9 The Business of Prairie Agriculture Better Farming | May/June 2024 reviewed 69 articles from 17 countries in North America, Europe, and Asia, including the U.S., Canada, Turkey, India, Pakistan, Austria, Italy, and others. The main data sources identified in these studies were hospital records, followed by surveys, government records (including death certificates), insurance claims, and multiple other sources. “For the global perspective, we narrowed our scope to focus primarily on machine-related injuries, which involves tractors and farm equipment,” says Mian Muhammad Sajid Raza, a doctoral student in ABE and lead author on the second paper. The researchers found that tractors stand out as the leading cause of fatal incidents, with tractor overturns accounting for 45 per cent of all machinery-related incidents in North America. Furthermore, injuries linked overall to agricultural machinery significantly contribute to both fatal and non-fatal incidents. “It is also interesting to look at other sources of injury. In North America and Europe, animals are the cause of less than three per cent of all injuries. But in Asia, animals represent seven per cent of the total injuries and 35 per cent of the fatalities. This is likely because farming is less automated and animals are still used extensively in some Asian countries,” Raza says. The research shows agriculture is a dangerous occupation globally, with injuries reported in at least three continents. Overall trends are as expected, with vehicles and machinery playing a large role in injuries and fatalities, Issa notes. “One of our most important findings is that the way you conduct injury surveillance will have an impact on your results,” he says. “For example, if you use newspaper clippings, your findings will skew towards a younger age group. The discrepancies are so large it’s clearly worth evaluating the type of surveillance methods employed, and it’s important to use multiple sources to get a good picture of what’s going on.” Understanding the nature and source of injuries is important for developing educational programs and interventions, Issa concludes. BF Research Significant causes of farm injury included machinery, slips and trips, animals, chemicals, and tools. Emily Croft photo Kochia is an annual broadleaf weed that reproduces by seed, producing from 15,000 to 25,000 seeds per plant. Also known as summer cypress, burning bush and goosefoot, kochia is difficult to control due to its ability to thrive in heat, drought and salinity. What to look for • The first leaves, which form a basal rosette, are elongated and club shaped, covered in soft, dense hairs. • Without proper weed control, the compact seedling will mature into a branchy bush, up to two metres in height. • The colour of the stem, and sometimes the entire plant, changes from green to crimson. Count the cost • Densities of 21 plants per m2 have caused yield losses in wheat of approximately 33%, while extreme infestations of 195 plants per m2 have reduced wheat yields by 73%. • Resistant to Group 2, 4, 9 and 14 herbicides. When to scout • Kochia emerges as early as March or April, weeks before the soil is warm enough to seed into. How to control • Spray early to take advantage of early emergency to control flushes before crop emergence. • Prevent plants from setting seed with a fall burnoff. • Use a registered pre-emergent option for crops such as flax or Clearfield canola. KOCHIA Sources: https://manageresistancenow.ca/weeds/managing-herbicide-resistant-kochia/ https://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/weeds/glyphosate-resistant-kochia.html Always read and follow label instructions. Member of CropLife Canada. FMC and the FMC logo are trademarks of FMC Corporation or an affiliate. ©2024 FMC Corporation. All rights reserved. 8190 - 01/24 8190 Weed of the Month Series_Kochia.indd 1 2024-01-09 3:31 PM 2024-01-09 3:31 PM
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