Tip #1- Start with clean grain
Weed seeds, dirt, hulls, and cracked seed have the potential to build up with the seed treatment causing clumps and equipment blockages. These particles also steal treatment from the crop, decreasing efficacy. Beginning with clean seed gives you the best start for success.

Tip #6 – Adjust product flow throughout the day
During spring, you’ll typically have cooler mornings where the seed treatment will flow slower. At this point it will need more pressure to go through the applicator. As the day progresses and the temperatures warms up, the seed treatment will thin and you’ll need to check that you’re not overapplying product.

Helpful trick- if there’s uniform coverage on the seed, you’re on the right track! ​

BioniQ is the combination of Quickroots and Jumpstart. It's applied directly to the seed at the same time you would apply your fungicide seed treatment.

Company: Nexus BioAg
Crops: Cereals, Canola
Bacteria Strains: Penicillium bilaiae, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Trichoderma virens 
Application rate: One case treats 250bu of cereals or 10bu of canola.
Case Contents: 2 BioniQ jugs to mix together.
Tank Mix and Rate:  Double check seed treatment compatibility at nexusbioag.com prior to mixing.
Water Volume: Cereals require 42L of water while canola needs 5L of water for seed application
 
Notes: The product is active bacteria and so should be used prior to the expiration date. Only open the package when you’re ready to use. BioniQ can be applied up to 60 days prior to seeding.

More information can be found at: ​https://www.nexusbioag.com/products/bioniq

TagTeam BioniQ combines TagTeam LCO with BioniQ in a granular inoculant.

Company: Nexus BioAg
Crops: Pulses
Bacteria Strains: Penicillium bilaiae, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, Trichoderma virens, Rhizobium spp. lipo-chitooligosaccharide
Application rate: Depends on row spacing. Go to nexusbioag.com to view rates.
Case Contents: N/A, sold by 18kg bags
 
Notes: This is the first inoculant to offer 5 different bacteria strains to enhance nutrient uptake by the plant and provide early season vigor. Follow proper inoculant storage practices to ensure optimal efficacy.

​More information can be found at: ​https://www.nexusbioag.com/products/tagteam-bioniq

Envita creates and provides nitrogen throughout the season to the crop, helping increase yields.

Company: Nexus BioAg
Crops: Corn, Canola, Wheat, Barley,
Crop Staging: 2-6 leaf
Bacteria Strain: Gluconacetobacter diazotrophicus (Gd)
Application rate: 40ac/jug
Case Contents: 4 jugs of Envita/case
Tank Mix and Rate:  Can be applied with herbicides and/or fungicides
Water Volume: Minimum 10gal/ac when applied foliar, 2.5gal/ac in-furrow
 
Notes: The bacteria Gd forms a symbiotic relationship with your crop, providing nitrogen throughout the growing season. Envita is targeted as a fertility enhancement product, not a fertility replacement product. 

More Information can be found at: ​www.nexusbioag.com/products/envita

Certitude is a canola pre-seed product. ​With a unique mode of action, Certitude offers high quality resistance management for Kochia and other hard to kill weeds.

Company: BASF
Crops: Canola
Modes of Action: groups 6 (Bromoxynil), 27 (Topramezone)
Target Weeds: Volunteer canola, Kochia, Wild Buckwheat, Cleavers, Wild Mustard, Hemp-Nettle + more
Application rate: 40ac/case
Case Contents: 1 jug of Certitude A, 1 jug of Certitude B, and 1 jug of Merge
Tank Mix and Rate: 0.67L/ac of 540g ai Glyphosate (1 REL/ac)
Water Volume: 5-10gal/ac
 
Notes: Certitude is the newest addition to the BASF herbicide portfolio. 

More information can be found at: ​https://agro.basf.ca/basf_solutions/products/west-Certitude.html

ThunderHawk combines Nufarm’s existing product Goldwing (actives 4 + 14) with Florasulam. ​​

Company: NuFarm
Crops: Barley, Oats, Spring Wheat, Winter Wheat
Modes of Action: groups 2 (Florasulam), 4 (MCPA Ester), 14 (Pyraflufen-ethyl)
Target Weeds: Kochia, Cleavers, Night-Flowering Catchfly, Narrow-Leaved Hawks Beard, Volunteer Canola + more
Application rate: 80ac/case
Case Contents: 1 jug of ThunderHawk A (Goldwing) + 1 jug of ThunderHawk B (Florasulam)
Tank Mix and Rate: At least 0.33L/ac of 540g ai Glyphosate (0.5 REL/ac) OR a non-ionic surfactant at 0.25%/100L
Water Volume: 10ga/ac recommended
 
Notes: The addition of florasulam offers greater control of chickweed, smartweed, wild buckwheat, mustard weeds, and hempnettle. 

More information can be found at: https://nufarm.com/ca/product/thunderhawk-herbicide/

Exhilarate is the rebranded version of Paradigm for in-crop applications.​

Company: Corteva
Crops: Barley, Durum, Spring Wheat, Winter Wheat
Crop Staging: 3 leaf – just prior to flag leaf
Modes of Action: 2 (florasulam), 4 (Halauxifen, MCPA)
Target Weeds: American Dragonhead, chickweed, cleavers, dandelion, hempnettle, narrow-leaved hawks beard, round leaved mallow, wild buckwheat, volunteer canola + more
Application rate: 80ac/case
Case Contents: 1 jug of Exhilarate A, 2 jugs of Plus M (MCPA)
Tank Mix Partners: Axial, Simplicity, Simplicity GoDri, Tandem  
Water Volume: 5-10gal/ac
 
Notes: Since Paradigm could be used as a pre-seed or in-crop, there was confusion on rates and timing. In 2021 Corteva rebranded paradigm to be Paradigm PRE (for pre-seed) and released Exhilarate for in-crop use. The exhilarate packaging includes a jugs of MCPA Ester for tank mixing and better weed control. 

More information can be found at: ​https://www.corteva.ca/en/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/exhilarate.html

Prominex is a new herbicide combination ​that provides control of both annual and perennial weeds.

Company: Corteva
Crops: Barley, Durum, Spring Wheat, Winter Wheat
Crop Staging: 3 leaf – just prior to flag leaf
Modes of Action: group 4 (Halauxifen, Clopyralid, Fluoxypyr)
Target Weeds: Annual sow thistle, Canada thistle, cleavers, kochia, plantain, round-leaved mallow, volunteer alfalfa, volunteer canola and flax + more
Application rate: 20ac/jug (40ac/case)
Case Contents: 2 jugs of Prominex
Tank Mix and Rate: MCPA Ester 600  at 235mL/ac or 5oz/ac
Additional Tank Mix Partners: 2,4-D Ester 700, Simplicity, Simplicity GoDri, Everest, Axial, Axial Xtreme + MCPA Ester, Liquid Achieve, Trondus, Horizon, Puma Advance, Traxos
 
Notes: To kill the full weed spectrum on label, tank mix with MCPA Ester at 5oz/ac.

More information can be found at: www.corteva.ca/en/products-and-solutions/crop-protection/prominex.html

TilMOR is an economical fungicide that provides suppression of Fusarium Head Blight and control of leaf diseases.

Company: Bayer CropScience
Crops: Barley, Oats, Wheat
Crop Staging: For optimum suppression of fusarium head blight in wheat, apply TilMOR when at least 75% of the wheat heads on the main stem are fully emerged to when 50% of the heads on the main stem are in flower.
Modes of Action: Prothioconazole, Tebuconazole
Target Diseases: Fusarium Head Blight, Crown rust, Septoria glume blotch, Spot blotch, Tan spot & more
Application rate: 40ac/jug
Case Contents: 2 jugs of TilMOR
Water Volume: Minimum 10gal/ac

Notes: It contains the same active as Folicur and a small amount of the active prothioconazole which is the active in Prosaro.

More information can be found at: ​https://www.cropscience.bayer.ca/en/Products/Fungicides/TilMOR

Moddus is a plant growth regulator that shortens and strengthens the plant stalk.

Company: Syngenta
Crops: Wheat, Barley, Oats
Staging: BBCH 30-39 (spring wheat, durum, barley and oats: pseudo stem erection to ligule of last leaf visible. Optimal timing is BBCH 30-32 (first-2nd node detectable)
Modes of Action: Trinexapac-ethyl
Application rate: 30ac/jug in a single application or 60ac/jug for split application in wheat and Oats. 40ac/jug in a single app or 80ac/jug in a split app in barley.
Case Contents: 2 jugs of Moddus
Water Volume: Minimum 10gal/ac
 
Notes: Do not apply Moddus past BBCH 39 (when the flag leaf is fully developed). If you plan to apply this product to barley, talk with your grain buyer prior to ensure they'll accept the grain.

More information can be found at: https://www.syngenta.ca/Productsdetail/moddus

The Clean Fields, Community Yields program was born in April 2020 when FMC staff saw a need to support organizations and projects affected by COVID-19 disruptions. FMC territory managers asked retailers to choose worthy charities to receive 10-cents/acre of any FMC fall herbicide sold locally before October 31. 

In over 20 years of business, we’ve witnessed the stress our customers face from low grain and livestock prices, droughts, floods, trade disputes…and now, a global pandemic. All of these events are outside a person's control and can take a heavy toll on their mental health and overall wellbeing.  This is why we chose to support The Do More Agriculture Foundation through FMC's Clean Fields, Community Yields program.

​Due to our customers purchasing FMC fall herbicides at our HFL locations, FMC was able to send a cheque to The Do More Agiculture Foundation for $1,734.40. 
 
For information on The Do More Agriculture Foundation or to find mental health resources please visit: https://www.domore.ag/

What to expect when you receive your seed and where to find important information.

Just as disease, maturity, & harvestability traits range from canola variety to variety, so does the packaging. Each company has their own methodology for showcasing their product. In this article, we discuss what bag size(s) you may expect upon delivery, the bag color scheme (if there is one), and where to find the seed lot numbers. 

Bag Size: Invigor seed is sorted and packaged at their factories based on thousand seed weight. Instead of receiving a bag that is 50lbs, each bag now contains 4.25 million seeds and ranges in weight from 42.2lbs/bag to 56.7lbs/bag. Since there are 4.25million seeds in every bag, they all seed approximately 10ac/bag when following the recommended seeding rates. The bags are clearly marked on the front with the letters A, B, C, or D to distinguish the seed size.

Bag Size: 50lbs bags regardless of thousand seed weight (TSW)

Color Coding: There are no differences in bag color between the RR, TF, or CL varieties. Read the tag to properly identify the resistance trait. 

Record Keeping: Brevant and Nexera canola seed is different than other canola seed companies. The seed lot is not used for product complaints. It is still helpful to keep the seed tag, but the Batch No. (located twice on the tag) is what Corteva will require if an issue arises with the seed quality.

The critical weed-free period are the crop stages in which the greatest yield reductions can occur from weed competition. If weeds are kept to a minimum during these periods, yield losses (from weeds) should be minimized to <5%.

These are the stages for various crops:
Cereals: 1-3 leaf stage
Canola: 3-4 leaf stage is the most critical, but weeds from the canola emergence – 6th leaf stage will impact yield
Peas: 1-2 weeks after emergence
Lentils: 5-10 node stage
Corn: V3 - V6
Soybean: V1 – V3 stage
Forages: 4-6 weeks after planting in a year of establishment
 
Weeds that emerge following the critical weed free period are primarily cosmetic. If they go to seed, they will add to the weed seed bank for the next year and may hinder harvestability, but the yield penalties for the current crop are minor.

Our agronomists are always on hand to answer questions about weeds. You can send them a picture with a description via text or email and they'll help you with the identification. If you’d rather solve which species it is for yourself though, here’s a few ways to narrow down the possibilities:

1. Assess the size

• If it’s big and the snow only melted last week, that means it’s was growing last year and is either a winter annual, biennial, or perennial weed.
• If it’s a newly emerging plant it has the potential to be an annual or any of the longevities listed above.

2. Look for defining characteristics

• Are the leaves or stems hairy?
• Are the leaves uniquely shaped?
• Are the leaves uniquely colored? Check both the surface and underside.
• Is it small enough where there’s only the first two leaves (a.k.a the cotyledons?) If so, what shape are they?
• Does the plant grow upwards or spread out across the soil?
• Flower shape and colour?
• Are there any seeds that have developed yet?

3. Pull up the roots

• Is it hard to pull out and have a long tap root? Ex) dandelion
• Are there rhizomes (roots connected to other plants) that remained in the soil? Ex) perennial sow thistle
• Are the roots well developed and fibrous ex) foxtail barley

4. Where is the plant growing?

• Is it in a low spot, midslope, or hilltop?
• Is the weed near the ditch or field entrance or is it in the middle of the field?
• Are there similar plants growing around it?

 
After answering question like these it’s easier to narrow down the choices in a weed identification book afterwards. Google images can also be helpful with the right combination of keywords! 

Many products purchased at a retail play a role in inhibiting/killing a pest. Inoculants however are living organisms and need to be treated with care. Whether the inoculant you choose is a granular, liquid, or peat formulation, you want to get the greatest efficacy possible. To help ensure that, use the handling guidelines below:

• Store in a dry environment
• Don’t store in direct sunlight or drying winds
• Don’t store next to pesticides or fertilizers
• Use before expiry date
• Don’t leave inoculant in the tank overnight
• Keep cool but not frozen (0-20C)

Seedbed Utilization (SBU) is one of the most , if not THE most important calculation to have at your fingertips. Seedbed utilization is the amount of the seedbed over which fertilizer has been spread and reflects the concentration of fertilizer. The higher the SBU, the more fertilizer that can be safely applied with the seed:

• SBU% = fertilizer spread/row spacing x 100

So if the seeding drill has 6 inch spacing and spreads the seed and fertilizer over 2 inches, the SBU would be 33% (2/6 x 100 = 33). By obtaining the SBU, it enables you and your agronomist to determine the safe rate of fertilizer to apply. Other factors that play a role in determining the safe rate include the soil type, moisture levels, and crop trash.

The image above shows the SBU and the approximate 46-0-0 urea rates (actual lb N/ac) that can be seed placed with cereals.
​Source: Government of Manitoba.

Glyphosate has been a fantastic tool for efficiency, and it would be great to keep it that way! But sadly, over 70% of the Glyphosate used in 2019 and 2020 was used ALONE.  Compared to other modes of action, glyphosate is rated as medium risk for resistance. There are several weed species that have become resistant however including Canada fleabane (Northern USA & Ontario), Kochia (SK, MB, AB) and Waterhemp (Northern USA, ONT, MB). There are currently no glyphosate resistant wild oats in Canada, but this past year there were resistant plants found in Australia. When Dr. Beckie was a scientist with Agriculture Canada he predicted that wild oats were one of the highest risk weed species, followed by cleavers. One of the top 10 best management practices to manage and prevent herbicide resistant populations is to tank mix modes of action. There’s a pre-seed tank mix option for every crop grown in Western Canada. If you’d like to discuss the different options, one of our knowledgeable Agronomists would be more than happy to help you.

There are two types of reports available to alert a farmer about a potential wheat midge threat in the coming season:

1. Provincial Wheat Midge Forecast
2. Wheat Grade Reports

 
In 2020, the provincial wheat midge forecast map did not highlight an issue for most of our geography. There were pockets however around Bruno and north that were higher risk. In season there were midge seen above threshold in some of those areas.

The other forecast that sometimes is overlooked are wheat grade reports from previous seasons. Wheat midge are not good at flying large distances. In a year of a bad outbreak, adjacent fields to where the outbreaks occurred are at the greatest risk. Between May-June, if a field does not receive >22mm of moisture, the midge will not hatch. The eggs may stay dormant in the soil for years until wetter conditions are present to hatch. Therefore it helps to look back not only on the past years wheat grade report but several to see the midge trend on your farm.

In the New Year the provincial government will release the 2021 midge forecast map which will give a general scope on the midge population for the coming season.

Above photos are wheat midge damage on CWRS and CWAD. Credit: Grains Canada.

Did you know that up to 90% of a cereal’s N requirements are taken up between tillering and flowering? Therefore, it is critical that most of the Nitrogen required by a cereal crop must be available early in the crop’s growing season. 

Options to apply nitrogen include spreading, banding, and foliar applications in season. To figure out the best strategy and product(s) for your farm, talk with our agronomists to help plan the next season with you. 

Photo credit: Crop Smart Australia

The disease Aphanomyces is one of the biggest threats to pea and lentil crops in Western Canada. As a soil borne disease, there are limited control options. The starting point for success begins with selecting the best field(s). Ways to assess include looking at the field rotation history and environmental conditions that were present the last time the field was seeded to a pea or lentil crop. Was the crop successful and the conditions dry? Was it cool and wet? How long ago was the last time the field was seeded to a pea or lentil crop?

If the conditions were dry and the crop did well, there may not be as many spores within the soil. If the conditions were cold, wet and the disease pressure was high, the chance of aphanomyces being an issue again is greater. With a dry year with minimal pressure, you may be able to get away with having a tighter pulse crop rotation. If not, it is suggested to wait 8 years.

What if you don’t know the previous conditions when there was a pulse crop? Or even when the last time there was a pulse crop on that field?

That’s where having a soil test can come in handy. There are labs that can conduct soils tests to determine the amount of aphanomyces spores within a field. Another alternative is to collect soil and grow peas in pots at home prior to seeding to determine the potential survivability under high moisture conditions.

If the spore levels are low, another tool to help manage aphanomyces is the seed treatment Intego Solo. It is registered for suppression of early season infection of Aphanomyces. It does not help with later season infections or high spore loads however.

In the next 3-5 years the Crop Development Center in Saskatoon is aiming to release pea varieties with some aphanomyces resistance.

Picture above: the varying degrees of Aphanomyces infection in pea roots.
​Photo credit: Dr. Syama Chatterton.

Having good water quality is key, especially with herbicides such as glyphosate. With water levels going down the last few years, water sources in pockets of our geography have begun to show a greater concentration of minerals. More minerals such as calcium, iron, and magnesium mean harder water, and potentially reduced efficacy with certain pesticide applications. 

Generally following winter and the snow melt, water source conditions are at their best. Depending on the previous year, the amount of winter precipitation, and the water source itself, the mineral concentration will vary. In previous years, August at desiccation timing was when we saw the greatest increase in hard water samples.  Each of our locations has a water hardness testing kit. If you would like to have your water tested anytime in season, feel free to come by with your water sample.

For those that are curious about the hardness levels, here is a breakdown of what is or isn’t acceptable for glyphosate use:

We've all been there... After mixing and beginning to pour chemical, the doubt sparks and you wonder, "Did I put the right amount in?" With seed treating however, it's not just the amount of chemical that can make or break the process. To achieve the correct rate and coverage, there are several factors to consider:

1. Number of bushels - The number of bushels or kg dictates the amount of chemical needed.
2. Flow or speed of the grain being treated - In order to add the correct amount of chemical onto the seed as it's being treated, calibration is key. You'll need to know how fast the grain is going through to ensure the proper rate is being added throughout the process.
3. Grain Temperature - Cold seed and seed treatments do not go well together at all. To prevent the issues that stem from cold seed such as flaking, it's best to turn on an aeration fan in spring when the weather is warmer or turn a bin around prior to seed treating. If it's still cold both outside and inside the bin, it may be in your best interest to hold off. 
4. Fill Capacity - Seed treating is not something you want to do at 70-100% capacity. If there is too much grain being treated at once, there's not sufficient room for the grain to move around and spread the seed treatment. Likewise, if there's not enough seed in the treater (10-40% capacity), you won't get good seed to seed contact which will also result in poor coverage. Shooting for the 50-65% capacity is the sweet spot for treating.

At the end, your seed should be evenly covered and a light red/pink colour. For reference, the first image is barley treated with Raxil Pro under the correct conditions. The second image is untreated.

Photo Credit: Scott Barr, Seed Growth Specialist, Bayer

If seed treating is something you don't enjoy or have time for, we offer custom seed treating services. We have qualified employees at each location who are able to bring our Storm seed treater our to your farm in spring. For more info on this service, feel free to Contact Us.

There's a new flea beetle insecticide on the market called Buteo Start. Compared to other insecticide seed treatments, Buteo Start is rapidly taken up from the seed and concentrated in the cotyledons where the greatest flea beetle feeding generally occurs. As a Bayer product, Buteo Start is currently only available on new Dekalb and select BrettYoung canola varieties.

Even with an added insecticide seed treatment however, it doesn't mean the crop is invincible. It’s still important to scout for flea beetles from the cotyledon to four leaf stage. The best conditions for flea beetle feeding is when the weather is warm and dry. When 25% leaf area damage has occurred, it's time to apply an insecticide. Circumstances where spraying may be warranted prior to 25% leaf damage are when conditions are windy/cool and the flea beetles have been feeding on the stems. If you know fields have been an issue in the past, you may want to consider an added insecticide seed treatment.

Come spring if you need help checking a few fields for flea beetles or aren't quite sure if they've reached the economic threshold, your HFL agronomist will be more than happy to come take a look!

With such a long list of Canola varieties on the market it can be difficult to decide. There are several different traits you may want to consider:

1. Disease resistance is a big one. Many of the varieties now have resistance to clubroot, sclerotinia, and blackleg to some degree, which is especially important if canola is grown in a tight rotation. 
2. Another factor to consider is days to maturity. It’s often best to grow some earlier maturing varieties along with some mid maturing varieties in our growing zone. This helps split up the work load in the fall.
3. “Pod Shatter” or harvest max traits are important particularly if you're is looking to do some straight cutting. You can also benefit by swathing these varieties later than normal. This in turn can also split up a the harvest workload.
4. Most importantly you'll need to decide on the herbicide tolerance system, be it Roundup Ready, Liberty Link, or Clearfield. Particularly in a tight rotation it is important to change things up to avoid herbicide resistance and clean up the volunteers. 

By rating and prioritizing each of the traits listed above, your HFL agronomist help you narrow in on a few varieties that would be the best agronomic and economic fit for your farm!

With COVID-19 in mind, we decided to forego hosting our Annual Crop Tour in Bruno this summer. Instead, we created this blog post with a brief overview of some of the products that are being trialed across our locations. With fungicides and canola varieties, there's lot of new products being released so we're excited to see the yield results at harvest! There are also other trials being conducted that are not included in this blog post that we hope to discuss at an in-person grower meeting this winter. If government regulations do not permit large indoor groups gatherings, we will get creative and either host multiple, smaller meetings and/or share the results virtually. When the time comes closer, we'll be sure to keep you in the loop with our plans!

Listed below are some of the canola variety trials that are being conducted in our area. Since there's quite a few varieties being tested, we won't go into detail on each individual one in this blog. If you have questions on any specific varieties feel free to contact any of our agronomists or sales staff!

Located near Lake Lenore is a RR TruFlex Victory Canola Trial. It contains one of newest varieties from Victory, V25-3T. Dekalb's 96SC is shown on the left side of Mike, while on right is V25-3T.

The following image is a liberty link canola trial located near Lanigan, SK. All varieties were either treated with Lumiderm or Fortenza. The surrounding field of L233P was treated with Jumpstart (JS) as well as one treatment of the L345PC, and the DK LL82 SC. 

We have a BrettYoung canola variety trial located near Bruno, SK that includes BY 6074TF as well as TruFlex varieties that are currently in development. The image below was taken on August 11th. 

As mentioned early in the article, this is the Liberty Link Canola Trial that also contains BUTEO Start. B3010M and L345PC were also placed at the end of the trial to compare their performance with the Dekalb lineup. 

Taken on July 23rd, the following images from Climate FieldView show the canola field health NDVI on the left and the location of the planted varieties on the right. The blue line indicates the location of two seeding passes of Nexera 1028 while the green is V14-1 and the orange is Nexera 1024. This trial is near St.Brieux, SK.

AgXplore has a variety of fertility products that are meant to be used in conjunction with each other to supply plants with essential macro and micronutrients throughout the season:

• Charge is a phosphorous based fertilizer with the analysis 8-32-0, 0.05 zinc and added humates.
• ValuPak is a lower phosphorous content fertilizer with a 7-12-1 analysis to help pulse crops develop larger roots and shoots.
• SulPak contains 17% ammonion thiosulfate and has an analysis of 8-0-0-17 aimed at supplying mid season sulfur needs.
• BorPak contains 7.5% boron derived from boric acid along with enzymes and amino acides to aid in longer flowering periods, as well as sugar and carbohydrate transportation within the plant.

Pictured below are plant samples from the same field near Cudworth, SK. The image on the left was the most recent and shows the check on the right compared to the treatment that had Charge, SulPak and BorPak applied. The image on the right was taken earlier in the year with the treated plants on the left side and the check on the right.

The following lentil and wheat trials are also from the Cudworth area. The left image has ten lentil plants from both the check and the trial treatment of Charge (with herbicide), ValuPak and BorPak (with fungicide). The wheat crop pictured on the right demonstrates the amount of main stem and tiller heads gathered from ten random plants; the check with 23, the treatment with charge and sulpak had 20, and the treatment with charge and sulpak had 34.

The first step to an effective herbicide application begins with a field scout and the proper chemical selection. The work however does not stop there; ensuring the products are mixed thoroughly and in the correct order can have a significant impact on the product efficacy and ease of use.
​
In the past, the acronym W.A.L.E.S was created to help remember the tank mixing order of various products. With the introduction of more products and additives, it has since expanded to become W.A.M.L.E.G.S. (pictured below). 

Photo credit: Jason Deveau on Twitter (@Spray_Guy)

​This acronym does a good job of giving a general overview of the mixing process, but it is still missing a few items which are included below:

Pesticide Tank Mixing Order

1. Water Conditioners
   1. While the chart above does not include water conditioners in the list, it is the first product that should be placed in the tank (after it is filled ¾ with water) if needed. This includes pH adjusters such as AMS, pHix, and water conditioners that come in the case with products like Simplicity OD, Tandem, and Assert.
2. Wettable Powders, Flowables (DG, DF, WDG, F)
   1. These are your dry products ex) Simplicity GoDri, Part A of Barricade II, Sortan IS etc.
3. Agitate
   1. The wettable powders should be placed into the tank slowly and agitated thoroughly to ensure the product is suspended in the tank. Do not add the next product until this is complete. While there is only one A listed in WAMLEGS, products from each chemical type should be agitated and completely mixed before adding another product type ex) thoroughly mix all the suspension concentrates (SC) prior to adding in the emulsifiable concentrates (EC). 
4. Microcapsule Suspension (ME)
   1. Liquid product, but the active is contained within microcapsules ex) Command 360 ME
5. Liquid and Soluble (SC)
   1. These are the “thick” liquid products ex) Bison/Liquid Achieve, Travallas, Varro, Velocity
6. Emulsifiable Concentrates (EC)
   1. The most popular formulation for in crop herbicides ex) Axial/Brazen II, Infinity, Stellar XL, Pixxaro, Prestige XL
7. High Load Glyphosates
   1. By high load it means the higher concentration formulations, ex) 540g ai formulations like transorb and weathermax.
8. Surfactants
   1. For many of the Corteva products, additional surfactant is required as well as for the group 1 graminicides. A general rule of thumb, surfactants always go into the tank last. Liberty is the exception to that rule where if a product is tank mixed with a graminicide, the adjuvant needs to go in first.
9. Not included in WAMLEGS: Fertility Products
   1. Foliar fertility products should be added to the tank last and agitated thoroughly prior to spraying

​Just as the weed control varies with herbicides, so does the application timing. On the early spectrum, certain products may be sprayed as early as the one leaf stage, while others (particularly those with 2,4-D) cannot be safely applied until the 4 leaf stage. On the later end, group 2 graminicides such as flucarbazone (Everest), thiencarbazone (Varro), and imazabethabenz (Assert) can only be sprayed up to the 6 leaf stage safely. Other actives such as tribenuron can be sprayed safely on the crop all the way up to the flag leaf.

With the rain delay, it is best to double check the crop staging and confirm that it is within the label application window prior to spraying. To help put the crop stages into perspective, here is a graph demonstrating the different growth stages of wheat and the phrasing that is in the crop protection guide and on product labels. 

​Here are also a few chemicals and where they fall on the chart above*:

Prior to 1st node/Max 6 leaf, 2-3 tillers/ Prior to Stem Elongation
Assert, Axial Xtreme, Axial Xtreme iPak, Luxxur, Predicade, Tundra, Varro, Velocity, Batalium, Clodinafop, Fenoxaprop, Stellar XL, Everest
 
Prior to Flag Leaf Emergence (36)
Cirpreme, Curtail M, Prestige, Rush 24, OcTTain, MCPA, Paradigm, Pixxaro, Rexade, Rezuvant, Avenza, Tandem, Tridem
 
Early Flag Leaf/Flag Leaf Just Visible (37)
2,4-D, Infinity FX, Buctril M, Thumper, Forcefighter M, Infinity, Pinoxaden, Trakyloxydim
 
Emerged Flag Leaf (39)
Travallas, Barricade II
 
*Please note that best practices include double checking the label or consulting your agronomist prior to spraying. The information above is provided only as a guideline. If you need assistance with staging your crop, don’t hesitate to contact any of us at Horizon Fertilizers.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Whenever dealing with anhydrous, it is important to have the PPE on. This includes long neoprene gloves, a full respirator mask or ventless googles and a respirator, a long sleeved shirt, and pants. Gloves should be rolled up on the edge to prevent drips running into the gloves.

Connecting to the applicator
Before connecting, always check the wind direction. Whichever way the wind is blowing, face upwind in case of an accidental release and have proper PPE on.

1. Make sure the flow control valve is in the off position and close the bleeder valves on either side of the quick coupler.
2. Check the nurse tank supply hose, both the liquid withdrawal valve and the hose and valve must be closed before connecting to the breakaway coupler. Always handle the hose and valve by the valve body and hose, never by the handwheel – this will prevent from opening a valve accidentally.
3. Connect the hose to the quick coupler fitting and then open the hose and the valve.
4. Open the withdrawal valve up on the nurse tank slowly. Watch for leaks if there are none the valve can be opened completely. By opening the withdrawal valve last, it positions you away from the applicator and at the source valve. If there were a leak in the system, you would be able to close the valve immediately.

In the Field
When not applying NH3, close the liquid withdrawal valve on the nurse tank completely. This includes daily tasks such as quitting for the day, meal breaks, moving to another field, etc. 

Steps to Take in Case of an Accident

1. Get upwind and away from the product immediately
2. Call Horizon Fertilizers and 911 if the situation warrants​

If your body comes into contact with the ammonia gas, get water onto the area ASAP and call 911! Rinse thoroughly with clean water for a least 15 minutes to flush the ammonia off. If vapor gets into your eyes, flush for 15+ minutes as well.

• If clothing becomes crystallized or frozen to the body, flush the clothing with water for at least 15min before removing.
• If using a pressurized hose, add a towel or cloth overtop of the burn area to reduce the pressure of the water onto the injured surface. When transporting someone with a burn, keep a moist towel on the exposed area.
• If you inhale or ingest vapor, drink lots of water. Do NOT induce vomiting.
  • If a person is vomiting, ensure the head is below the waist line to prevent the liquid from going into the lungs
• Do not apply oils, creams, or ointments to the burn area and get immediate medical attention.

At the end of the day, we want everyone to have a safe and successful season! If you have any questions or concerns regards anhydrous ammonia, please do not hesitate to call Gary at our Humboldt office (306)-682-2574.

The following chart shows the lowest average temperature that various crops will germinate at. While they will germinate at these temperatures, the above ground forecast and risk of frost must also be assessed when making a seeding decision.​