Highlights from Agronomy Update 2022
Agronomy Update 2022 was held on January 11-12, 2022, and hosted by Alberta Barley, Alberta Pulse, Alberta Canola and the Alberta Wheat Commission to provide timely agronomic information for farmers and agronomists. The virtual two-day event saw 670 farmers and agronomists tune-in for agronomic presentations from industry experts. Were you unable to attend this year’s event? This article provides highlights from Agronomy Update for wheat and barley farmers to consider during the 2022 growing season.
Herbicide carryover considerations - Clark Brenzil, Government of Saskatchewan
After the dry 2021 growing season, many growers are asking ‘Will herbicide carryover affect my 2022 crops?’. Growers that received less than 160 mm (~6”) of rainfall between June 1 and August 30, are at high to extremely high risk of herbicide carryover. This risk is further amplified with products that have multi-year re-cropping restrictions if there was inadequate moisture in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Growers should check with manufacturers about the risks for specific herbicides.
Growers in both high or moderate risk areas are encouraged to speak with their agronomist and herbicide manufacturer about rotational crop sensitivity for their specific rainfall and soil types. These one-on-one discussions will be different for each farm. Growers are reminded to “know their actives” as some generic herbicide companies may not have notified growers about potential carryover issues.
Fertilizer considerations - Rigas Karamanos
The dry conditions of 2021 meant reduced crop growth, nutrient uptake and soil processes. Late rains and subsequent regrowth in many fields further complicate 2022 fertility decisions. The first step is knowing what is in your soil. Although there are misconceptions about soil testing, it is an important tool to determine what is in your soil and provides guidance. The nitrogen (N) fertilizer rate of return calculator tool can help growers explore the economics of different N fertilizer rates, given the high cost of urea and 2022 crop prices. Farmers can access the calculator at gov.mb.ca/agriculture.
Split N fertilizer applications can be used to manage risk if dry conditions continue for 2022. It is important to remember: first, N applications to increase yield need to be applied before the first node is visible; second, N fertilizer applications made after the flag leaf stage will primarily contribute to protein; and third, split N applications have additional costs associated with the extra pass and trampling damage.
Wheat stem sawfly - Haley Catton, AAFC Lethbridge
The fall 2021 Alberta sawfly survey shows increasing sawfly populations in southern Alberta, especially in counties bordering the U.S.. Growers in the ‘red’ or ‘orange’ parts of the forecast map should monitor for sawfly and use an integrated management approach considering crop rotation, biocontrol, solid stem varieties and swathing. Insecticide, tillage and burning are not effective. View the forecast map at alberta.ca or in the 2022 Agronomy Update PowerPoint presentations at albertacanola.com.
Impact of heat and drought on insects - Meghan Vankosky, AAFC Saskatoon
Hot and dry conditions impact insect pest range, development and survivability. For example, insect development increases in warmer temperatures, but heat stress may cause insect death while dry conditions can slow or prevent insect development. Models suggest that a hotter and drier prairie climate could contribute to worsening outbreaks of drought tolerant pests, but fewer pest species. The models predicted that the pest range of wheat midge would shrink and be focused in the Peace River region while wheat stem sawfly and grasshoppers’ area of influence would increase and cover most of the growing areas of the Prairies.
Increasing your fungicide IQ - Michael Harding, Alberta Agriculture
The biggest return on fungicide investments and increased fungicide efficacy requires farmers to: correctly decide to spray or not to spray; apply fungicide at the optimum growth stage; use the correct product and rate. Further fungicide management will result in smaller incremental gains and require more specialised knowledge. This includes sprayer calibration, water rate, ground speed, boom height and nozzle type.
Factors that complicate fungicide management are rain, fungicide insensitivity, limitations of chemical compounds and different cultivar responses. Fungicide insensitivity can be managed by only applying fungicides when necessary, rotating fungicide groups and tank mixing multiple groups. Increasing fungicide knowledge can be done by reading product labels and safety data sheets to understand fungicide modes of action, mobility within the plant, chemical half-lives and degradation.
PowerPoints from the Agronomy Update presentations are available for viewing at albertacanola.com.