As herbicide-resistant Canada fleabane and other problem weeds continue to frustrate farmers, more creative control solutions are being sought. Planting cover crops, specifically cereal rye is a good tactic, say researchers from the University of Guelph and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs. Why it matters: Herbicide-resistant weeds are creating more challenges […] Read more
Tag Archives University of Guelph — page 17
A double-barreled approach to fleabane control
Combined herbicide-cover crop approach can provide effective control
DON corn testing: A new era begins
After a disastrous vomitoxin outbreak, the Ontario Corn Committee is implementing a testing program that farmers have wanted for years. But will companies participate?
Ontario corn farmers have been relying on their own observations and those of their neighbours along with scant information from corn companies to make hybrid selections that lower their risk of vomitoxin. When they go to make their selections for 2020, however, they will have new independent disease risk numbers on which to base their […] Read more
Seed placement is key to ensure highest yield potential
Uniform germination leads to uniform emergence and ultimately a uniform high-end yield potential
The farmer’s pass through the field with the planter is the pass that sets the yield, say planting experts. How the seed is planted and the conditions in which it is planted have a direct effect on the uniformity of the stand. Under ideal conditions these aspects lead to a greater yield. Why it matters: […] Read more
Riding the learning curve on organic no-till
Farmers are pushing the boundaries of roller-crimping winter rye and direct seeding soybeans behind
Planting soybeans into a just-terminated cover crop of winter rye is gaining popularity among Ontario’s organic community, as farmers strive to introduce minimum-till strategies into their rotations. No-till planting has so far not become common in any other crops under organic production — in which farmers typically rely upon tillage instead of chemical inputs to […] Read more
Immune test could help reduce Bovine Respiratory Disease in cattle
A group of cattle industry players are working together to develop a high-immune response test for Angus cattle, which could help fight Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD). The project, which received $500,000 in funding in early February from Genome Canada’s Genomic Application Partnership Program, aims to reduce the $1 billion BRD is estimated to cost the […] Read more
Opinion: Can the new food guide dish up good agri-food policy?
The release of Canada’s Food Guide on Jan. 22 was, predictably, followed by hot debate. The food guide has a long history of being contentious and although government asserts that the newest version is based on science, which some debate, critics seem more concerned about its wider societal implications. The 2007 version was criticized as […] Read more
Manage to the average no more
Beef research and new technology take aim at individual animal management, but will it be profitable on the farm?
The new beef research facility being constructed at the University of Guelph’s Elora Research Station will expand capacity to 288 cows and 96 replacement females and will enable researchers to gather more individual data on the animals. Why it matters: Beef cow numbers have been declining in Ontario as other sectors, especially crops, provide more […] Read more
Taking out slugs without more insecticides
Slugs can be a challenge in minimal and no-till fields, where greater tillage isn’t an option
Most of the acreage in Pennsylvania is no-till and that means slugs can be a huge issue. This has become such an issue that growers are reverting to using more tillage, said John Tooker, of the department of entomology at Penn State University He spoke at the recent FarmSmart Conference at the University of Guelph. […] Read more
More work needed to put dairy data gathering to good use, say researchers
Dairy Focus: University of Guelph researchers say cow health events can be predicted with data
The proliferation of artificial intelligence in today’s dairy barns should eventually lead to the ability to predict a daily disease probability for lactating animals, says University of Guelph researcher Meagan King. However, one of her University of Guelph compatriots Stephen Leblanc noted that “we’re not there yet.” King, a post-doctorate animal biosciences researcher and Leblanc, […] Read more
Plant stress makes early-season weed control critical
Research shows corn and soybeans can sense the presence of weeds even before emergence
Do you get anxious about weeds in the field? Your crops sure do, and according to new research, yield reductions from early-season weed pressure can happen extremely quickly. Research in the late 1980s established the significant yield impacts caused by weeds if they are not properly controlled early in the growing season, says Clarence Swanton, […] Read more
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