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Author Archives Ralph Pearce

The U-shaped Dot A-U1 “loads” a SeedMaster row-crop planter on to its platform during the demonstration at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. (Ralph Pearce photo)
Crops, Machinery

Pearce: Autonomous platform makes Eastern Canada debut

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It’s been dubbed “the future of agriculture” and for the first time, farmers in Eastern Canada had the opportunity to see the Dot A-U1 Power Platform with in-field demonstrations at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. The precision ag system, designed by Dot Technology Corp., attracted considerable attention going through its paces during the annual ag showcase, […] Read more
A healthy wheat head at left and one with severe symptoms of fusarium head blight at right. (Keith Weller photo courtesy ARS/USDA)
Crops, Weather

Pearce: Multiple modes of action an emerging reality for fungicides

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As growers face more challenges from weeds, diseases and insects, many researchers, agronomists, advisers and farmers have shifted thinking from “control” of pests to “managing” them. Some of this trend is attributable to single-mode-of-action products and a reliance on one or two chemistries or technologies — but the adaptability of weed, disease and insect species […] Read more
One of two new cold-tolerant clovers, FIXatioN Balansa will come into Canada as a cover first, then as a forage.
Crops, Forages

New cold-tolerant clovers

The first arrivals are cover crops, but forages are on their way

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When it comes to trying something new, it’s common for growers who rely on their forages to stick with what works. That’s understandable, given the demands for consistency, especially by dairy producers. Yet standing still is rarely a path to success on the farm. Now, in spite of growing concerns surrounding climate change, one seed […] Read more
A second pump in a continuous-rinse system pushes water out of the sprayer instead of diluting the mixture. (Ralph Pearce photo)
Crops, Machinery

Pearce: New system improves on rinse-and-repeat for sprayers

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When Dr. Jason Deveau talks about sprayer cleanouts, he knows it’s not a happy subject. During the 2017 edition of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show at Woodstock, Ont., Deveau, the application technology specialist for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) at Simcoe, spoke to farmers about a new continuous-rinse system. In some […] Read more
Eugenia Banks, a consultant with the Ontario Potato Board, has test plots featuring Spartan Chipper (pictured) and AAC Glossy, a fresh market potato. (Photo courtesy Eugenia Banks)

Pearce: Tests negative, weather positive for late blight in Ont. potatoes

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Aside from concerns regarding drier conditions in different potato-growing regions of Ontario, some growers are testing for late blight. Spore traps near Delhi came back negative recently — but did indicate an increase at the end of the experiment. Eugenia Banks, a consultant for the Ontario Potato Board, stated such a “signal” might indicate an […] Read more
Quality samples are taken from every plot, assessing diseases, stand establishment and re-growth, among other observations.
Crops, Forages

At Pickseed, forages are No. 1

Acquisition by a Danish company has allowed a sharp increase in research trials across the country

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Forages may lack for attention in Canada’s overall research budget, but not at Pickseed, which has long focused most of its attention on the forage and turf sectors. Now owned by Denmark’s DFL-Trifolium, Pickseed operates seven research stations across Canada, with its main facility in Lindsay, Ont., and another near Port Hope. There are also […] Read more
The same principles that apply to corn and soybeans must also apply to forages, including even emergence and good early-season weed management.
Crops, Forages

The challenges of growing quality forages

There are many reasons why production and quality may be less than ideal

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Perception that forages are too weather-dependent or that producers plant one year and leave them alone for three must be challenged. The name varies from farm to farm and from one region of the country to another. Some refer to it under the blanket term “forage” while others attempt to be more specific — hay, […] Read more
Seed potatoes loaded for planting. (File photo by Ralph Pearce)
Crops, Potatoes, Weather

Southwestern Ontario potato planting underway

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Close-to-seasonal temperatures and good planting conditions across parts of southwestern Ontario have growers in the Leamington region planting potatoes. According to Eugenia Banks, a special consultant for the Ontario Potato Board, potato planting began Wednesday morning, ahead of a weather system that’s forecast to dump up to 40 mm of rain by Friday. According to […] Read more

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