Category: Crop Schools

Sulphur is needed to grow wheat in Ontario. It’s that simple, says Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson.Sulphur deficiency was widespread in the province this year after one of the coldest and driest springs in the past 30 years. The cool temperatures tend to limit the amount of sulphur release, says Johnson who notes that… Read More

Ever wonder where Canadian canola ends up?90 percent of the canola grown in Canada leaves the country to be processed and/or consumed in almost 50 countries around the world, explains Bruce Jowett, vice-president of market development with the Canola Council of Canada, sharing a rundown of export markets in this Canola School episode.The United States, China,… Read More

If a corn plant emerges one, two or three days after its neighbour, will it yield less?Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson is determined to find out. At the SouthWest Ag Conference last January, National Corn Growers Association yield contest champion Randy Dowdy challenged growers to plant a flag test on their farm to measure… Read More

There are many factors that will make a wheat crop more likely to lodge — seeding rate, fertility, moisture levels, variety and so on, but when it comes to understanding lodging risk during the growing season, watch nighttime temperatures, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson.“At nighttime, what does wheat do? All it does is respire,” he… Read More

It was slow and steady, but farmers have won the race to get the 2016 Ontario corn crop in the ground.It’s been a cool spring that’s required lots of patience, says Pride Seeds Market Agronomist Ken Currah. On this episode of Real Agriculture Corn School, Currah looks back at spring planting conditions and discusses challenges… Read More

Coming off record global production last year, world wheat supplies are massive. And yet, growing year-over-year ending stocks have not translated into a major decline in cash wheat bids for Canadian farmers.That’s mainly due to two related factors: the weak Canadian dollar and tightening Canadian supplies — a function of the weak dollar driving exports and farmers producing less wheat.The… Read More

Canola supplies will likely be tight leading up to harvest this fall, and could be even tighter in 2017 based on StatsCan estimates, average yields and demand trends.“The market is definitely telling us supplies are not going to be as abundant as what we’ve had over the last few years, and I would say it will… Read More

To some growers, it’s an old idea; to others, it’s completely new. The concept of peola — intercropping peas and canola  — has been around in Western Canada for decades, but with new varieties and weed control options, the practice seems to be gaining momentum again.In 2009, the Westman Agricultural Diversification Organization found an attention-grabbing yield benefit… Read More

Glyphosate-resistant kochia has started showing up in more of Western Canada, and as with other cases of resistance, it’s becoming evident you can’t rely on a single tool for too long. Minimizing resistant weed populations requires an integrated or diverse approach.The crop itself must help make survival difficult for potentially resistant weed seedlings, explains Rob Gulden… Read More

How many of the seeds put in the ground by your airseeder or drill will actually emerge and become viable plants?Seedling mortality can vary greatly, but needs to be considered when determining seeding rates, assessing emergence and when planning for next year.A 5 to 10 percent mortality rate is often assumed when calculating a seeding… Read More