The Dirt on Cover Crops!

 

Please join Horticulture Nova Scotia and Perennia Food and Agriculture for a morning of cover crops!  Seeding methods, the effects of residual herbicides on cover crop establishment, cover crop species conversations, equipment show-and-tell, management strategies, and more!

Tuesday, August 23, 9:00 – 12:30 

Brooklyn Corner, NS.  

Please register, and the field location will be sent out in advance of the day.  https://www.perennia.ca/eventer/the-dirt-on-cover-crops/edate/2022-08-23/

 Pesticide points and CCA points will be available

 

Product Registration Changes in Vegetables!

Recently PRMA (Pest Management Regulatory Agency) has approved several IMPORTANT minor use label expansions in vegetable production. Minor use label expansions of pest control products are considered on active ingredient(s) currently registered in Canada, which are expanded for additional end uses.  Below is a table outlining some of the key information about these products and their end uses (add table directly below this paragraph).  Before integrating these products into your current pest management program, please review the label thoroughly and if needed, consult with your favourite agronomist.  The Health Canada label search tool has the most accurate and up-to-date labels, and can be found here.

 

Through the emergency use registration process Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador were successful in obtaining SWITCH®62.5 WG (cyprodinil (group 9) and fludioxonil (group12)) for use has been approved PMRA for the suppression of Alternaria leaf blight (Alternaria brassicicola) on Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cauliflower.  Being an emergency use registration, this use pattern is only permitted from July 8^th, 2022, to July 7^th, 2023, however a user requested minor use label expansion for this use of SWITCH®62.5 WG has been submitted and will hopefully be approved for the 2023 growing season.  

For more information on these products, consult the label or contact your local agronomist.

Written by Jenna Bekkers, Perennia Agricultural Research Technician

Carrot herbicides

 

Warm, sunny days are upon us and planting is in full swing, but a recent re-evaluation of linuron by Health Canada has been cause for concern as things ramp up, especially for carrot growers. While some uses of linuron have been cancelled, continued use has been approved for carrots, parsnips, potatoes, asparagus, and shelterbelts. Unfortunately, the re-evaluation interrupted production schedules, resulting in shortages of a popular Group 7 herbicide that many growers rely on for weed control.  

In response to this situation, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has approved an Emergency Use Registration (EUR) for Tough 600 EC herbicide in carrots, valid in several Canadian provinces, including Nova Scotia. Additionally, Ultra Blazer herbicide has received a User Requested Minor Use Label Expansion (URMULE) for use in carrots.

Ultra Blazer herbicide (acifluorfen) is a Group 14 herbicide approved for use in carrots to suppress redroot pigweed. This post-emergence herbicide works mainly by contact action and rainfall within 6 hours of application will reduce effectiveness. Cool weather or drought will delay herbicide activity. Contamination of groundwater may occur if this chemical is used in areas where soils are permeable (ex. sandy soil) and/or if the water table is shallow.

Tough 600 EC herbicide (pyridate) is a Group 6 herbicide approved for use in carrots between May 1, 2022 to December 31, 2022. This post-emergence herbicide is already approved for weed management in a variety of crops across Canada and carrots have shown tolerance in development trials. Not all carrot varieties have been tested, so it is recommended to test in a small area of the field first.

	Tough 600 EC herbicide	Ultra Blazer herbicide
Active ingredient	Pyridate	Acifluorfen
Registration period	May 1-Dec 31 2022
Group	6	14
Weed control	Post-emergent control of broadleaf weeds - redroot pigweed, common lamb’s quarters, false cleavers, black nightshade	Post-emergent suppression of redroot pigweed
Application rate	0.5 - 0.75 L/ha (use high rate when weed pressure is high or for harder to control weeds)	94 mL/ha with 0.5% v/v Assist Oil Concentrate
Applications per season	1	1
Application Timing	Apply to carrots in the 2 to 7 leaf stage that have sufficiently hardened off and have a waxy cuticle; apply to young, actively growing weeds	Apply after carrots have emerged and pigweed is in the 2 to 4 leaf stage
REI	12 hr	12 hr
PHI	60 days	40 days
	Do not apply either product to crops under stress.

Additional notes regarding use of Tough 600 EC herbicide:

Do not apply when the temperature is greater than 25^oC (may cause crop injury). Application of this product is not recommended when temperatures will fluctuate more than 10^oC in a 24-hour period, due to increased risk of crop injury.

Avoid irrigating for three days prior to herbicide application.

Delay application for three days after rain, cool, or cloudy weather to allow the crop to harden off.

Treated carrots may show signs of stunting, chlorosis, and/or partial defoliation of leaves present at the time of application, but the carrots typically outgrow these symptoms, with no adverse effects on crop vigour, maturity, or yield.

Tough 600 EC Herbicide offers contact control of susceptible species and has no residual activity. Crops rotated following the use of Tough 600 EC Herbicide should not be negatively impacted                                                                

For more information on these products, consult the label (see links below) or contact your local crop specialist or a representative from the chemical supplier.

Ultra Blazer herbicide - Label

Tough 600 EC herbicide - Label

Pesticide Label Search - Health Canada (hc-sc.gc.ca)

 

Farming in a Humid Year, Part of Perennia’s “Getting into the Weeds” Seminar Series

 

We are excited to announce our virtual seminar series Farming in a Humid Year, part of our annual Getting Into the Weeds series.  This year we are excited to host five online sessions to discuss several aspects of farm management in a humid year.  For more details, please click on the links below.  Please join us as we take a deep dive into agriculture production targeting moving the industry forward!

Pesticide points and CCA CEU Points will be available!

 
November 23, 12:00-1:00
Paul Hildebrand: Understanding the Infection Cycle on Your Farm: Targeting Effective Disease Management.

November 30, 12:00-1:00
Sajid Rehman: A Disease Summary of 2021 – What Did We Learn?

 
January 12, 12:00-1:00
Jennifer Foster and Katie Goldenhar: Fundamentals of Fungicides.

 
February 3, 12:00-1:00
Peter Sikkema: Why Herbicides Fail: Targeting Effective Herbicide Application.

 
TBD
Dan Olmstead: How Weather Station Decision Support Tools Can Affect You and Your Farm.
Stay tuned for more updates: https://www.perennia.ca/learning/online/

New pesticide registrations

Agri-Réseau is a resource available through The Centre de référence en agriculture et agroalimentaire du Québec (CRAAQ).  Every month, they publish a list of new phytoprotection registrations.  At Perennia, we are fortunate to have Mélanie Leclerc as part of our staff, and she has translated the March list of new pesticide registrations for Fruit Trees, Field Crops, Vegetables, Greenhouse, Berries, Ornamental, and "Other" (hops, hemp, quinoa, and basil), which can be found here.

From the Vegetable side, the main excitement is a few more weed control options in asparagus, Brassicas, and shallots, and some new disease management options in asparagus, kohlrabi, Brassica leafy greens, and bulb vegetables (Group 3-07A and 3-07B, so bulb onions, garlic, shallots, green onions, leeks, etc.)

Upcoming Perennia events

The Dirt on Dirt: Sustainable Soils on the South Shore  
Please join Amy Sangster, Perennia Soils Specialist, Rosalie Gillis-Madden, Perennia Vegetable Specialist, and Brian MacCulloch, NSDA Agriculture Resource Coordinator, for an afternoon focusing on soils, potting mixes, and transplant health.

Tuesday March 27, 2018 1:00 - 3:00 PM
Provincial Building Boardroom, 312 Green St. Lunenburg, NS

More details can be found on the Facebook event here.

Registration is required, please contact Gail Walsh 1-877-710-5210 (toll-free) or 902-678-7722 to register by March 23, 2018.

Pest Management in the Hopyard

There are many factors to consider when managing pests in a hopyard: life-cycle of the organism, good Integrated Pest Management (IPM) techniques, mode of action and efficacy of the products, and pesticide application efficiency. Pesticide Points will be available.

April 5th from 2-4 pm

This workshop is designed for growers with existing hopyards and will be informative for organic, conventional, and spray-free growers.

A session will be held in-person at the Perennia offices at the Kentville Research Station (32 Main Street, Kentville, NS) OR you can join remotely from

• The Truro Perennia offices (199 Dr Bernie MacDonald Drive, Bible Hill, NS)

• The Antigonish NSDA offices (190 Beechhill Road, Antigonish, NS)

More details can be found on the Facebook event here. Please contact Gail Walsh 1-877-710-5210 (toll-free) or gwalsh@perennia.ca to register by April 3, 2018, so we can be sure to accommodate numbers.

Biosecurity is important in horticulture crops too!

Biosecurity, often thought of as a livestock issue, is important in horticulture crops too.  The old adage "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" is very true for horticulture biosecurity risks, especially since many issues don't have viable solutions.  Equipment can carry soil-borne pests like clubroot, Verticillium wilt, and nematodes from field to field.  The more soil that gets transported between sites, the higher the risk of infection from these soil-borne pests.  Diseases such as downy mildew, late blight, and angular leaf spot can be inadvertently carried on clothes, boots, and gloves.  Difficult to control weeds such as yellow nutsedge can also be carried from field to field on equipment.

Clubroot can be transmitted on equipment, boots, and eroding soil

Important biosecurity management steps are first to make sure that these diseases and pests don't come on to the farm.  If you know you already have problem areas, takes steps to manage and contain them so that it doesn't spread to the rest of your fields.  Manage your culls and plant certified disease-free seeds and root stock.

To read more about biosecurity risks and how to manage them, check out Perennia's Horticulture Biosecurity Fact Sheet.

Sprayer Efficacy Workshop - Location

The Sprayer Efficacy Workshop will take place on Thursday, July 20, 2017 from 1:00 - 3:00 pm.  The approximate street address is 9780 NS-201, Wilmot, NS.  Keep your eyes peeled for Perennia signs!
 


If you contact Gail Walsh 1-877-710-5210 (toll-free) she will email you a map.


Perennia IPM Specialist Peter Burgess and Vegetable Specialist Rosalie Madden will discuss nozzle selection, canopy penetration, and the importance of water volume!  Pesticide points available.

Thursday, July 20, 2017 

Spurr Brothers Farms, Melvern Square 

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Sprayer Efficacy Workshop

Please join Perennia Integrated Pest Management Specialist Peter Burgess and Vegetable Specialist Rosalie Madden for a discussion about sprayer efficacy.

We will discuss nozzle selection, canopy penetration, and the importance of water volume!  Pesticide points available.

Thursday, July 20, 2017 

Spurr Brothers Farms, Melvern Square 

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Please contact Gail Walsh 1-877-710-5210 (toll-free) or gwalsh@perennia.ca to register by July 17, 2017.

Be sure to give Gail your e-mail address as we will send out a map of the field locations the day before the workshop.

 

Integrated Weed Management in Cucurbits

Plywood separators used to partition a grain drill seed box.

In the Fall of 2016, Perennia, in conjunction with local growers and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, undertook a new on-farm trial that demonstrates the use of mulched cover crops to suppress weeds and promote soil health in cucurbit production.  

Partitions expertly secured with a suitable application of duct tape.

In a previous project (Cover crops and zone tillage for reduced risk weed management in field vegetables in Eastern Canada), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada scientists evaluated weed control methods in cucurbits using cover crops and generated recommendations for using certain techniques to manage weeds in squash production. The technique that we are trying in Nova Scotia integrates the use of fall-seeded rye and banded fall-seeded oats.  

Two rows of oats seeded for eight rows of rye, September 30, 2016.

Oat and rye establishment on October 19, 2016.

The oats will winter-kill, leaving a clear narrow band into which squash can be planted.  The surviving rye is left to grow until late spring at which point it is rolled down to serve as a weed-controlling mulch. This technique has been shown to reduce weed pressure and the amount of herbicides needed, as well as increase marketable squash yield. Squash that is grown on the rolled down rye mulch should be cleaner at harvest, have less disease symptoms, and require less cleaning prior to heading to market.

 

Another added benefit of this system is the organic matter that the cover crops will add to the soil.  This, along with the season-long soil cover provided by the mulch, will contribute to improvements in soil health.  The mulch will protect the soil from erosion and will also preserve soil moisture should we have a repeat of last year's growing conditions!

We intend to hold a field day this summer to demonstrate this technique, stay tuned for more details!!  

Winter-killed oats alternating with fall rye, January 31, 2017.