Features Agronomy
From the Editor: July-August 2016

In my daily search around the web for agriculture news, and every morning when I check my email, I come across multiple news releases about tools to help growers with crop management. From online forecasting tools to drought monitoring maps to cover crop recommendations, there is an abundance of information available – and so much of it can be found at a grower’s fingertips.

Crop management is truly an all-encompassing phrase used to describe the science of controlling or directing crop production, and its definition continues to expand with each growing season. The conditions Prairie producers faced this summer will drive management practices next year, and the domino effect will continue each year after that. Some situations, like disease or pest threats, can be anticipated and prepared for, while others cannot. But now more than ever, with thanks to the digital era that we live in, there’s no excuse for growers to become complacent.

At Top Crop Manager, as our name suggests, we aim to provide Canada’s top crop producers with the most up-to-date research and information about all aspects of field crop management. As this issue lands in your mailbox, harvest will be well underway, or possibly close to complete, depending on conditions and timing in your corner of the world. And as one growing season draws to a close, we hope you’ll find useful references within our pages to help you prepare for what’s to come.

On page 16, Yvonne Lawley of the University of Manitoba shares information about a vertical tillage project, which she designed to help producers decide which corn residue management practices are best for their farms. Vertical tillage is gaining ground in the Prairies, but little research is available at the moment. Lawley hopes to provide growers with a residue management option to cover more land quickly.

If winter wheat is on your mind at the moment, Kelly Turkington shares data from a study to determine, among other things, the effectiveness of seed treatment on winter wheat, and the effects of fall foliar fungicide on crop health. Turkington, a research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lacombe, Alta., details the goals of the project on page 5, and is continuing his research to help improve stand establishment, overwintering and yield for winter wheat production in Western Canada.

And when it comes to making weed control decisions after harvest is wrapped up, look no further than our post-harvest weed control poster. All of the most up-to-date data on herbicides registered for post-harvest weed control is organized into one convenient chart to use for your reference or share with your peers.

You may also notice one slight change in this issue, as we welcome Brandi Cowen to the Top Crop Manager team. Brandi, a seasoned editor, joins me as co-editor of both the Western and Eastern editions of the magazine, and we look forward to working together to continue providing you with quality content, both in print and online. Please contact us at any time to let us know what you think, or to share any interesting tidbits or ideas, and follow us on Twitter @TopCropMag.

Best wishes for a safe and productive harvest season.

September 7, 2016  By Stefanie Croley