Damp or rainy weather just before or during harvest can spell trouble for mature wheat kernels. All that extra moisture can cause sprouting and, if that happens, the kernel produces an enzyme that can drastically affect the quality of the end uses of the crop.“When wheat begins to sprout, it produces an enzyme called alpha-amylase,”… Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Farmers are taking a closer look at their soil’s health lately, and measuring the impact of cover crops or different types of strip-tillage. In this episode of Soil School, we’re talking about overall soil health and nutrition and we’ve got a great example of what you can achieve when you combine soil health and balanced… Read More
Will precision planting winter wheat pay for Ontario growers?That’s a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson and OMAFRA cereals specialist Joanna Follings are determined to answer with a new research trial they planted last week at Follings’ home farm at Ayr, Ont.At the 2020 CerealSmart conference last February at Kitchener, Ont., Michigan State University researcher Dennis… Read More
You’ve seeded it, sprayed it, watched it grow, harvested it, and now you’re putting the canola in the bin. On paper, storing canola may seem simple, but as per usual, the actuality of storing canola successfully is a lot more complex.There are many factors to consider to properly storing canola and in this episode of… Read More
The number of soybean acres in Western Canada has declined to less than half of what it was when acreage peaked in 2017 — dropping every year since then — but there are expectations that acres have likely hit a floor in 2020.In this follow-up episode to our last Soybean School on soybean maturity ratings,… Read More
A pre-harvest interval is the amount of time that’s required between a product application and cutting the crop in anyway — not just harvest. A PHI can always be found on a product label, and following the recommendation can help the crop dry down faster and keep product residues within maximum residue limits.“When it comes… Read More
We have a different kind of Pulse School episode for you — it’s market focused this time, instead of agronomy focused. The export destination of peas is shifting, and some of the patterns in pricing are changing too, which may mean opportunities for farmers when they go to market their pulse crops, especially yellow peas.Joining… Read More
The better the job done at planting the better the yield potential of a corn crop. That much we know, but when planting into less-than-ideal conditions, like the spring of 2020, environmental factors can really wreak havoc on your end yield potential. Luckily, paying attention to seed singulation at planting time can help.“There’s no denying… Read More
Frost can be highly variable and the damage it does all depends on how cold it gets, how long it stays cold, and how far it penetrates the crop canopy. If you do get some frost, it’s generally recommended to assess your canola crop, to see what’s happening in your own fields, but to be… Read More
It’s a colourful time of year as leaves start to turn yellow, then brown, and then drop to the ground — not only on trees, but also in soybean fields.When moisture has not been a limiting factor, differences in days-to-maturity between varieties can be quite eye-catching heading into the final weeks of the growing season.In… Read More