Posted: February 11, 2009

Several crop protection advocates are using a recent Auditor General report on invasive plant species as a rallying point to criticize pending cosmetic pesticide use in Ontario.

"Canada's Auditor General has identified that Canada could suffer significantly if invasive pests are not properly controlled," says Bette Jean Crews, president of Ontario Federation of Agriculture in a strongly-worded news release from CropLife Canada. "Ontario farmers know that pest control is an important element of economic success for our sector and we are hoping that Premier (Dalton) McGuinty will finally see the validity of the concerns we are raising.

"The proposed regulations are not science-based and will discourage innovation, jeopardizing farmers' ability to continue to produce a safe and affordable supply of healthy foods."

The proposed regulations put Ontario farms at an increased risk of pest infestations from non-agricultural land and at the same time send a negative message to the public about the adequacy of the federal regulatory system, says Richard Blyleven, a farmer and chair of Agricultural Groups Concerned about Resources and the Environment (AGCare).

"If farmers are going to successfully meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population, we need access to every tool in the toolbox. That includes today's safe and effective crop protection products."

"The Ontario government says they have addressed concerns about invasive species in their legislation, but they haven't," says Pierre Petelle, director of regulatory affairs at CropLife Canada. "These arbitrary regulations create an environment of uncertainty and make it unlikely that Canada will be seen as a place to invest as newer and more effective pest control products are made available in other countries."

For the full release, click here.

Posted: February 11, 2009

Syngenta Crop Protection Canada is hoping to take some of the time and mess out of herbicide handling with its new Nova Pod packaging.

The Nova Pod is billed by the company as a "breakthrough approach" to herbicide packaging that is easy to use, handle and dispose of. Containing pre-mixed Horizon NG formulation, the new packaging includes two strategically placed handles designed for easier lifting, carrying, storing and stacking. It also features a "spike zone" said to simplify the process of spiking on a chem handler. Also, by replacing two jugs and eliminating cardboard boxes, Syngenta says the packaging stands to make clean-up faster and easier.

The Nova Pod will be available for the 2009 growing season. For more information, see this Syngenta news release.

Posted: February 11, 2009

Viterra recently announced the introduction of WildCat, a new option for spring wheat, durum wheat and barley growers. According to the company Web site, it provides control of grassy weeds such as wild oats, green and yellow foxtail, and barnyardgrass. It is sold for use in the Prairie provinces and Peace River region of British Columbia only.

Wildcat is a Group 1 herbicide with numerous tank mix options for one-pass weed control. It has a variable rate that can be used for lighter infestations of wild oats or strictly for control of green foxtail. It also provides control of barnyardgrass, a weed species that has been on the increase in recent years.

Further information on WildCat is available on the Viterra Web site at www.viterra.ca.