Fungicides

[helmach]

In the past I have sprayed some of my canola and left the rest. I didn’t see a yield advantage. I have sprayed across the road from neighbours when they haven’t. Their claimed yields very similar to mine. I am curious has anybody tested foliar nutrients vs. fungicide?

I spray alot of pgr's with foliars at fungicide timing (cwad hrsw canola and flax) and have fantastic results. never understood the idea of fungicides much as you kill the good the alright and the ugly with your fungicide... and the ugly always reproduces faster than your beneficial bacteria. I'm a bit diffrent and put more worth into what you can't see with the naked eye ex soil bacteria and fungi health carbon and calcium vs short sited yr to yr whats growing above the ground. Once you start I feel you are are in the vicious circle of re application due to "dead" soils.

To be fair disease hasn't been much of a factor In this area over the last 5 plus yrs but my plants are as healthy or healthier than any one around with less nutrients front end loaded to grow the same yeilding crops. PGRs can do some amazing things if your willing to work within the short windows. JMO

[WiltonRanch]

I walk my fields and determine if fungicides are necessary. The necessity is the exception rather than the norm in my opinion. Crazy Wheat Pete says as you bump up nitrogen fertility fungicides are the necessary evil to make best use of added units of nitrogen but I’m nowhere near those levels in my opinion. As well, my conditions most of the time do not warrant a prophylactic application of fungicide in my opinion. Around me a good portion of farms just do it cause they are told to and they are covering their bases as to not lose yield. It’s the same as seed treatments. Does anyone still do tests to compare? That said, oats there is a guaranteed yield bump of 20 bushels or more to use fungicides. I try not to use the damn things as it lengthens maturity at least a week to 10 days and many times I just don’t have that time. Every area is different.

[Guest]

in this area . oats are the one crop that never pays
canary and flax pay the most , canola once in a while
wheat and peas , we just do them

[AlbertaFarmer5]

I spray alot of pgr's with foliars at fungicide timing (cwad hrsw canola and flax) and have fantastic results. never understood the idea of fungicides much as you kill the good the alright and the ugly with your fungicide... and the ugly always reproduces faster than your beneficial bacteria. I'm a bit diffrent and put more worth into what you can't see with the naked eye ex soil bacteria and fungi health carbon and calcium vs short sited yr to yr whats growing above the ground. Once you start I feel you are are in the vicious circle of re application due to "dead" soils.

To be fair disease hasn't been much of a factor In this area over the last 5 plus yrs but my plants are as healthy or healthier than any one around with less nutrients front end loaded to grow the same yeilding crops. PGRs can do some amazing things if your willing to work within the short windows. JMO

Can you explain spraying pgr's at fungicide timing? Or do I misunderstand that? Manipulator label says not to ever spray past Zaddock's 39. Fungicide timing would be well past that.
What amazing things have PGR's been doing for you, aside from standability?
I've been trying PGR's on some wheat acres for a few years. Was planning to do most of the wheat this year, but only got a couple of quarters done. Some looked so poor before the rain it didn't seem worthwhile, some grew so fast in the heat that the window was very short, then it rained so long that the window was past on most of the remainder when it finally dried up.

[helmach]

So what I'm using and talking about is actually plant growth hormones. Here is an elementary introduction
https://youtu.be/dV9QcGs58l0

On the farm I use Auxins, cytokitins, Jasmonic acid, and Salicylic acid. All these growth hormones are produced naturally in plants already, I am just elevating them to optimum levels at the proper growth stage.

JA and SA are not growth hormones (debatable still) as these are complex systems still not 100% understoond but are responsible for the plant signaling pathway within plants meaning they talk to each other to warn and boost of plants own immunity from pests ex biting insects fungi and bacteria pathogens. this is what is used in replace of a fungicide treatment along with micros. I am gearing the plants up for battle before the war even starts so to speak.

JA is responsible for regulating a plants defence against biting insects by creating protease inhibitors within the plant as well as necrotrophic pathogens which kill the host plant cells to sustain there own growth ex fusarium Sclerotinia

SA is responsible for also regulating a plants defence against Biotrophic and hemibiotrophic pathogens that steal nutrients and energy to sustain there own growth ex leaf rusts
SA also helps with environmental stresses such as heat and salt stress by playing a role in ion uptake and regulating the stoma.

Auxin is responsible for cell elongation pushing plant roots and rooting as well as shoot growth. Those July days when the taps turn off aren't so rough anymore.

Cytokitin is responsible for cell division which leads to more branching. so for canola I think you can see where this is going.

I farm in cattle country where everyone around me has cattle (I am the only one who doesn't not sure if im the dumb one or not).

What I mean is this is marginal land territory not the regina plains. heavy heavy heavy clay with about a 1/2 mm of top soil a hard pan that's stronger than titanium and hills that make your asshole bite the seat.

But this is a complex system with alot of moving parts with short time frames that will not be fore everyone. However the results can be simply stunning with less nutrients.