Posted: May 15, 2009

One-stop information sources published by provincial agriculture ministries

Crop protection manuals, published annually across Canada, have traditionally provided a one-stop resource for label and related information for a wide range of field crop protection products. These books offer information on newly registered products, rate changes, new formulations and tank mixes. Here's an update on this year's offerings.

Alberta. Crop Protection 2009, AKA The Bluebook. This guide includes updated information on products, tank mixes and formulation changes. It can be purchased for $12.50 online at Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development's print media branch (see link above) or by phoning toll-free in the province at 1-800-292-5697.

British Columbia. Field Crop Protection Guide, 2008-2009. This guide, billed as a guide to best management practices in B.C. for cereals, canola, field corn, field peas, grasses and legumes for forage and seed production, is available at B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Lands offices. It is also available in PDF format online at the link above.

Manitoba. 2009 Guide to Field Crop Protection. This 418-page guide provides information on the use of herbicides, fungicides and insecticides for control of weeds, plant diseases and insects. It is available for $9.82 (including GST) at Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives (MAFRI) GO Teams offices and centres.

Saskatchewan. 2009 Guide to Field Crop Protection. This guide, which features the same information available in the Manitoba version, is available free at Saskatchewan Agriculture regional offices and farm retail outlets throughout Saskatchewan. A spring update to the guide is set for posting May 1, 2009 on the Saskatchewan Agriculture Web site at www.agriculture.gov.sk.ca.

Ontario. Field Crop Protection Guide 2009-2010. This publication is the source of pest control information for the major field crops in Ontario, including best control options for integrated pest management. A new, updated version of the guide is set to come out this spring and will be available by the end of May, according to the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA). The $15 publication can be purchased at any local OMAFRA Resource Centre, online at the link above, or by phone at the ServiceOntario Publications Contact Centre at 1-800-668-9938.

Posted: May 15, 2009

Makhteshim Agan of North America, Canada (MANA Canada), has announced new label additions for its Alias insecticide. The imidacloprid chemistry is now registered for Crop Subgroup 13-A (including red, black and wild raspberry, blackberry, loganberry, sweet potato and ginseng) and Crop Group 9 (including citron melon, muskmelon, watermelon, summer and winter squash, cucumber and chayote).

"Alias was already registered to control your worst potato, blueberry and tree fruit insect pests. Now, with this label expansion, Alias will protect an even larger array of fruit and vegetable crops," said Dale Kushner, Canadian commercial business manager for MANA Canada. "Like all of our products, Alias will be available through leading retailers at a fair price."

More information is available on the MANA Canada Web site.