Wheat and barley grower organizations from across Western Canada are trying to figure out how to move forward with farmer involvement in variety development. The transitional Western Canadian wheat and barley check-offs implemented by the federal government with the end of the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly in 2012 are set to expire in 2017. The... Read More
Category: Crops
A recent spurt of colder weather in Ontario is bad news for pests and good news for farmers, says OMAFRA Field Entomologist Tracey Baute. “It makes entomologists a little nervous, especially when we don't see winter arriving until mid January,” says Baute who’s concerned that the warm fall and late-arriving winter of 2016 will mean... Read More
There were plenty of lessons to be learned about growing faba beans in 2015, as the number of acres covered by crop insurance in Saskatchewan tripled from just under 20 thousand in 2014 to around 60 thousand last year. "When you increase acres, there are definitely things we gain more information on," notes Sherrilyn Phelps,... Read More
Ontario crop yields have exploded over the last 35 years. Corn yields have increased by 80% during this time and soybeans are not that far behind at 65%. Those big yield gains create a much greater draw on soil nutrients. In the case of corn, for example, the average corn crop now removes 63 lbs... Read More
On this week’s Word, Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture and host of this weekly podcast, gets into the hows and whys of reducing phosphorus losses, managing this year's wheat crop, and tillage on manure. Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at peter.johnson@bell.net. Highlights: Ag... Read More
More than 280 Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) jammed into a London, Ontario hotel last week to talk agronomy, information and regulation. It was the largest turnout ever for the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors Association annual meeting since the event began 13 years ago. The province currently has 545 active CCAs and the number is expected... Read More
Wide row soybeans are poised to make a comeback in Ontario, says OMAFRA soybean specialist Horst Bohner. Whether it happens will likely depend on how farmers evaluate the importance of four key factors. Speaking at the recent SouthWest Agricultural Conference at Ridgetown College, Bohner explained that equipment is the first thing to consider. “We have... Read More
A pair of major wheat research announcements coincided with the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission's annual general meeting in Saskatoon on Wednesday. Saskatchewan Agriculture Minister Lyle Stewart announced $1.5 million for six projects through the Canadian Wheat Alliance. Industry and government partners from across the prairies are also contributing $1.7 million to the genetic and agronomic... Read More
How do specific corn hybrids respond to intensive management practices? Do they deliver higher yields? Are those extra bushels profitable for growers? Those are some of the questions the Ontario Corn Committee (OCC) is trying to answer with its new intensive management corn trials. At the SouthWest Agricultural Conference in early January, OCC’s Dr. David... Read More
Grain Farmers of Ontario is heading back to court to fight another round in its court battle to contest the province’s new seed treatment regulations. GFO will be in court on March 9th. "We are pleased that the Ontario Court of Appeal has agreed to hear our case and to move quickly on the issue,"... Read More