The concept of real-time disease monitoring with nano biosensors that can communicate with your cell phone might sound futuristic, but the steps in the process have been proven to work in a lab setting, says the Alberta Canola Producers Commission.

Crop staging comes into play for herbicide, insecticide and fungicide timing. So crops with plants at various stages — some at flowering, some barely at the bud stage, for example — present a challenge when deciding when to spray.