Hay Day program launched
The Manitoba Forage and Grasslands Association’s Green Gold Program is launching the 2019 instalment of its Hay Day program.
It provides a best-cut date, telling producers when pure alfalfa stands are at optimum quality, 150 relative feed value.
The desire to boost production of good quality forage, particularly for the dairy hay market, is a key driver for the long-running, alfalfa-monitoring program, now in its 24th year.
Twice a week during May and June, a team of provincial staff and volunteer producers clip samples from selected fields across Manitoba for laboratory testing.
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Results are emailed to more than 500 producers and industry people each week.
Producers say the program helps take the guesswork out of deciding the best time to cut alfalfa, based on the highest feed value.
Techgronomy diploma offered
Olds College in Olds, Alta., has launched a new precision agriculture diploma for techgronomy, which is focused on agronomy and technology.
The new program will prepare graduates for careers that require a deep understanding of the connectedness between network management and data sciences, especially as it relates to agronomy and specialized agricultural machinery.
As precision agriculture moves forward, the diploma program will help students discover ways to integrate technology into current and future farming systems.
Applications open Oct. 1, with the first intake of students on campus for a September 2020 start date.
More information is at oldscollege.ca.
KAP hires program manager
Thea Green is the new program manager for Keystone Agricultural Producers and responsible for the Farm Safety Program, the Environmental Farm Plan and human resources programming.
Previous work experience includes the School of Agriculture at the University of Manitoba as an instructor and program co-ordinator, and for the Calgary Board of Education as an educator and administrator.
She also has developed and delivered farm safety workshops and courses focused on keeping Manitoba farmers and farm businesses safe by reducing risk.
Blue Book now available
This year’s edition of the Crop Protection publication, also known as the Blue Book, has the most up-to-date information on crop protection products, which includes new products registered for foliar fungicides, seed treatments and insecticides.
Newly registered pesticide products will provide producers more control options on a variety of crops when managing insects and diseases.
The publication from Alberta Agriculture has new additions to the four main pesticide types: herbicides, insecticides, seed treatments and foliar fungicides.
Previously registered products have also been updated.
The most significant change in herbicides this year is that quinclorac has an international maximum allowable residue level, which is in a number of products specifically to control cleavers in canola.
Until the fall of 2018, there was no recognized safe level and these herbicides could not be used in canola.
All pesticide products presented in the Blue Book have their chemical group and active ingredient listed. By using this information, the risk of developing pesticide resistance can be reduced or delayed.
A copy of the publication can be downloaded at www.alberta.ca/crop-protection-manual.aspx, or obtained by calling 780-427-0391.
