GrainsWest Tech 2020

Tech 2020 grainswest.com 41 ACTIONABLE AGRONOMICS Website summarizes practical implications of new research MORE INSECT INTEL FROM @ABBUGCOUNTER Alberta entomologist will maintain popular social media presence Bruce Barker is a trained agronomist and longtime agriculture writer who publishes Canadian Agronomist , a website sponsored by the commissions. “I always thought that we need to get good agronomic information to agrologists, agronomists and farmers so they can make informed decisions on their own,” said Barker. To this end, he launched the free online resource in October of 2018 as a central and accessible location where readers can find summaries detailing new agricultural research as well as links to final reports in online scientific journals. He was inspired to create his own online publication after reading an article by two top federal researchers that detailed their top recommended actions to delay herbicide resistance. “It was a really good example of how some of that good information can get lost,” said Barker. He especially encourages farmers to dig into this wealth of new scientific knowledge. “It’s research that most of them pay for through their checkoffs to grower organizations, but also I think it will help them farm better and hopefully more profitably.” To subscribe to Canadian Agronomist , visit canadianagronomist.ca. The creator of the popular @ABbugcounter Twitter handle and #ABbugchat hashtag, entomologist Scott Meers wrapped up 16 years with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry (AF) in April. Neither the veteran insect scientist nor his social media moniker will go into retirement, however. The notion to launch an insect themed social media account hit Meers eight years ago at FarmTech. “I went to a talk about Twitter and how it might be used in ag,” said Meers, now a private consultant and advisor with AgVisorPro. The app had not yet caught on with the ag community. He went on to use Twitter as a forum in which to educate and inform followers who now number almost 3,800. “And it kind of grew. I didn’t know what to make of it. It was amazing.” His role with AF was to carry out insect monitoring surveillance, making @ABbugcounter a valuable source of intel. “What is this? What’s happening with that? Those conversations really kept us in the loop on what the industry was seeing for insects,” said Meers. As well, the Twitter account alerted farmers to insect control thresholds and monitoring results and requests for the use of fields for AF survey monitoring work. “It became an essential portion of that monitoring surveillance work,” he said. His own guiding principle is taking an integrated approach to insect management. “Don’t spray if you don’t have to, the use of thresholds, insecticides only when necessary and letting Mother Nature do more of the work for free so we can go to the lake more often.” Photo:Courtesyof BruceBarker Photo: GrainsWest archives