Posted: July 6, 2010

Headline fungicide has been approved for label expansion to protect against sunflower rust.

"This registration is a critical one for sunflower growers in western Canada," stated Wayne Barton, market manager for fungicides for BASF Canada. "Two cases of sunflower rust have recently been confirmed in Manitoba. Fortunately, because of the delayed growing season this year, growers still have time to protect their crop from this tough-to-manage infection and protect their crops' yield."

Sunflower rust is a damaging disease, with early infections reducing yields by anywhere from 25 to 50 per cent. According to the Manitoba disease survey, sunflower rust was present in 74 per cent of the surveyed fields in 2008.

Headline should be applied at 0.4 litres per hectare prior to disease development, says the company. Growers should apply a second time 10 to 14 days later if disease persists, or if weather conditions are favourable for disease development.

View the BASF Canada news release here.

Posted: July 6, 2010

Canola at the bud stage can typically out-compete lygus bugs but drought stress can tilt the playing field in bugs' favor.

That's what's happening now in the Peace River Region and as a result producers should carefully assess their risk and consider spraying options, says Erin Brock, Canola Council of Canada agronomist.

"We are getting reports of up to three to four lygus bugs per bud cluster in some areas of the Peace River region, where canola is under drought stress this year."

Lygus bug feeding on canola at the bud stage is not normally cause for concern. Canola will generally outgrow damage by flowering longer and putting out more buds to compensate. But canola under drought stress may not be able to compensate for buds lost to lygus feeding.

Growers in the Peace River Region are concerned their drought-stressed canola won't be able to compensate as it would under better growing conditions, reports the Canola Council of Canada. The council has issued a news release with tips on on how to scout for damage, how to assess lygus bug impact and key factors to consider when deciding whether to spray.

In the release, dated June 29, Jennifer Otani, insect pest management biologist with AAFC in Beaverlodge, Alta., advises growers to consider spraying if a healthy stand at the bud stage fails to flower by July 3 or 4. "I'd be out sweeping to see what numbers are there for lygus bugs plus diamondback larvae. If numbers are within economic thresholds for that crop stage, I'd consider an insecticide spray."

View the Canola Council of Canada release.

Posted: July 6, 2010

A new formulation of this Bayer CropScience product has picked up registration for use against wiremworms in Western Canada.

Raxil is a seed treatment used to protect cereal crops against early-season diseases. The new 'Raxil WW' with added wireworm protection will be available fro the 2010 winter wheat season.

"We are seeing more occurrences of wireworms in cereal crops, including activity outside the brown soil zone" says Graham Hastie, Manager of Cereal Crops Fungicides/Insecticides & Seed Treatments with Bayer CropScience. "With Raxil WW, growers get the proven disease protection of Raxil MD combined with StressShieldTM which offers insecticidal seed protection of the plant stand from wireworm infestations."

When wireworms feed on plants treated with Raxil WW they enter into a prolonged coma-like state and stop feeding, says the company.

In a 2009 article published by Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), entomologist Dr. Bob Vernon with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada explains that "wireworms are attracted to CO2, whatever the source. Wireworm populations are high in fields that have had a recent history of pasture and rotations with forages and cereal grains."

Read the full Bayer CropScience release here.