"We've always done it that way" isn't always the best approach in farming, and that includes the decision on how much fertilizer to put down with canola at seeding. Canola is sensitive to fertilizer toxicity, especially in dry soil conditions. It's well worth revisiting what's traditionally been considered a safe rate in the seed row,... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
There's so much to observe and learn from a well set-up trial. This growing season, we're following a set of trials with Robert MacDonald, manager of agronomic excellence with BASF, looking at several aspects of canola production. Earlier, MacDonald dug into seeding rate and depth differences. In this episode of the Canola School, MacDonald runs... Read More
What's the best strategy for applying fungicide in highly variable corn fields where plants range in maturity from three to 10 leaves? That's a question BASF agronomist Ken Currah tackles on this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School. He says that's been the story of many corn fields this year, especially on clay soils where... Read More
Strong plant stands can set a soybean crop up for big yields. But difficult spring conditions can leave soybean seedlings fighting to emerge and unable to contribute to the population levels needed to reach yield expectations. In Ontario, typically one to four per cent of the soybean acres fail to establish adequate plant stands and... Read More
A new online tool has been launched to help farmers and agronomists in Western Canada understand nutrient removal rates to make more informed fertilizer decisions. The Prairie Nutrient Removal Calculator provides updated estimates of nutrient removal for 12 different crops, based on samples collected from farmers' fields in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba in 2020 through... Read More
To till or not to till? It's an ongoing conversation in areas where water is controlled through irrigation or risk of soil erosion is high. Carlo Van Herk, research technician with Farming Smarter, says strip tillage ahead of a canola crop could be the answer, as it creates a happy medium between soil water conservation... Read More
What does it take to grow 258-bushel-per-acre wheat? On this episode of RealAgriculture's Wheat School, Peter Johnson peppers New Zealand wheat grower Eric Watson on how he achieved that world record wheat yield in 202o. His record has since been broken but the Ashburton, New Zealand farmer is now planning another assault on the record... Read More
When spraying post-emerge herbicides in conventional soybeans, getting good coverage is key to controlling weeds such as ragweed and pigweed. On this episode of RealAgriculture Soybean School, Syngenta Canada agronomic sales representative Brad Garlough explores how new sprayer technology can help growers get better herbicide coverage, optimize weed control, and defend the farm against herbicide... Read More
Canola has a very high sulphur need, unlike most other annual crops. Sulphur is relatively mobile in the soil, but not in the plant. It's also a nutrient that comes in a readily-available and slow-release form. All told, sulphur management of canola takes some careful planning and forethought, with a few key cautions thrown in.... Read More
Many agronomic and environmental factors can contribute to uneven soybean emergence. From variable planting depth to moisture availability at seeding depth or untimely rains that seal some seeds underground — every uneven soybean field has a story. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner has seen his fair share of... Read More