The New Pub 75

If you haven't had the chance to pick up a copy of OMAFRA's Guide to Weed Control - Pub 75, you should make the time.

Mike Cowbrough and his crew have done a great job revamping Pub 75 to bring more relevant and important information. Some of the changes are:

1) Right off the start, the new Chapter One examines rotational solutions to problem perennial weeds. Weeds include alfalfa, bindweed, Canada thistle, perennial sow thistle, horse nettle and yellow nut sedge. The chapter breaks down a corn-soys-wheat rotation to provide the best known solutions with chemical control in conventional and glyphosate resistant systems.

2) Throughout the guide you will find QR codes that you can scan with your smart phone to link you to more relevant information such as videos concerning spray drift.

3) In the weeds controlled charts for the different crops you will find some weeds marked with an "R". This is to indicate that populations of this weed exist in Ontario that are resistant to the chemical listed and may not be controlled by that option.

4) Chapter 18 should be renamed the "REVENGE" chapter. This chapter provides updated information on chemical control options for invasive, nuisance weeds in non cropped areas. Time to take out that Poison Ivy!

5) An electronic version is available to download for free onto your PC or tablet at:
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/pub75/Pub75-2012-2013-EN.pdf

6) A new feature is the listing of the salt type on the different glyphosates available in Ontario. This can be helpful when looking at off label tank mixes and could save you from having to clean out your sprayer when things go wrong.

A word on tank mixes: Last year, the PMRA relaxed it's regulations on tank mixes. No longer does the tank mix need to be listed on the label. As long as all chemicals in the tank mix are approved by the PMRA to be applied to the crop in the same way (example: post emergent soybeans) it is ok to apply by the PMRA's standards. Now that does not always mean that these chemicals are ok to mix together. By mixing them together or out of a certain order you might be taking a rather large chance of plugging up your screens or ending up with a big ball of jelly in your tank. Always check your off label tank mix with your local chem rep before trying it!

Enough said - Download Pub 75 or pick up a copy at your local OMAFRA office today!