Melting Alberta snow floods fields

Apr 18, 2018

One farmer estimates his planting is almost a month behind schedule

By Diego Flammini
Staff Writer
Farms.com

Flooding caused by melting snow has put some Alberta farmers’ seeding plans on hold.

“As far as planting, I think we’re two to three weeks behind,” Ryan Mercer, owner of Mercer Seeds, a seed retailer in Lethbridge County, Alta., told Global News yesterday.

Around the clock operations may be needed to recover the lost time, he added.

With much of the ground frozen, soils can’t absorb the water. So, it runs off into roads and backs up drainage systems.

Lethbridge County declared a state of local emergency on Monday morning and lifted it this morning.

Until the water recedes enough, all farmers like Mercer can do is make the necessary preparations for when field conditions cooperate.

“We’re just trying to be as organized as possible, having the seed in place and having the drills ready to go,” he told Global News. “So when we do actually get in the field we can just get the seed in as fast as we can.”

Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.