Agenda

DAY ONE: FEBRUARY 25, 2020

Aphanomyces root rot exploded onto the prairie pulse scene a mere six years ago. We’ve learned a lot about this pathogen in that time, but there’s also a lot we still don’t know. This presentation will delve into the current research on Aphanomyces and the role its many accomplices play in driving disease in the field. The challenges and lessons learned from field trials tell the complicated story of this pathogen and ongoing field research into managing the disease will be presented.

Multiple modes, multiple rates and multiple species. Which combination is a winner? Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are marketed to farmers as agronomic tools to decrease stem growth, improve standability and increase yield. In addition, PGRs can occasionally extend days to maturity, reduce test weight, reduce thousand kernel weight and possibly reduce grain protein content. But many factors contribute to a farmer’s decision to use PGRs, and their efficacy is influenced by other agronomic management decisions. This combined presentation will provide a deep dive into PGRs in various crops, including wheat, barley and oats, and provide data from recent studies conducted in Alberta and Manitoba.

 

Insect crop pests keep producers “hopping” throughout the growing season. Some insect pests are “newer” than others and some insect pests are old pests made new again. The beneficial insects that are at work in your fields helping to supress pest insect populations though represent a line of defense that you might not realize that you have. This talk will introduce you to some of the big players in the beneficial insect world so that you’ll know what they are and what they can do in your crops.

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How is the elemental concentration of nutrients in grain crops influenced by fertilization? The human nutritional value of crops is considered, including the effects of fertilizer addition on content of zinc and iron. Results of recent research in Western Canada on biofortification through fertilizer amendment will be covered.

How can growers recover from clubroot? Dan Orchard will share some experiences finding clubroot while focusing on research updates and best management practices for clubroot control. This will include ways to reduce the risk of introducing clubroot to your farm, how to keep spore loads low if it does arrive on the farm, and how to limit the disease’s impact going forward. Curtis Henkelmann has been farming in a clubroot region and tackling the disease head on for over 15 years. Curtis will share tips on what he has been doing to keep clubroot under control and give advice on what works and what doesn’t work for clubroot management. Curtis has a practical, realistic approach to this serious disease, and hopes to help growers keep canola in their rotation for years to come.

Once considered an essential part of pest control, neonicotinoids have been placed under the microscope in recent years. There may be merit to some of the scrutiny, but where do we go from here? And, if neonics are ultimately phased out completely, what are the alternatives for crop producers? Dr. John Gavloski, entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture, will present science and solutions. 

DAY TWO – FEBRUARY 26, 2020

What is the return on investment of different ag technology options, and how can the data from technology be used on the farm to make management decisions? Joy Agnew will present on the latest ag tech information, and current research happening at the Olds College Smart Farm in Alberta, including wireless soil sensors, microclimate crop health monitors, spot spraying technology and more.

This session will discuss crop adaptation to marginal soils. Leon uses molecular and genetic approaches to improve crops to better deal with insufficient mineral nutrients (N, P, K) or water in the soil, working to make plants more resilient and healthy in the face of less water and fertilizer inputs.

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The application of fungicides to protect plant health represents several unique challenges that set this practice apart from herbicide application. In the first place, most common fungicides do not translocate within the plant to a large degree, making initial coverage important. Secondly, application typically occurs later in the growing season into a canopy that is at maximum foliation and density, and canopy penetration can be challenging. Thirdly, application timing is critical with sometimes narrow windows of opportunity. This talk will discuss how these factors can be managed with modern approaches, and demonstrates how solutions may be external to the spray application per se.

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