Keep it Clean, a collaboration between the Canola Council of Canada, Cereals Canada, Pulse Canada and the Prairie Oat Growers Association, publishes an annual advisory to help farmers navigate market risks related to agrochemical use.
Tag Archives pest control
New risks flagged in this year’s ‘Keep it Clean’ list
The updates affect insecticide use on cereals and lentils
Pest control equation becomes more complex
Simple solutions are wonderful, and for decades, pesticides offered simple control of weeds, diseases and insects. Farmers learned to pair biology with chemistry to produce crops resistant to broad spectrum herbicides, allowing cleaner fields with fewer passes of the sprayer. Crops with built-in protection against insects lessened the need for insecticides and spared non-target insects. […] Read more
Prof urges caution when using zinc phosphide
Vet says the main strychnine replacement for controlling Richardson’s ground squirrels can also poison other animals
Strychnine might be out as a pest control tool in Canada but one of the main replacement rodenticides to control Richardson’s ground squirrel populations needs special attention in its use as well, says a University of Saskatchewan veterinarian. Dr. Vanessa Cowan, assistant professor of toxicology at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, said zinc phosphide […] Read more
Spiders can pay significant dividends in pest control
New University of Alberta research has found that a healthy population plays an important role in pest management
A study, in its final stages of data analysis, carried out by Carol Frost, an assistant professor of conservation biology at the University of Alberta, is showing the importance of a healthy spider population in pest management.
Learning to love your local beetles
Boyd Mori has been studying the DNA of what is found in the digestive tracts of the species Pterostichus melanarius, commonly known as the rain beetle, to better understand what they eat.
Pesticide label change transition times upheld
Environmental groups had argued the PMRA didn’t have the ability to phase in changes it made to product registrations
Pierre Petelle is breathing a sigh of relief in the wake of a Federal Court ruling reaffirming the Pest Management Regulatory Agency’s authority to set phase-in periods for amended pesticide registrations. “We’re very pleased with the outcome because it would have been tremendously impactful,” said the president of CropLife Canada. The David Suzuki Foundation, Friends […] Read more
Ag Drag
PMRA’s decision to reduce international engagement when it comes to MRLs could impede Canadian agricultural exports.
Health Canada is under pressure from Agriculture Canada and the standing committee on agriculture and the standing committee on finance to change how the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) operates. Farm groups have lobbied the government for the PMRA to take their needs into consideration because the agency’s activity has significant bearing on the agriculture […] Read more
New guide helps identify cutworms
This is the time to scout fields for cutworms, and this year farmers have a new resource to help them identify type. Twenty-one species are itemized in Cutworm Pests of Crops on the Canadian Prairies, an identification and management field guide prepared by Agriculture Canada entomologist and researcher Kevin Floate. About seven of those species […] Read more
Time running out for poisoning gophers
Adults are out now, which are ideal targets for baiting; poisoning young animals just takes food away from raptors
PINCHER CREEK, Alta. — Action within the next two weeks will be needed for farmers who want to limit damage this year from Richardson’s ground squirrels, commonly known as gophers. Phil Merrill, Alberta Agriculture’s pest specialist, told those at an April 8 agricultural services meeting that the narrow treatment window relates to the rodents’ life […] Read moreExpert ag chem advice found online
The wide variety of pest control choices available to farmers can make it difficult to decide which products to choose. Enter Chris Hawkins, who created an online pest control advisory service called AgChemExpert to make the decision a bit easier. Hawkins, a pest control adviser from Oak Bluff, Man., with 12 years experience, hired a […] Read more
