Terminology and Definitions

Hectare (ha) – A hectare is 100 metres x 100 metres. It is equal to 2.5 acres. A hectare is about the size of two soccer fields.

Acre – an acre is slightly smaller than a soccer field.

Integrated Pest Management (IPM) – a system of managing pests (weeds, insects, disease, fungus, nematodes, rodents) that involves more than one control method – mechanical (e.g. tillage) cultural (e.g. using certified seed), biological (e.g. use of a pest’s natural enemies), or chemical (e.g. pesticides) – in a program that is both economically and environmentally sound

Soil type – the texture of the soil – based on the percentage of sand, silt, and clay – sandy soils drain water quickly; clay soils hold water and often require tile drainage

Tile Drainage – porous drain pipe is buried 0.75 to 1 metre down in the soil – water moves to the pipe and is drained away quickly, allowing farmers to get on their fields quicker in the spring because the excess water is drained away, and yields are increased

Pesticides– includes herbicides (controls weeds), insecticides (control insects), fungicides (controls fungus), nematocides (control nematodes), rodenticides (controls rodents) – must be registered by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) of Health Canada and used according to label instructions

Biotechnology
1) bio = life, technology = practical application of knowledge

2) the application of science and engineering in the direct and indirect use of living organisms, or parts or products of living organisms, in their natural or modified forms (e.g. using microorganisms to make wine or cheese)

Genetic Modification – changing the genetic traits of an organism by intentional manipulations or modifications either through traditional plant breeding or genetic engineering

Genetic Engineering – use of specific laboratory techniques to introduce gene(s) from one species into the genome of another

Genetically Modified Organism (GMO ) – a product of genetic modification, however often used in the media to describe a product of genetic engineering specifically

Hybrid – plants produced by crossing two or more inbred lines of plants that are genetically quite different

Tillage – cultivating the soil to prepare for planting or to reduce weeds

Reduced, Conservation or No-till farming – reducing or eliminating tillage in order to minimize soil disturbance and maintain as much crop residue cover as possible. This leads to better protection of soil from wind or water erosion, less fuel consumption, and better carbon sequestration.

Pesticide Resistance – see: www.agcare.org/uploadattachments/PesticideResistance.pdf

Active Ingredient – the compound within a pesticide that controls its target pest(s) – pesticides also contain compounds that help disperse the active ingredient or otherwise aid it in reaching its target

Marginal Land – land that is too hilly, wet, or contains soils that are fragile and of lower quality for crop production

Crop Rotation – the practice of planting different crops on a field year after year to minimize pest population build up, improve soil health, avoid pesticide resistance issues, and diversify (e.g. a common rotation in Ontario is soybeans, wheat, and corn repeated every 3 years or with hay included for livestock farms)