Ontario will be home to the first of three new Living Laboratory initiatives beginning this year. Led by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Ontario living lab project will receive up to $9.2 million over five years from the federal government under the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – Living Labs program. This living lab... Read More
Category: Research
Can heavy July rains fuel nitrogen leaching and push the valuable nutrient beyond the reach of corn plant roots? That's a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn specialist Ben Rosser has been hearing a lot lately as many areas of the province have been dealt a deluge of rain. On this... Read More
Saving honey bees from ongoing population declines will be the focus of the new Luckevich Pinchin Honey Bee Research Centre, set to open at the University of Guelph in 2025. A groundbreaking ceremony was held this week to kick off construction of the $16-million centre. The new facility is billed as an upgrade to the... Read More
A Tuesday morning poll of Ontario agronomists, extension specialists, and crop retail representatives based in the southwestern region of the province indicates about two-thirds of the provincial soybean crop has been planted as of May 23. "That's pretty awesome," says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soybean specialist Horst Bohner, adding that... Read More
The University of Guelph's Department of Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics (FARE) within the Ontario Agricultural College (OAC) has announced a $1-million research chair. The Arrell Family Chair in Behavioural and Experimental Economics will support students and seed projects and enable the hiring of a lab manager for a growing research lab. The new chair... Read More
A properly calibrated planter can make a key contribution to corn yield but could the planter wheels be causing yield-robbing soil compaction? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn specialist Ben Rosser says it's important for growers to be aware of soil compaction on or around corn rows during planting. On this episode... Read More
Should growers plant soybeans in narrower 15-inch rows or should they go wide and plant at 30 inches? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner has been listening to the debate for years, and rather than taking sides, he likes to focus on the fact that growers can choose an... Read More
Where should growers place fertilizer in strip-till strips to best protect the seed from injury while optimizing nutrient uptake? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn lead Ben Rosser says Ontario does have "safe rate" recommendations for in-furrow and 2"x 2" planter banding but no guidelines are currently available for strip-till fertilizer placement.... Read More
Saskatchewan soybean production has been a roller coaster ride over the past decade. In 2013, growers planted 170,000 acres of the oilseed. Growing enthusiasm for the crop pushed acres higher to 850,000 in 2017, but since that time weather challenges and poor yields have caused acres to plunge — just over 45,000 acres were planted... Read More
What impact do higher-yielding corn crops have on no-till soybeans? That's a question many growers are asking as they prepare to plant no-till soybeans into high levels of corn residue that can keep soil cooler in spring, impact emergence and reduce stands. Growers also have to contend with soil compaction caused by difficult harvest conditions... Read More