.7
Head
Head n=9 +6.4 +4.1 +9.0
Full Rate (200 mL/ac.)
Full Rate (200 mL/ac.)
Applied at head timing, Prosaro offers cereal growers the best of both worlds, two leading actives (tebuconazole and prothiconazole) for exceptional yields and unparalleled disease protection. In addition to its impressive leaf disease control, Prosaro also provides excellent fusarium head blight protection and is the market leader for reduction in deoxynivalenol (DON) levels and fusarium damaged kernels (FDKs) that can downgrade your grain.
TIMING
3/4 Rate Full Folicur EWEW Folicur (150 mL/ac.)
/BU.
Prosaro: best of both worlds
protection from the most serious leaf and head diseases, including fusarium head blight, each has its own distinct advantages.
Full Rate Full (325 Rate mL/ac.) Head
(325 mL/ac.)
n=8
n=9
+2.7 n=18
n=20
+7.1 n=16
+6.4
n=13
+5.7
Head +6.5 +12.0 +5.7 n=3 n=3
n=21
n=12
n=9
2011
+6.8 +2.7 n=14 n=18
+8.5 n=6
2010
+7.3 n=16
2012
n=18
+3.8
+
n=13
+4.7
+7.5
+4.2
+9.6 n=21
+6.8 2013
n=16
+7.8
+6.5
2
n=20
n=20
n=17
2012
n=146 YEAR n=20 AVERAGE
+3.8 +7.1 +4.7+8.5+4.6
+4.1 n=20
2011
n=4
+9.0 n=13
n=20
n=6 n=84
+12.0
n=13
+
+4.2
+
+6.9
+
n=20
+5.1 n=72
+7.8
+5.8
+4.7
n=17
n=20
+6.0 n=93
+9.6
+6.9 n=12 +8.1 n=18+8.2 n=20 n=20
n=13
n=87
Source: 2008–13, Bayer CropScience Grower-cooperated Cereal DSTs, Replicated trials,Allall products not in all trials. All in numbers expressed average bu./ac. in comparison to untreated Source: 2008–13, Bayer CropScience Grower-cooperated Cereal DSTs, 107 Replicated trials, all107 products not in all trials. numbers expressed in average bu./ac. comparison to untreatedincheck. nn= = number of trials/observations, backgroundbackground colour indicatescolour ROI. ROIindicates calculated using product 2014 SRPsfungicide (Folicur ¾ @product $10.63, Folicur Rate(Folicur $14.18 and @ $18.93), number of trials/observations, ROI.fungicide ROI calculated using 2014Full SRPs ¾ Prosaro @ $10.63, Folicur Full Rate $14.18 and Prosaro @ $18.93),
check.
Your results may vary depending on agronomic and environmental factors.
Your results may vary depending on agronomic and environmental factors.
L
ooking at wheat over the past six seasons and using a $4.50/bu. price for wheat, there are very few instances where growers have not made money with their Folicur EW or Prosaro applications. In fact, trials at head timing predominantly showed positive results with an average +6 bu./ac. gain for Folicur EW and a +8.2 bu./ac. increase
for Prosaro. What is not included in these calculations is the potential for quality and grade improvements associated with head applications. The results become even more impressive when you factor in a commodity price of $6.50/bu., not to mention the potential for quality improvements.
A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE
TREATMENT TREATMENT
Folicur EW Folicur EW
6.50 6.50
$$
Folicur EW
/BU.
/BU.
Folicur EW
WHEAT PROTECTION WHEAT PROTECTION ACROSS THE ACROSS THEPRARIES PRARIES LEGEND: INDICATORS WITH FUNGICIDE LEGEND: ROI ROI INDICATORS WITH FUNGICIDE ROI = making = breaking ROI = making moneymoney ROI =ROI breaking eveneven
Folicur EW
RATE RATE
3/4 Rate (150 mL/ac.) 3/4 Rate (150 mL/ac.)
TIMING TIMING
Flag Flag
Full Rate
2008
+2.7 n=12
Full Rate
Full (200Rate mL/ac.) (200 mL/ac.)
2008
Flag Flag
+3.7 n=8
2009
+2.7 n=12
+0.4 n=9
+3.7
n=8+2.7 n=18
Head +6.4 +6.4 +4.1
Folicur EW
Full Rate (200 mL/ac.) (200 mL/ac.)
Head
Prosaro Prosaro
Rate FullFull Rate (325 mL/ac.) (325 mL/ac.)
HeadHead +5.7 n=3+6.5 n=3 n=21
n=9
n=9
n=20
+5.7
2009
2010
2010
2011
+0.4 n=9
+7.3 n=16
+2.7
n=18 +7.1 n=16
+4.1
+9.0 n=20 n=13
2012
2012
2013
n=14
+4.7
+7.3
+6.8
+6.8
+3.8
+7.1
+8.5
n=16
n=14
n=16 +8.5 n=6
+9.0
+7.8 n=13 n=17
+6.5 +12.0 +12.0 +9.6 n=21 n=12
2011
n=12 n=18
n=20
n=6 +4.7 n=20
+3.8
2013 6 YEAR AVERAGE
+4.7
n=20
n=13
+4.6
n=13
n=84
+4.7
+7.5
n=20 +7.5
n=4 +5.1
n=4
+7.8
+4.2
+5.8
+5.8 n=20
+6.0 n=13
+9.6 +6.9
+6.9 +8.1
+8.1 +8.2
n=18 n=20
n=13
n=93
n=20 n=13
n=13 n=87
Source:2008–13, 2008–13, Bayer CropScience Grower-cooperated Cereal107 DSTs, 107 Replicated trials, all notAllinnumbers all trials. All numbers expressed bu./ac. in comparison untreated check. n = number of trials/observations, Source: Bayer CropScience Grower-cooperated Cereal DSTs, Replicated trials, all products notproducts in all trials. expressed in average bu./ac.ininaverage comparison to untreated check. n to = number of trials/observations, background indicates ROI.ROI. ROI calculated using fungicide product product 2014 SRPs (Folicur ¾@ $10.63, Full Rate $14.18 Prosaro @ $18.93), wheat@@$18.93), $6.50/bu.wheat and an@ estimated application of $5.00/ac. was used. backgroundcolour colour indicates ROI calculated using fungicide 2014 SRPs (Folicur ¾Folicur @ $10.63, Folicur Fulland Rate $14.18 and Prosaro $6.50/bu. and an cost estimated application cost of $5.00/ac. was used.
ROI==losing losingmoney money ROI
Quality time WHEAT & BARLEY GRADE & BUSHEL WEIGHT IMPROVEMENT: PRODUCT
FLAG LEAF
FOLICUR EW 3/4 RATE
FOLICUR EW
HEADING
FOLICUR EW
WHEAT % OF TIME OBTAINED BETTER GRADE
BARLEY % OF TIME OBTAINED BETTER GRADE
WHEAT % OF TIME GAINED AT LEAST 1LB./BU.
BARLEY % OF TIME GAINED AT LEAST 1LB./BU.
12%
10%
12%
25%
(n=82)
(n=20)
(n=79)
(n=20)
7%
11%
16%
32%
(n=70)
(n=28)
(n=69)
(n=28)
N/A
21%
23%
16%
28%
58%
(n=86)
(n=32)
(n=87)
(n=31)
25% (n=87)
PROSARO
(n=86)
N/A
Wheat Source: 2008-13, Bayer CropScience Grower co-operated Wheat DST’s, 107 replicated trials. Barley Source: 2008-13, Bayer CropScience Grower co-operated Barley DST’s, 35 replicated trials. n = number of observations *Not all products represented in all trials.
U
ltimately, both of these improvements (yield and quality) mean the same thing for cereal growers — increased profitability. Visit ITPAYSTOSPRAY.CA for complete trial results including localized ROI data on all cereal crops. To learn more about the positive benefits of fungicide applications from the most extensive Cereal Fungicide DST program in western Canada, check out Tory Basaraba’s (Bayer Cropscience market development representative) presentation from the 2013 Agronomy Summit at: BayerCropScience.ca/ GrowYourKnowledge
+4.6 n=84
+5.1 n=72
n=72
+4.2 n=17 n=20
6 YEAR AVERAG
Visit ITPAYSTOSPRAY.CA for complete trial results including localized ROI data on all cereal crops.
in Western Canada, check out Tory Basaraba’s (Bayer CropScience Market Development representative) presentation from the 2013 Agronomy Summit at: BAYERCROPSCIENCE.CA/GROWYOURKNOWLEDGE
FARMFORUM.CA / SUMMER 2014
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+6.0 n=93
+8.2 n=87
WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS
BON VOYAGE SCLEROTINIA Fungicides continue to add value
Timely application of a fungicide, like Proline fungicide can successfully minimize diseases like sclerotinia and further protect the yield and quality of your canola. BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Infinity®, LibertyLink®, Pardner® and Tundra® are trademarks of the Bayer Group. All other products are trademarks of their respective companies. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
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FARM FORUM / SUMMER 2014
PHOTO: SHUTTERSTOCK
Symptoms of white rot caused by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum.
PHOTO: BAYER CROPSCIENCE
T
he economics of farming has increased pressure on growers to tighten their canola rotations, but this causes many other concerns and chief among them is sclerotinia. This disease continues to increase in severity and is spreading to new areas every season. Because it is greatly influenced by moisture and warmer weather, yield losses from sclerotinia can vary from year to year and in the most serious cases cost growers up to 50% yield loss. According to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, it was estimated that sclerotinia cost the average canola grower about $38,000 during the 2012 season.
A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE
Protect your crop For best results agronomists recommend an approach that combines the best cultural, genetic and chemical practices.
Cultural practices
Designed to reduce the amount of the pathogen. Crop rotation: Alternating away from susceptible crops can help prevent the development and spread of sclerotinia.
Timely irrigation: Prior to flowering soil moisture should be kept at near field capacity. Avoid continuous irrigation during the flowering stage of your crop to reduce humidity, which can favour the spread of infection.
Protects the host even if it’s “susceptible.” The pathogen is present and the environment (moisture, temp) is favourable for infection. Use a fungicide: Timely application of a fungicide, like Proline fungicide can successfully minimize diseases like sclerotinia and further protect the yield and quality of your canola.
lan for sclerotinia: Be proactive and P book Proline before the start of the season to ensure you’re covered.
Why Proline? • Proline provides you with the best protection against yield-robbing sclerotinia. • Its unique mode of action represents a new standard of proven disease control to maximize canola protection, yield and profitability.
Genetics
Upgrade the host from susceptible to a less susceptible variety.
Chemical
Hybrid selection
• As Canada’s number one selling canola fungicide, Proline reduces sclerotinia infections by up to 80%.
Disease susceptibility: Plant canola hybrids that are less susceptible to sclerotinia, like NEW InVigor L160S Sclerotinia tolerant hybrid. Maturity rating: Since sclerotinia infection occurs during flowering, selecting hybrids with different maturity ratings can help avoid a situation where all fields are flowering at the same time. This will significantly decrease the chances of wide-spread infection.
• Proline is a liquid solution with one convenient easy-to-use rate and the ability to treat 80 acres in a single case.
B:8.375” T:8.125” S:7.625”
For more information
Bon Voyage, Sclerotinia!
For countless ages, sclerotinia “The Pirate of the Prairies” has ravaged the countryside, butchering canola yields and plundering grower profits. But now, thanks to Proline® fungicide, sclerotinia is in over its head. A single application of Proline can reduce sclerotinia infection rates by up to 80%. B:11”
BayerCropScience.ca/EndOfPirates
T:10.75”
For more information visit
S:10.25”
Say goodbye to sclerotinia and enter for a chance to WIN* 1 of 3 - $5,000 travel vouchers.
Contact your local Bayer CropScience representative or visit BayerCropScience.ca/Proline for complete product information including links to our online Proline ROI Calculator and Bloom Stage Guide.
BayerCropScience.ca/Proline or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Proline® is a registered trademark of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada. *Contest will be subject to eligibility requirements. See online for contest details, contest ends June 27, 2014.
BCS10208533.FF_Proline.indd
5-20-2014 1:57 PM CALMCL-DMX8317
Cyan,
Magenta,
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Farm Forum Bayer Crop Science
None 8.125” x 10.75”
BCS10208533.FF_Proline Insertion Date: None
Black
Lynn Skinner 100%
R-29-10208533-05/14-E
SPEC ORIGINALLY GENERATED: Adam Grudgfield
PAGE: 1
10208533
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Production Contact Numbers: 403 261 7161 403 261 7152
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A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE
Herbicide Resistance Currently, there are nine confirmed mutations of herbicide resistance in the world, seven of which have already occurred in Canada. Therefore, managing herbicide resistance is a major concern for canola growers. herbicide has no known resistance in Canada making it the perfect solution for resistant weeds. Liberty effectively controls Group 2 and 9 resistant kochia as well as regular problem weeds. Liberty can also be tankmixed with Centurion to gain additional grassy weed protection.
Pardner Herbicide: Prior to seeding canola, tank-mix
Pardner速 herbicide with your glyphosate to control all volunteer canola, even canola from herbicide tolerant systems and over 70 different broadleaf and grassy weeds.
Kochia at the stage of leaf development
PHOTO: GENESIS STUDIO
Return On Investment (ROI) Calculator
InVigor hybrids new trait technologies The driving force behind InVigor hybrids has always been relentless innovation with a focus on superior yield performance. In keeping with that tradition, Bayer CropScience is pleased to introduce two new breakthrough trait technologies. InVigor L140P with the new patented pod shatter reduction technology to help reduce the effects of pod shattering and shelling. This hybrid will provide growers with the ability to maximize yield potential and the flexibility to consider delayed swathing and/or straight cutting. InVigor L160S represents the first ever sclerotinia tolerant InVigor hybrid for superior disease protection against sclerotinia without sacrificing yield. InVigor L160S also offers superior standability.
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FARM FORUM / SUMMER 2014
Determining how much it pays to spray a fungicide has never been quicker and easier with the BCS ROI Calculator available at BayerCropScience.ca/ ROICalculator. Simply input the required variables when choosing a fungicide and the calculator will provide you with an estimated return on your potential future investment.
PHOTO: BAYER CROPSCIENCE
Liberty HerbicidE: As the only Group 10 for canola, Liberty速
YOU DON’T HAVE TO CLEAN UP TO TAKE HOME THIS AWARD. No brass. No glam. No BS. Just a chance to give your hard work, honest sweat and commitment to Canadian agriculture the recognition it deserves. You’ll build your business, make connections and uncover new opportunities along the way. Nominate someone outstanding at oyfcanada.com.
National Sponsors:
oyfcanada.com 04/14-36221 FF
Unsung Hero. Mentor, trusted advisor, and the mainstay of the operation, he is also their forefather, uncle and friend. Within the next generation of the family, he has instilled a strong work ethic and taught them the rewards of perseverance. Just as Liberty® has paved the way for every top performing InVigor® hybrid for over 18 years*. Because powerful Liberty herbicide is the backbone of the LibertyLink® system and together, they’re partners.
Pat Goodman, SWAN RIVER, MB BayerCropScience.ca/Liberty or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. InVigor®, Liberty® and LibertyLink® are registered trademarks of the Bayer Group. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada. *Source: 1996 – 2013 WCC/RRC trials
BCS10208533.FF_OBC_Liberty.indd
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Cyan,
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None 8.125” x 8.625”
BCS10208533.OBC_Liberty Insertion Date: None
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Lynn Skinner 100%
C-61-05/14-BCS10208533-E
SPEC ORIGINALLY GENERATED: Adam Grudgfield
10208533
PAGE: 1
SAFETY: 7.625” x 8.125” TRIM: 8.125” x 8.625” Bleed: 8.375” x 8.875” Helvetica Neue LT Std (75 Bold, 65 Medium, 77 Bold Condensed; OpenType)
Production Contact Numbers: