Many soybeans growers will throw away the calendar and plant as early as possible this spring. That strategy works for agronomist Deb Campbell just as long as farmers pay close attention to soil conditions and the forecast. “These days, if we’re able to plant corn we can plant soybeans – ground conditions are very similar... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Parts per million versus pounds per acre. Olsen versus Bray. Nitrogen versus nitrate... Some of the numbers and technical terms on the paper or email you get from the soil test lab are relevant for understanding nutrient availability for your crop and others don't actually mean much for growing crops Western Canada. So which numbers... Read More
If you haven’t tested your soil for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) lately, it may be time to take a closer look. The yield-robbing pest is quietly expanding its traditional southwestern Ontario footprint to more northern areas of Huron County and as far east as Quebec. In this episode of Real Agriculture’s Soybean School, Syngenta agronomist... Read More
Ontario's wheat crop saw incredible growth last fall, and spring fertilizer plans must be adjusted accordingly. With advanced wheat, nitrogen application should be delayed, explains Graeme Jones, an agronomist from New Zealand who helped set a previous world record wheat yield. Timing depends on nitrogen availability in the soil and crop size, he says, in... Read More
Ontario farmers continue to wage war with fusarium head blight (FHB). The battle is far from over, as evidenced by the disease’s impact on the provincial wheat crop in 2013. But with an ever-expanding management toolbox farmers are now in a much better position to defend their crops, says University of Guelph Associate Professor David... Read More
If there was some way of measuring trending topics in farmer conversations in Western Canada over the past six months, "so, are you growing peas this year?" would be at or near the top. Thanks to the very strong prices that are accompanying a global pulse shortage, a record number of pea (and lentil) acres... Read More
Fifteen years ago, University of Guelph’s Dr. Clarence Swanton helped revolutionize weed control with his pioneering research on the critical weed-free period for soybeans and corn. Essentially, Swanton helped usher in the thinking that weeds that emerge with or shortly after the crop cause irreversible yield loss. He defined the critical weed-free period as 1st... Read More
Editor's note: The Canadian verticillium stakeholders committee has decided to call the disease caused by Verticillium longisporum "verticillium stripe" instead of "verticillium wilt." This story has been updated to reflect the new terminology. The canola industry is in the early stages of understanding what it's up against with a new fungal disease. Verticillium stripe (previously... Read More
Consistent planting depth and even emergence — it’s every corn grower's goal, but it can be difficult to achieve. In this Corn School episode, AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan takes a close look at the impact planter down force can play in helping (or hindering) growers in their quest for an evenly spaced, picket fence... Read More
Are you paying enough attention to your soil? That’s the first question Iowa crop consultant Michael McNeill asks farmers when they want to talk about how to increase soybean yields. “Soil health is vital to optimizing profits in any crop we try to grow. Without good soil health we don’t have a chance,” says McNeill.... Read More