BASF’S Knowledge Harvest event – Farming Out Loud featured a variety of presentations on Cereals, Canola and Herbicide Resistance.

Russell Trischuk is a Technical Marketing Manager with BASF and is responsible for functional crop care portfolio which includes seed treatments, inoculants etc.

He focused on a key issue for producers last year – Fusarium Head Blight and talked about increasing seeding rates to reduce tillering.

"This is actually stealing from our neighbours in Manitoba. They seed probably between 2 1/2-3 bushels an acre because they've found when you increase your seeding rate to a certain degree you only get main stems coming up," Trischuk said. "We're trying to reduce tillering because the tillers tend to be a bit later and they don't get a lot of protection from those applications that guys are putting on."

He says they start flowering when about 50 to 75% of the wheat heads have come out of the boot.

"As you're monitoring your crop and you start to see heads popping out, go out take a quick count and see where you're at," he said. "Usually when the heads are coming out that's when I say okay you go get that stuff and if you're going to spray go get it and have it ready to go. You might drive by last night and it may not be there, but tomorrow morning it might be. Look at that head, look for those yellow flowers and when every other head has flowers on it that's the best time to go."   

He also suggested staggering your wheat seeding with other crops so you’re not faced with all your wheat fields needing attention at the same time.