Map: Time Growing Shorter for Meaningful Dryness Relief

Sep 21, 2023

Mostly dry weather may be allowing the Prairie harvest to progress ahead of the average pace in most cases, but time is also running out to get moisture into the ground ahead of winter freeze up.

As the map below shows, soil moisture is well below normal in large pockets of all three Prairie provinces, especially Alberta. With the next week or so expected to be mostly dry across Western Canada – except for parts of Manitoba and southeastern Saskatchewan – the window for meaningful relief closes just a little bit more before the ground freezes for winter, potentially sometime in November.

Depending on the winter season and the spring thaw, many farmers could again be facing a lack of soil moisture for spring planting. - a problem that now goes back years in some locations.

The outlook for fall precipitation, however, is uncertain.

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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.