Pulse planting conditions were mostly dry this spring, but many farmers were able to seed into moisture. In most cases, plant emergence has been good, and with recent rains the crop is ready to move into high gear. That means it’s time to do some scouting!Dale Leftwich, Saskatchewan field editor for RealAgriculture, stopped in to… Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Many agronomists talk about the importance of multiple modes of action when planning a weed control program. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed specialist Mike Cowbrough shows you why.We catch up with Cowbrough as he surveys a patch of Canada fleabane that has survived a… Read More
What’s your strategy when scouting a newly emerged soybean field?When Agromart Group agronomist Steph Kowalski walks into a soybean field this time of year, the first thing she looks to assess is final emergence and population. “It’s important to know how well we got that seed into the ground,” Kowalski tells RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin on… Read More
Hot, humid weather across much of corn-growing areas of Ontario has the crop adding a leaf stage about every four days. As corn pops in to that 4-leaf to 5-leaf stage, it’s time to get some dust on the boots and check three key aspects of early crop establishment: plant health, weed escapes, and planter… Read More
When should you consider switching corn and plant a shorter-season hybrid?That’s a question many growers in some southwestern regions of Ontario are wrestling with as the calendar pushes ever closer to June. Spring weather conditions in many areas of the province have been good and planting is proceeding at a strong pace. However, heavy clay… Read More
The average size of a new grain bin in Western Canada has grown dramatically in recent years. 1,650 bushel flat-bottom bins, while still needed in some cases, are turning into relics of the past.“Right now, the average bin going up is around 25,000 bushels,” says Lorne Grieger of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI), in… Read More
It’s an established fact that seeding depth and plant spacing are critical factors in maximizing yields and uniformity in some crops. That’s why corn and soybeans are planted with planters designed to singulate each seed and place it at a precise depth.Wheat isn’t generally seeded with a planter, but as part of this Wheat School… Read More
By François TardifMany master gardeners would tell you that to maximize your vegetable yields, rows need to be oriented in a north-south manner. This is supposed to maximize light interception by the crops, which in turn maximizes photosynthesis.In contrast, east-west rows have more shading and this negatively impacts yields. Is the same true for field… Read More
Not only do dry soil conditions hamper seed germination, they also raise the risk of fertilizer toxicity for seedlings after they germinate, especially in a sensitive crop like canola.That means rates of fertilizer placed at seeding last year or the year before might not be safe this year, explains Don Flaten, soil scientist at the… Read More
What’s the best choice of streamer nozzle? It’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is asked countless times every year.Well, here’s the answer. In this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, WheatPete puts on his suit and gloves and heads to the field to show us how three-stream, five-stream and seven-stream nozzles compare. He also takes… Read More