WHAT’S NEW WITH BAYER
CROPSCIENCE PRODUCTS
STOP WEEDS EARLY TO MAXIMIZE YIELD
Don’t let them sap away energy your crop needs
R
esearch has proven that proper
early weed management both
prior to seeding and during
the critical 1- to 4-leaf stage of crop
development is one of the best ways to
protect and maximize yield for cereals
and canola.
In fact, growers can limit losses caused
by weeds to less than 5% for the entire
crop year simply by maintaining good
weed control during this critical early
season period (OMAFRA Agronomy
Guide for Field Crops).
“The early season is a time when
emerging canola and cereal crops are
at their most vulnerable,” says Doug
Richardson, market development
specialist at Bayer CropScience. “It’s also
a time when weeds have the greatest
negative impact on yield – far greater
than at any other period of the growing
season. You don’t want weeds competing
with your emerging crop and using up
limited moisture and nutrient resources.
This is the most important time to control
weeds and allow your crop to reach its full
potential.”
Start with a clean field
The first step to avoid a yield penalty is to
ensure a clean field prior to planting. As
part of an integrated weed management
strategy involving a number of good
agronomic practices, this typically
involves planning for a pre-seed herbicide
application or “pre-burn” to remove
perennial, winter annual and early
germinating species of weeds.
Herbicide choices for pre-burn include
a range of product and tank mix options,
involving both glyphosate and nonglyphosate modes of action. “Today, with
greater awareness of the risk of herbicide
34
FARM FORUM /SPRING 2015
Kochia in canola
resistance, farmers are encouraged
where feasible to place greater emphasis
on going beyond glyphosate-only
applications and to apply products with
unique or multiple modes of action,” says
Richardson.
For canola, growers now have more
choice with a recent label expansion for
Pardner® herbicide in 2014, to include
application prior to seeding canola to
control volunteer canola in Canada.
“This new registration allows canola
growers to tank mix Pardner with
Roundup® WeatherMax® herbicide
or other similar glyphosates,” says
Richardson, noting Pardner must ONLY
be used pre-seed for canola. Trials
show that Pardner controls volunteer
canola even better than industry
leader CleanStart® (Source: Six Bayer
CropScience Development & Licensing
Trials, 2013). “The tank mix approach
using Pardner and glyphosate also
controls more than 28 broadleaf weeds,
even those resistant to other herbicide
groups such as Group 9-resistant kochia.”
Target post-emergence
at 1-4 leaf stage
The second important step is to plan a
post-emergence herbicide application
to occur during the critical 1- to 4-leaf
A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE
stage for both canola and cereals. “Studies
have consistently shown this stage is the most
important and effective time for early postemergence application,” says Richardson.
The recommendation for Liberty®, for
example, is to apply for post-emergence
treatment approximately 20 days after seeding.
It’s critical to watch growing conditions closely to
determine optimal timing, to make sure weeds
do not get out of stage before spraying occurs.
Similar recommendations are advised for other
leading products such as Velocity m3 and
Varro®.
When using Liberty, particularly when
weed pressure is high, a second application is
recommended approximately 10-14 days later
after the first application. (Second applications
are not advised for Velocity m3 and Varro.)
Bayer CropScience research trials reinforce the
importance of meeting these recommendations.
For example, trials have shown a 7% increase in
wild oat control with Varro when the herbicide
was applied at the 1- to 4-leaf stage compared
to application at the growth stage of 2 to 3 tillers.
Trials have also shown weed control with Velocity
m3 is substantially improved when applied
approximately 30 days after seeding in contrast
to application 36 days after seeding.
“The key is to avoid waiting too long,” says
Richardson. “If post-emergence spraying occurs
after the 1- to 4-leaf stage it is too late and
growers can expect their crop to suffer major
yield reductions due to weed competition.”
CANOLA: TIMING IS EVERYTHING
SEEDING
CROP EMERGENCE
LEAF STAGES
1
2
WEEK 1
3
WEEK 2
4 56
WEEK 3
(High yield protection)
WEEK 4
(Low yield protection)
COSMETICS & WEED
SEED PREVENTION
EMERGING WEEDS
CAUSE CROP LOSS
CRITICAL WEED-FREE PERIOD
IN WHEAT CROPS
DAY 0
EMERGENCE
DAY15-23
ADVANCED TILLERING
CRITICAL WEED
FREE PERIOD
INREASED LIKELIHOOD
INCREASED
LIKELIHOOD OF
OF CROP
CROP RESPONSE
Bayer CropScience is dedicated to furthering the education of all our growing partners. The Grow Your
Knowledge Education Series is an online series of short videos and quizzes that can help you get valuable
CCA credits when completed successfully. This video library features presentations by ag-industry experts on
a wide variety of topics that address the most serious and relevant concerns facing growers today.
This site has recently been updated with eight NEW fungicide training videos and modules including:
EDUCATION
SERIES
• 2
014 Fusarium Head Blight Update and Best Management Practices
• Fungicide Resistance in Canada
• New Delaro® Fungicide for Pulses and Soybeans
• Integrated Pest Management Systems
•
Disease Updates
– Sclerotinia Control in Canola
– Cereal Crops
– Chickpea, Lentils and Field Peas
– Dry Beans and Soybeans
To view these videos and many more, please visit: BayerCropScience.ca/GrowYourKnowledge
FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2015
35
WHAT’S NEW WITH
BAYER CROPSCIENCE
PRODUCTS
TAKE CONTROL OF HERBICIDE RESISTANCE
Don’t let weeds make the decisions on your farm
H
erbicide resistance is a growing
problem that’s hard to ignore.
Surveys each year add to an
expanding body of evidence that this
issue is not going away and is a real threat
to the productivity and sustainability of
Canadian farms.
But growers have the tools and
knowledge to fight back. It all starts
with making the decision to take charge,
before you’re stuck letting weeds make
the decisions on your farm.
Understand the challenge
The battle between herbicides and weeds
is one of survival of the fittest. Normally,
a herbicide will do what it is designed to
do. It will control the weed population it
is targeted for. However, due to genetic
variation, within any weed population
there is often a low frequency of plants
that carry a level of resistance to a
specific group of herbicides.
Normally this has no bearing on yield
loss and is not a cause for concern.
However, if the same herbicide group is
relied upon too frequently and heavily,
without rotating herbicide groups and
weed control measures, this places
heavy selection pressure on the weed
population and promotes the survival of
any resistant individuals.
Over time these resistant plants can
multiply and become the dominant weeds
in the field, resulting in herbicide products
that are no longer effective for weed
control.
Mix it up
Growers can prevent herbicide
resistance from occurring by
implementing integrated weed
management strategies. These should
include a variety of sound agronomic
approaches, along with a “mixing it
up” approach using different herbicide
groups, to make sure the risk of
resistance is kept at a low level.
When managing herbicide groups,
it’s important to keep in mind that
different products can still have the same
active ingredients. In order to manage
resistance, growers need to make sure
they are actually changing the active
ingredients applied to the field and not
just the products.
Product labels typically provide this
information by describing the herbicide
as belonging to a particular numbered
chemical group. So it’s critical for growers
to read the labels and “know your groups”
as the basis for a successful strategy.
InVigor Consistently Delivers
To see complete performance data
including trial results from your area,
visit InVigorResults.ca
2014 TOP 10 OFFICIAL PUBLIC CO-OP REGISTRATION TRIALS
InVigor
Yield (% of InVigor 5440 and Pioneer Hi-Bred 45H29)
Grown on more acres than any other canola,
InVigor® is the name growers have come to trust
for consistent performance and yield year after year.
Since first introduced in 1996, InVigor hybrids
have ranked number one on the Western Canada
Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee
(WCC/RRC) variety registration trials for 19
consecutive years. And 2014 was no exception with
InVigor hybrids notching eight of the top 10 spots.
Competitors
110
105
100
95
90
85
Source: 2014 Western Canadian Canola & Rapeseed Recommending Committee (WCC/RRC)
36
FARM FORUM /SPRING 2015
A NEWSLETTER FROM BAYER CROPSCIENCE
GROU
Record keeping is important and growers
should know their field history in order
to rotate their herbicide groups based
on past use and frequency of use. It’s
important to keep selection pressure low,
both during the growing season and from
year to year.
In addition to chemical rotation,
growers should take advantage of other
sound weed management practices
that help manage resistance. These
include increasing the seeding rate and
decreasing row spacing for better crop
competition; implementing proper crop
rotation to change up the disease and
weed pressure dynamic; cleaning farm
equipment to avoid transferring resistant
weed seed; and where needed removing
resistant weed patches by conventional
tillage or hand weeding. Get a complete
overview of the herbicide resistance issue
and all of the key options available at
www.MixItUp.ca.
Oats
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Strategies for success
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ICIDE B R A N D S
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6
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11
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Kochia n Ragwee
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in
ne
No
14
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33
ne
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in Can
3
Kochia
#1
TARGETED WEED
IN THAT GROUP
No
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na
Tackling the glyphosate issue
GROUP While Canada faces a number
10 of significant weed resistance
issues, a leading high-profile example
on the minds of many growers today
is the rising threat of glyphosate
resistance. But growers have options.
In canola, for example, with its unique
Group 10 mode of action, Liberty is
the perfect rotational tool for canola
growers to be proactive and stop this
problem in its tracks before it becomes
a bigger management issue.
Ca
The Group 4 challenge
GROUP The sheer number of brands for
4 Group 4 herbicides makes this an
important area for growers to pay close
attention. Resistance strategies require
mixing it up among groups, not just
herbicide brands.
in
A league of its own
In cereals, Infinity® contains
the unique Group 27 active ingredient
that provides superior results on even
the toughest broadleaf weeds such as
kochia, wild buckwheat and cleavers.
Infinity is powered by pyrasulfotole,
the newest active ingredient for cereal
broadleaf weed control in Canada.
27
ats
Wild O
2
Here is some additional key
information to note:
GROUP
ne
P
GROU
4
No
P 22
20 31
P
N
27
GROU
RBICIDE BRANDS P
F HE
ER
O
GR
ER
B
OU
M
U
Kochia
P
OU
GR
T
he Wheel of Resistance shows the
13 chemical groups of herbicides
presently registered in Canada. It
also shows the number of herbicide brands
available under each group. The wheel
serves as a reminder that while some
groups feature many product options, in
order to guard against resistance, growers
need to make sure they rotate in options
from different groups.
P1
GROU
KNOW YOUR
GROUPS
LEADING HERBICIDE
OPTIONS
Here are some examples of products that
have particular advantages as resistance
management tools:
Liberty – The only Group 10 herbicide
in canola, with no known resistance in
Canada.
Varro – This herbicide’s Group 2 chemistry
is a proven performer to control Group 1resistant wild oats.
Velocity m3 – This herbicide has three
MOAs, including the unique Group 27 to
eliminate numerous resistant broadleaf
and grass weeds.
Infinity – The unique Group 27 broadleaf
herbicide available to western Canadian
cereal growers that has no known herbicide
resistance in cereals.
FARMFORUM.CA / SPRING 2015
37
WHAT’S NEW WITH
BAYER CROPSCIENCE
PRODUCTS
INVIGOR PERFORMANCE DRIVEN TOUR TAKES
GROWERS INSIDE THE WORLD OF INVIGOR
A unique, behind-the-scenes look at what goes into every bag of InVigor
T
here’s nothing quite like opening
that first bag of top quality InVigor
canola hybrid seed and watching as
it pours into the air drill. But for all the good
feelings this brings — from a sense of pride
in farming to anticipation of a successful
cropping season ahead — it can be hard to
visualize and fully appreciate all the hard
work, passion and commitment to grower
success that is invested in each seed.
InVigor growers see the benefits of the
investment in InVigor seed each growing
season including a big payoff at harvest
time. Now all canola growers, retailers
and others in the Canadian agriculture
industry can get a unique look behind the
scenes at all of the ingredients that fuel
this performance, with the new “InVigor
Performance Driven Tour.”
Passion for grower success
The tour, launched earlier this year,
features a one-of-a kind, specially
designed trailer that serves as an
interactive, mobile learning centre.
Growers and others can hop inside this
high-tech big rig to learn about everything
that goes into developing the world-class
InVigor canola hybrid. It covers all the key
elements, from science innovation and
Window on innovation. Growers can learn first-hand what goes into developing a world-class
InVigor hybrid by visiting the InVigor Performance Driven Tour.
of InVigor and how that translates to
outstanding performance in the field.
Tour stops across
western Canada
leading-edge breeding processes, to the
people driven by a dedication to growers
who make it all happen.
The multi-space trailer environment
shows step-by-step how all the work and
investment is directed toward providing
InVigor growers with every advantage to
make their growing season as successful
as possible. There’s simply no better way
to see the value that goes into every bag
The tour hit the road earlier this year and
is making stops at agriculture shows,
crop tours and grower events across
Western Canada this spring and summer.
Look for the big green and blue trailer
with the supersized InVigor logo at a tour
stop near you. Growers can follow tour
progress on Twitter, @Bayer4CropsCA,
hashtag #InVigorPerforms, or by
contacting a local Bayer CropScience
representative.
ItPaysToSpray.ca Update
With over seven years of compiled trial data, spread across all prairie provinces
and soil zones, ItPaysToSpray.ca continues to be one of the most reliable online
resources a grower can have. Not only does this site allow cereal growers to see
local trial results and the positive economic impact a fungicide can have for
their operations, it also assists them in making an informed decision on their
own fungicide purchases.
Re-launching in March 2015, the updated site will contain all data from
2014 trials and features a new and improved Google maps based format for
maximum ease of use.
Before you make your critical fungicide decisions for 2015, make sure you check
out the new and improved site at ItPaysToSpray.ca
BayerCropScience.ca or 1 888-283-6847 or contact your Bayer CropScience representative. Always read and follow label directions. Infinity®, InVigor®, Liberty®, Pardner®, and Varro® are registered trademarks of the Bayer Group.. All other products mentioned are
trademarks of their respective companies. Bayer CropScience is a member of CropLife Canada.
38
FARM FORUM / SPRING 2015