Last week, on the way to the GROWMARK “NEXT” Conference held
in Peoria, Illinois, about 30 Ontario FS crop specialists took part in a four-day
agronomy focused road-trip filled with “excellent learning opportunities,” says
Don McLean, GROWMARK Ontario agronomy business director.
The first stop at
Pride Seeds AgReliant Genetics Research Station in Champaign, Illinois gave the
group a better understanding of just how far Pride Seeds has come in the
development of new hybrid seed varieties. “New hybrids are produced in half the
time it used to take!,” says Bill Brown, GROWMARK Ontario field sales
agronomist. “What used to be a seven to eight year timeframe, now we are
introduced to new varieties in three to four years’ time.”
Next, the group arrived in Peoria, to attend GROWMARK’s FS
Agronomy Event called “NEXT”. Just as its title suggests, this value-packed
conference focused clearly on the future in agronomy trends and GROWMARK programs.
On the way back to Ontario, the bus stopped in Union Hill, Illinois to visit Bayer CropScience’s Research facility to learn more about what’s next in weed resistance science. The big eye-opener here for the group was witnessing first-hand the enormous threat that comes from the weed “Palmer amaranth”. “Unless multiple modes of action are put into play right at the onset of its presence, it will not take long for this mighty weed to completely takeover and highjack a full crop,” says Brown. “So far, we don’t have it here in Ontario, but we must take this weed very seriously and be prepared.”
Ontario FS crop specialists visit Pride Seeds AgReliant
Reaserch site in Champaign, Illionois:
On the way back to Ontario, the bus stopped in Union Hill, Illinois to visit Bayer CropScience’s Research facility to learn more about what’s next in weed resistance science. The big eye-opener here for the group was witnessing first-hand the enormous threat that comes from the weed “Palmer amaranth”. “Unless multiple modes of action are put into play right at the onset of its presence, it will not take long for this mighty weed to completely takeover and highjack a full crop,” says Brown. “So far, we don’t have it here in Ontario, but we must take this weed very seriously and be prepared.”
 
LEFT- Scott Vandehogen, AGRIS Co-operative seed specialist stands beside corn field impacted by Palmer amaranth in Union Hill, Illinois. Note: Scott is six feet tall! RIGHT- Don McLean posing with massive Palmer amaranth weed!
Attending the conference and road trip were FS crop specialists from AGRIS Co-operative, County Farm Centre, FS PARTNERS, Huron Bay Co-operative, North Wellington Co-operative, Sunderland Co-operative, Thunder Bay Co-op and Wanstead Farmers’ Co-operative. “It was an excellent networking opportunity for crop specialists from all over the province to share stories, ideas and discuss what’s NEXT!” says McLean.
 |
BACK ROW (L-R): Kyle Beatty and Ryan Beatty (County Farm
Centre), Bill Brown (GROWMARK), Jeremy Tanner (AGRIS Co-op), Tyler Sabelli (AGRIS
Co-op), Sean Chase (FS PARTNERS), Scott Vandehogen (AGRIS Co-op), Chris Snip (AGRIS Co-op), Marty Osborne (AGRIS Co-op), Kevin Van Eerd
(AGRIS Co-op), Jeff Wilson (County Farm Centre). SECOND ROW (L-R) Mike Parker (Wanstead
Farmers Co-op), Brent Troyer (North Wellington Co-op), Jennifer MacDonald
(Huron Bay Co-op), Dave VanCasteren (FS PARTNERS), Seamus Postuma (Thunder Bay
Co-op), Nathan Saarloos (FS PARTNERS), Dale Bolton (Sunderland Co-op), Mark
McKerrall (AGRIS Co-op), Sandy McAllister (Huron Bay Co-op). FRONT ROW (L-R): Adam Bent (Sunderland Co-op),
Luke Hartung (North Wellington Co-op),
Graham McLean (AGRIS Co-op), Clarke Aitken (AGRIS Co-op), Don McLean (GROWMARK),
Kent Wolfe (AGRIS Co-op), Jessica Gaukel (AGRIS Co-op), Mike Pedlar (Huron Bay
Co-op).
|
No comments:
Post a Comment