Pests, weeds, diseases among topics at crop meetings

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This article was published 16/02/2024 (955 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Farmers interested in learning more about profit margins, pests and weeds can attend Manitoba Agriculture events in two Westman communities this month.

The first crop meeting, with the theme “Setting the stage for a profitable farm in 2024,” takes place in Baldur on Feb. 20 from 8:45 a.m. to noon at the Baldur Memorial Hall. On Feb. 22, another meeting will be held at Stride Hall in Gladstone from 8:45 a.m. to noon.

Both meetings will give producers a chance to hear about farm management and pest, weed and disease issues that could face farmers over the coming years, says Callum Morrison, a crop production specialist with Manitoba Agriculture.

“Farm management specialists Roy Arnott and Wendy Durand will just be talking about some of the farm business management angles which … are absolutely essential if we’re going to have a farm that can survive and flourish,” Morrison said.

Manitoba Agriculture agronomist John Gavloski will give a talk on flea beetles, grasshoppers and other area pests. Gavloski will present insect updates, forecasts, scouting and management tips.

Field crop pathologist David Kaminski will host a session on clubroot, a disease that affects canola plants, and weeds specialist Kim Livingston-Brown will talk about which weeds should be watched in the coming growing season and options to control them.

“Of the four topics, three of them are kind of what I’m calling themes — we have pests, weeds and diseases. And one of the ways that we can weather these … is by setting ourselves up for success by making sure that our finances are in order, and then we really know what we’re doing,” Morrison said.

Livingston-Brown’s job is to provide timely and unbiased information to farmers to help their operations succeed, and these meetings are a great place to do that, she said.

“We just want to get the information out because it’s something that we feel all of our clients need.”

When it comes to tackling tough weeds, things like herbicide resistance can change on a year-to-year basis, which is why it’s so important for farmers to keep abreast of everything they need to know to keep their crops healthy, Livingston-Brown said. This year, farmers should pay close attention to kochia, also known as summer cypress and burning bush.

Manitoba Agriculture’s website says the weed is on the rise in parts of the province, especially in southwestern Manitoba. Kochia, a weed native to Asia and central Europe, was introduced to the country as ornamental planting by European immigrants. It soon established itself as a major weed and is especially rampant during drought years like the ones recently experienced in Westman.

“We have been battling that for a number of years now, and so it’s becoming more and more difficult to control this weed. With herbicides, it’s still possible, but there’s a lot of new developments,” Livingston-Brown said. “So it’s good to know, especially in the face of multiple herbicide resistance, what we’re up against and some strategies going into the spring.”

An emerging weed called waterhemp, a member of the pigweed family and a relatively new problem in the Prairie provinces, will also be discussed. Across North America, it has become one of the worst agronomic weeds seen in the last 40 years.

“This is a really bad weed,” Livingston-Brown said. “We’re very fortunate that we don’t have it yet, so we need to really be on the lookout and be aware of it.”

Producers in the area have already reached out to Morrison to tell him they’re planning to attend, Morrison said. He has noticed that, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person meetings are drumming up a lot of interest.

“I think a lot of people like the idea of in-person meetings because it also becomes a sort of social occasion as well, where people get to meet me, they get to meet the Manitoba Ag staff, but also they get to meet other farmers.”

Connecting with other producers is a good way for them to form connections and discuss the issues facing the industry, some of which will be touched on in the meetings.

Morrison hopes to bring more crop meetings to the region on a regular basis.

“I’m really hoping a good number of producers come out, and I’m hoping that if there’s appetite, and I’m sure there will be — there seems to be lots of people very interested — that this will become something I do every year,” he said.

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