In this episode of the Corn School, Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson goes cover crop crazy. Standing in a residue-covered cornfield, Johnson sounds off on growers who insist on chopping corn stalks: “What a labour intensive, fuel expensive, ridiculous thing to do – it makes no sense whatsoever.” What makes better sense for growers,... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Farmers are dealt a hand of cards each year. There are cards of fortune and cards of misfortune. Maybe it's a wet spring or corn prices below $4/bu or skyrocketing fertilizer costs. Maybe you get all three in the same hand. A farmer can't always choose what they're dealt, but they can choose how to... Read More
Placing fertilizer where it needs to go can prove challenging, especially along roads, fencerows and bending contours of a field. But navigating fields and hitting the spot should be easier with the new Javelin sectional spreader from Salford BBI. “It’s the first precision spreader on the North American market to achieve a true 120-foot spread... Read More
John Deere continues to update its online tools to give farmers easier access to information to manage their operations. The latest updates to the John Deere Operations Center were unveiled at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky, in February. The Operations Center allows users to see performance over time and collaborate with partners... Read More
Ontario Farmers are turning out in force to participate in the Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (GLASI). “We’ve had incredible response to GLASI in the targeted areas,” says Margaret May, regional program lead with Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, which administers the program. Interest and attendance at program meetings has been strong, she adds.... Read More
As soybeans are introduced and grown more frequently in rotations that already include canola in Western Canada, growers may find their soil bank accounts for phosphorus and potassium running low. Both canola and soybeans are heavy users/removers of P and K, explains Laryssa Grenkow of Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers in this Canola School episode,... Read More
What a difference a year makes. Back in spring 2015, Ontario farmers were scrambling to manage an abundance of corn stalk residue and grappling with questions about tillage and how to fix fields full of ruts caused by a challenging harvest. Fast forward to spring 2016 and farmers are facing a much more favourable planting... Read More
How confident are you that your pea and lentil seed is not limiting yield potential before you even put it in the ground? With rising acres leading to a shortage of certified seed, there are serious concerns about the quality of the seed that will be used this spring. Sarah Foster of 20/20 Seed Labs... Read More
The Alberta Wheat Commission was formally created on August 1st, 2012, the same day the Canadian Wheat Board was stripped of its single desk selling authority for wheat and barley in Western Canada. Since then, AWC has become heavily involved in funding wheat research and market development, as well as serving as a voice for... Read More
Is your planter ready to go? In this episode of Real Agriculture Corn School, Kearney Planters Service Tech Lead Shaun Dilliott gives you a short course in how to prep your planter for the coming season. Dilliott’s clinic starts with inspecting the row unit and the need to a take close look at the parallel... Read More