Soil is alive and full of billions (yes billions) of fungi, bacteria, protozoa and more, performing key soil functions such as nutrient cycling, creating pores, and adding stability to soil structure. But how much do we understand of our soils? And can we take steps to love these good bugs and get rid of the… Read More
Year: 2023
Apache has made improvements to their self-propelled sprayers for 2023 including precision agriculture options and updates to the boom system. Kevin Covey tells RealAg’s Atley Hamlin about Apache’s innovations for 2023 at the Western Canada Crop Production Show in Saskatoon Sask. (Watch video or read on below) Covey explains that many of the updates are… Read More
With over 170 different carbon markets globally, across all industries, it begs the question, are we missing opportunity? This was the question that Travis Kraft, director of U.S. Row Crops for Locus Agricultural Solutions, posed at the National No-Till Conference, held January 10-13, 2023. There are two base models when it comes to carbon credits:… Read More
Big Equipment Co., based at Havre, Montana, has announced plans to bring back its well-known Big Bud tractors. Working in partnership with Rome Agricultural and Construction Equipment in Cedartown, Georgia, the company is planning to release the new HD Big Bud in March at the CONEXPO-CON/AGG International Construction Trade show at Las Vegas. Around 500… Read More
Thanks for tuning in to this Agronomic Monday edition of RealAg Radio. Guest host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist, on keeping the soil microbe machine humming. We will also hear from Stuart Chutter, policy analyst with Agriculture Financial Services Corporation, on soil organic carbon and crop insurance connections…. Read More
A ramp designed by pork company HyLife for vaccinating weanlings has potential to improve animal care across the industry, the company says. The ramp was created by HyLife’s Continuous Improvement Team (CI), and has received approval from renowned animal behaviouralist, Dr. Temple Grandin. Grandin was brought in by HyLife to tour its farms and processing… Read More
Looking back over the past century, economic recessions have more often than not been preceded by a sharp rise in oil prices, as seen in the first half of 2022. Farmers and grain marketers should be looking to the energy market as a leading indicator for where other commodities are headed, according to a market… Read More
Agriculture ministers from across Canada met virtually on Friday to discuss and receive updates on several agriculture-related files that they’re following, including progress on a national grocery code of conduct and the implementation of the new five-year Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP) that’s set to take effect April 1, 2023. “We would like to commend… Read More
A lot has changed for Ontario Certified Crop Advisors over the past two decades. The provincial agronomist organization now boasts 675 members, specialized programs for 4R nutrient and weed resistance management, and an increasingly diverse membership. Last week marked the 20th anniversary of the organization’s first annual meeting; it was also a time to acknowledge… Read More
This post is part of a series of short introductions of Students of Agriculture. From undergraduates, to PhDs, or those learning out in the world, this series will share snippets of different journeys in agriculture education. Know a student with a neat story? Send Lyndsey a message ([email protected]) to have them recognized as a Student… Read More
The Canadian Centre for Agricultural Wellbeing (CCAW), a new not-for-profit organization launched in late 2022, is on a mission to support farmers and their families with a research-to-action approach to mental health. Today, CCAW has announced an agreement that names TELUS Health as the exclusive clinical and technology provider for services. CCAW is focused on… Read More
Nitrogen prices for North American farmers are no longer at their 2022 highs, but they still have a long way to drop before returning to where they were a few years ago. Where that floor is for the market will largely be determined by European energy policy, John Daniels, fertilizer product manager for Paterson GlobalFoods,… Read More
By Katie Grudeski, equipment sales consultant at Mazergroup As seeding technology has evolved so has row spacing. Where we used to plant using a six- or eight-inch spacing, we’ve moved up to 10 and 12 inches and now we’re seeing farmers using 15 inches. With the wider row spacing its providing benefits to the plant… Read More
The StarFire 7000 is John Deere’s newest GPS receiver the company says this model offers several improvements over the last. Tyson Miazga, product systems specialist with John Deere, met with Real Agriculture’s Atley Hamlin at last week’s Western Canada Crop Production Show at Saskatoon to talk about the StarFire 7000 receiver. Miazga says, it is… Read More
Corn yields in Ontario have been increasing 2 bu/ac, or one per cent per, year over the past 40 years. Where is that yield increase coming from? University of Guelph associate professor David Hooker says genetics (65 per cent) and agronomy (35 per cent) are the key contributors to bigger corn crops. Corn breeders can… Read More