Bring your jorts and Birkenstocks to WheatStalk

By Brian Kennedy, Grower Relations and Extension Manager

This year our plan for the Alberta Wheat Commission’s (AWC) summer extension extravaganza, WheatStalk, includes a new and exciting change from previous years. Rather than a single event, WheatStalk 2021 will be hitting the road to bring agronomic solutions to farmers across Alberta’s various regions through a multi-stop event tour. AWC has partnered with Gateway Research Organization (GRO), Chinook Applied Research Association (CARA), SARDA Ag Research, and Battle River Research Group (BBRG) for four separate, wheat centric, days of learning. Together, AWC and each of the four co-hosts will provide valuable agronomic information that is relevant to your region.

Just like last year, the AWC will be holding the event in accordance with Alberta Health Services protocals. Therefore, we are asking everyone who wishes to attend to pre-register. If you are one of the first 25 to register for your closest location, we will even provide you with a pair of fancy wheat socks to wear with your Birkenstocks as a souvenir of the 2021 WheatStalk tour.

Below are the dates, locations, and speakers for each stop of the tour:

The first tour date is July 27 at GRO in Westlock, AB:

  • Nitrogen fertilizer rates and timing on AAC Brandon and AAC Viewfield CWRS wheat - Ross MacKenzie, Professional Agronomist
  • Fungicide timing on wheat - Jeremy Boychyn, The Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions
  • Advanced agronomic management (Extra nitrogen at seeding, PGRs and fungicides on CWRS wheat) - Sheri Strydhorst, The Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions
  • Local regional variety trials - Sandeep Nain, GRO
  • Ultra-early seeding - Kristina Polzhiehn, Axiom Agronomy Ltd.

The second date on the tour is July 29 at CARA in Oyen, AB:

  • Seeding rates - CARA
  • Fusarium head blight management - Mike Harding, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
  • Wireworm management and seed treatments -  Jeremy Boychyn, Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions

The third stop is August 5 at SARDA near Falher, AB:

  • In-crop nitrogen, PGRs and fungicides in CWRS and CPSR wheat, Sheri Strydhorst - Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions
  • Wheat midge and stewardship -  Jennifer Otani, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Trent Whiting, SeCan
  • Varietal class comparisons - Nick Sekulic, Farmer
  • In-crop nitrogen, PGRs and fungicides in oats and barley - Kristina Polzhiehn - Axiom Agronomy Ltd.

The final date for the 2021 tour is August 9 at BRRG in Forestburg, AB:

  • Fusarium head blight spores - Trevor Blois, Seed 2020
  • Fusarium head blight management - Mike Harding, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry
  • PGR application in wheat - Sheri Strydhorst, The Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions
  • Midge tolerance stewardship - Trent Whiting, SeCan

You can get more details and register on our events page.

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