Hello everyone,
The 2021 season is wrapped up. I’m sure the planes are washed and ready for annuals. Unfortunately, this season was not what we were hoping for. The relentless heat and little to no rain wreaked havoc on our fungicide seasons, some were lucky enough to pick up a few acres of insecticide. Hopefully pre-harvest application was decent for all.
We recently attended our CAAA board meeting in Calgary. The three-day meeting included discussions with Transport Canada regarding Blasting NOTAMS. It was great to see them reaching out for our advice and input.
We had a great session with BASF. The board was able to review some concerns, as well as discuss what we see for the future of Aerial Application. Water volume labels was also top priority for both parties. They are continuing to push the PMRA to lower water volumes to match most other countries. We unfortunately did not get a chance to meet with Bayer. However, we did partner with them this season completing field trials testing water volume rates on both wheat and canola. Trials were done at two, three, and five gallons per acre. One wheat and canola trial showed no results sadly. However, the second wheat trial, though very small, did show some promising results at two gallons per acre. Considering the dry conditions this season, any result is a step in the right direction.
The CAAA Board held a virtual meeting with PMRA this week. The issue of water volume is at the top of our priority list, and we are pushing as hard as possible to get these labels changed.
On a positive note, we are very happy to be moving forward with the in-person CAAA convention in Montréal this upcoming February. We hope to see as many of our members as possible. With a year off from in-person conferences, we hope everyone will attend and bid up our great upcoming auction items. The National Aerial Applicators Association (NAAA) board is still planning to attend the convention, which will be a great addition to the conference this year.
Hope to see you all in Montréal!
Chad Vanderbyl
President, CAAA