Agronomy Update Agenda 2025

Please note that the agenda is subject to change, and that the most current agenda is posted here. (last update Dec. 13, 2024)

Tuesday, January 14, 2025
8:30 AM - 8:45 AMWelcome and introductions  
8:45 AM - 9:15 AMSummary of crop diseases, 2024Michael HardingDr. Michael Harding - Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation
9:15 AM - 9:45 AMYour Fusarium head blight fungicide timing is wrong (why spraying fungicide too early can hurt efficacy)Kelly TurkingtonDr. Kelly Turkington - AAFC - Lacombe
9:45 AM - 10:15 AMThe dirty truth about bacterial leaf streakRandy Kutcher Valentina AnastasiniDr. Randy Kutcher - University of Saskatchewan
Valentina Anastasini - University of Saskatchewan
10:15 AM - 10:45 AMToday’s decisions affecting future challenges: resistance breakdown and fungicide insensitivityMichelle HubbardDr. Michelle Hubbard - AAFC - Swift Current
10:45 AM - 11:00 AMBio-break  
11:00 AM - 11:30 AMAlberta Weed Survey - Changes and shifts in weed abundanceJulia LeesonJulia Leeson - Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)
11:30 AM - 12:00 PMStrategies to combat multiple modes of herbicide resistanceKelly BolesKelly Boles - Center Field Solutions Ltd.
12:00 PM - 12:30 PMWhy to test for resistance & how to sampleBreanne TidemannDr. Breanne Tidemann - AAFC - Lacombe
12:30 PM - 1:15 PMLunch  
1:15 PM - 1:45 PMHow to minimize Harvest LossesMarcel KringeMarcel Kringe - Bushel Plus
1:45 PM - 2:15 PMAll things lodging (2024, rooting depth & timing)Matthew GoslingMatthew Gosling - Premium Ag Solutions Inc.
2:15 PM - 2:45 PMWhat to consider in winter crops (green bridge, rotation, fungicides)Brian BeresDr. Brian Beres - AAFC Lethbridge
2:45 PM - 3:00 PMBio-break   
3:00 PM - 4:00 PMPanel: Top 10 things learned in 2024 about managing disease Keith Gabert Robyne Davidson Belinda DeSmet Allan EadieKeith Gabert - Canola Council of Canada
Robyne Davidson - Lakeland College
Belinda DeSmet - Dirt Road Agronomy
Allan Eadie
Wednesday, January 15, 2025
8:30 AM - 9:00 AMResiliency and drought preparationPhillip HarderPhillip Harder - Croptimistic Technology Inc.
9:00 AM - 9:30 AMHow to get more bushels out of an inch of waterRyan HutchisonRyan Hutchison - South Country Equipment
9:30 AM - 10:00 AMManaging salinity and sodic soils with salt tolerant foragesJeff SchoenauDr. Jeff Schoenau - University of Saskatchewan
10:00 AM - 10:30 AMAlberta Wetland Stewardship - Proof of ExcellenceNevin RosaasenNevin Rosaasen - Alberta Pulse
10:30 AM - 10:45 AMBio-break   
10:45 AM - 11:15 AMSorting the Chaff from the Grain in Soil HealthAndrew McGuireAndrew McGuire - Washington State University
11:15 AM - 11:45 AMFuture of breeding: gene editing and AIMarcus SamuelDr. Marcus Samuel - University of Calgary
11:45 AM - 12:30 PMLunch  
12:30 PM - 1:00 PMSummary of the 2024 Season PestsJennifer OtaniJennifer Otani - AAFC, Beaverlodge Research Farm
1:00 PM - 1:30 PMPopulation dynamics of crop pests in response to climate and ag-inputsMeghan VankoskyDr. Meghan Vankosky - AAFC - Saskatoon
1:30 PM - 2:00 PMBeneficial insects: how to conserve beneficial insects while managing insect pestsHéctor Cárcamo Haley CattonDr. Héctor Cárcamo - AAFC - Lethbridge
Haley Catton - AAFC - Lacombe
2:00 PM - 2:30 PMIncorporation of abiotic and biotic factors for development of stagestructured predictive models of flea beetles on canola in AlbertaSharavari KulkarniDr. Sharavari Kulkarni - University of Alberta
2:30 PM - 2:45 PMBio-break  
2:45 PM - 3:45 PMPanel: how precision farming can be realistically used (AI, drones, zone mapping)Chris Allam Terry Aberhart Brendon Friesen Chris PatersonChris Allam - AFP
Terry Aberhart - Aberhart Group
Brendon Friesen - POINT FORWARD SOLUTIONS INC
Chris Paterson - Venture Partner