Data for the growth and practices of controlled environment agriculture remains fragmented. Global automation specialist Autogrow and Agritecture Consulting aim to change that.

When Corteva Agriscience goes live on June 3, the newest crop protection company estimates $14.3 billion in sales for 2019. The spinoff from DowDuPont will still be considered a heavyweight with 44 per cent of its product portfolio in crop protection and the remainder in seeds.

FMC is number five in terms of crop protection sales in Canada. As Darren Dillenbeck, country manager, FMC, explains, it’s an advantage to be solely focused on crop protection without the distraction of a seed business.

Mako insecticide has been approved for control of spotted wing drosophila on bushberries, caneberries, strawberries and cherries as well as wasps on cherries in Canada.

Using drones in Canadian agriculture isn’t new, but using them for pesticide application is. Agassiz, British Columbia federal researchers are working with provincial agencies and an Abbottsford drone company to provide Health Canada with data it will need to determine the viability and safety of drone-based pesticide applications.

President Trump has promised American farmers up to $16 billion through USDA programs – an amount estimated to equal the impact of “unjustified retaliatory tariffs on U.S. agricultural goods” according to a recent USDA news release. This is the second package in as many years.

Growers of low-growing berries – strawberries and blueberries – now have access to Quadris Top fungicide for control of anthracnose and powdery mildew.

Rebecca Compton, chair of Asparagus Farmers of Ontario, talks about her background and leadership approach to tackling industry issues.

For the last two years, Rebecca Compton has chaired the Asparagus Farmers of Ontario through a challenging marketing period. While managing 60 acres and an on-farm retail outlet, Big Red Barn near Delhi, Ontario, she encourages her young children – Sable and Anson – to be at home in the field.

Hot weather this spring has led to a snowpack of less than 50 per cent of normal for mid-May for the number one apple-producing state. That’s a development worth watching for all Canadian growers experiencing a spring of variable weather.