Posted: June 9, 2009

Fast-changing weather and late frosts during spraying season are nothing new for many Alberta growers, but this year has been particularly challenging for growers in the province and other pockets of the prairies.

Here are some reminders and advice on handling the conditions, from three knowledgeable specialists and researchers.

Recognize the challenge. There's no doubt the cool night temperatures (often near or below freezing) of the past couple weeks affect crop tolerance and weed control. "Crops are less able to metabolize the herbicide under these conditions and greater crop injury may occur," says Dr. Bob Blackshaw of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's in Lethbridge. "Weeds that are not actively growing are often not controlled as well."

Be patient. The persistent cold, combined with dry conditions, makes things especially tough. "We're still getting frost this week throughout the province, with real cool temperatures, particularly at night, from the south to the north," says Alberta provincial weed specialist Harry Brook. "Add the dryness we're seeing in a lot of places, you end up with extra stress on both the crop and the weeds. It's kind of a one-two punch really, of cold and dry. I would not be surprised this year if there are a lot of growers unhappy with the activity of the herbicides they're using, depending on when they spray."

To avoid being one of those unhappy growers, Brook advises exercising a bit of patience with the conditions. "Guys are saying 'it's about ready to spray, but we just had frost last night. Can I spray today?' We're recommending they should probably wait a day or two."

That's not always easy, he acknowledges. "Rarely do we get ideal conditions for spraying and this year we're having more challenges than last. I know there are producers out there having to spray under poor conditions."

Exercise care. When the window is tight, careful decision making is key, says Ross McKenzie, an Alberta provincial agronomy research scientist. "Spraying just after cold or frost can greatly reduce the effectiveness of a herbicide. So farmers must be very aware of weather conditions when spraying and the label recommendations of the herbicides they are using."

Scout fields and pick a good time to spray. "Particularly if there's a frost, the plants really need a couple of days to get back up and running again," says Brook. "You need to be able wait at least that long to check if the plants and weeds have been damaged and that they're actively growing."

Scouting your fields and knowing your herbicides can help support good decision making, he says. Some herbicides are especially sensitive to being sprayed in cool temperatures. To get the best control from many products, growers often need to use high water volumes, and ideally it should be a warm sunny day when there's lots of photosynthesis going on in the plant. Reading the herbicide label is also a good way for growers to get some hints and peculiarities about the product they're using to get the best results.

Think thresholds. Economic thresholds for spraying are important under dry conditions, cautions Brook. "Bottom line is, we need rain. Once we get rain, the weeds will develop, but right now they're slow. The whole idea is to control the weeds before they damage crop yields; if they emerge after the crop it's less crucial because they will have less effect on crop yield."

Posted: June 9, 2009

It's a good news story for the ag industry that needs continued producer support.

Numbers tell this story: 73 million used pesticide containers recycled since 1989. Eleven hundred drop-off locations from coast to coast. A return rate among producers of over 70 percent.

Cam Davreux of CropLife Canada says the company's empty pesticide container program is one of the great untold success stories of producers' commitment to the environment today and is the kind of information that will be part of Canada's "clean brand" for food products for years to come.

"The industry's return rate on empty pesticide containers is 70 to 75 percent, which is really very, very good for a voluntary program. It's a good news environmental story. It shows that Canadian farmers are good environmental stewards," says Davreux.

How the program works

Program participation is straightforward. Producers bring their used plastic pesticide containers to one of over 1,100 registered collection sites located across Canada. The containers must be pressure- or triple-rinsed with caps and paper booklets removed beforehand. A list of these collection sites is available on the CropLife Web site at www.croplife.ca.

Under the program, containers are then picked up at the collection sites, shredded and transported to various recyclers where they are manufactured into fence posts, drainage tile, highway guardrails and other agricultural uses. "We're very particular as to where the plastic goes," says Davreux. "We don't want it going into plastic lumber, for example. We like them to be agricultural applications."

Here's what producers need to know about the program and its marketing impact for Canada's ag industry.

Numbers are good. It's important to emphasize that the return rates of 70 to 75 percent speak highly to the industry's ongoing respect for the program, says Davreux.

Due diligence important. It's never been more important to be able to prove what you are doing. As the ag industry builds on beneficial management practices and environmental messaging, it's clear that proving due diligence on container management is critical to the industry.

Industry is using the results. Davreux believes the success of the empty pesticide container program is a communications opportunity, not just for CropLife but for each producer, dealer and manufacturer in the industry. The challenge, he says, is putting the numbers in a context the public can better understand and relate to.

"If you look at the amount of plastic we've recycled since this program was started, it would equate to saving 115,000 barrels of oil. We should put it in those kinds of terms. I think there's an opportunity for us here."

The numbers on the program's success are used many times in crop protection industry communications, showing up in documents, interviews, articles and other resources.

Growing opportunities. The success of the empty pesticide container collection program has grown into a sister program: the Clean FARMS obsolete pesticide collection program, which was first established in 1998. Currently the program is in its second sweep across the country and is expected to be completed in 2009. To date, the program has collected and safely disposed of 1.6 million kilograms of obsolete, unwanted and otherwise unusable agricultural pesticides free of charge.

Target 80 percent

All of this, according to Davreux, reaffirms that accountable product management is not an option and consistent improvement is essential. CropLife's goal for this year is an 80 percent return rate for empty pesticide containers and there's confidence that it's an attainable goal.

For more information on the empty pesticide container program, e-mail Davreux at or call the CropLife Canada office at (416) 622-9771.