24 GERMINATION.CA NOVEMBER 2017 SUPPORTED BY: ENDORSED BY: People forget about how much yield kick they’re getting from blackleg. By the time you notice it in your field, you’ve likely lost 20 per cent yield potential already. People this year are surprised at how well their canola did, but that’s because we had less disease pressure. When we get back to more traditional moisture levels, you really need to be concerned about blackleg. Many companies give a blackleg rating that will tell you what blackleg resist- ant genes are in the product. Make sure you not only rotate your crops, but also rotate your types of resist- ance, so you don’t grow two hybrids with the same resistant gene. Germination: Growers tend to focus on yield, but there’s more to it than that. How do you advise them in this area? JB: It’s important to look at the crop type and examine the market — we’re hearing there were significant changes in market share of crop types in 2017. Going into 2018, we’re seeing a swing back to wheat acres and a decrease in canola acres. With canola, many areas were dry and canola acres did poorly if they had no irrigation access. We’ll see a pull- back in canola — it’ll still be around 20 million acres, but down from the 22 million-plus we saw this year. Soybeans have been the Cinderella crop, but people realized this year that while there are areas soybeans are suited for, there are areas where they are very much a gamble. JD: Seed guides are hugely valuable, but there are a few tricks to getting the most out of them. A lot of farmers will focus on yield data, but I direct them over to the other agronomic data based on the height, maturity, lodging, FHB and disease tolerance. It’s very important to look at those other factors and not just yield. Also, farmers often forget to look at the seed grower directories in these guides. These are useful; if you have a long list of seed growers growing a variety, that means there’s a big demand for that variety. There will be lots of seed available, you won’t have to drive as far to pick it up, and usually the price is more reasonable when there’s lots of seed around. SF: The best yields start with the best seed. Having a vigour test can actually influence your whole deci- sion as to whether you should be using that specific seed at all. You can have a very reasonable germina- tion, but in the background there could be frost damage or other issues that affect the vigour. Had you tested for vigour first, you’d know there’s a major background issue. A low vigour doesn’t mean you can’t use it — it means you have to monitor and manage the seed for the best seeding rate. Germination: What about tank mixing? There’s been a lot of talk about that. JB: Research shows tank mixing another group of herbicides can signifi- cantly reduce any risk of herbicide tol- erant weeds. Putting another group of herbicides in your application at least once a year will do more for managing herbicide resistant weeds than any- thing you can do in rotation. We see a lot of questions on that. It’s a good news story that if growers do this, it will keep the Liberty and Roundup traits viable options for a long time. Germination: What about seed treatments? We hear a lot about them these days, but what are growers thinking? JB: Seed treatments are well known on the disease side of things, but what about insects? We’re seeing pressure from cutworms and flea beetles. People are thinking, “I have this insect problem, and it’s expen- sive to manage with a post-emergent product, so I’m better off spend- ing a little more money up front to ensure I’m minimizing this problem.’ Growers are really paying attention to how seed treatments can help protect against pests. Germination: When it comes to test- ing, do a lot of growers still not do it? SF: There’s a good percentage of farmers who don’t test. We have to continue to educate farmers to test and buy certified seed regularly. There’s probably a good 60 to 70 per cent of seed going into the ground that isn’t tested. Having your seed tested for a basic germination test at $30 isn’t a big deal at the end of the day. DOWNLOADTHEWHOLE CONVERSATION! Visit germination.ca/category/retail- roundtable/ Hear Jim Baghsaw, Jim Downey and Sarah Foster talk about what growers want for 2018. REGISTERNOW! Next Retail Roundtable webinar at germination.ca/webinar Date: Dec. 12 Time: 12 p.m. CST