Are drop hoses that travel through the canopy the best way to apply in-crop fungicides? That’s a question Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) application technology specialist Jason Deveau has worked on for the past four years. It all started in 2019 when Deveau joined forces with OMAFRA plant pathologist Albert Tenuta… Read More
Author: RealAgriculture Agronomy Team
A team effort of RealAgriculture videographers and editorial staff to make sure that you have the latest in agronomy information for your farm.
Every day is a good day to phone a friend and see how they are doing, but especially today, when mental wellness is in the spotlight: make sure to use your Wheat Pete 15! And on that note, we begin this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, where host Peter Johnson answers your questions on… Read More
The advent of herbicide-resistant weeds was bad enough, but the expansion of type, area, and mode-of-action resistance has left nearly no field untouched across the all regions of Canada. What can we do and how did we get here? To tackle that question, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Dr. Charles Geddes, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada… Read More
There’s no silver bullet when it comes to managing weeds, and managing herbicide resistant populations is even tougher. One of the best ways to get ahead of weeds is crop competition. Jim Stute, independent research agronomist, has been evaluating the role of cereal rye as a weed suppressing crop to surprising results. Recorded at the National… Read More
Ahh, the wonders of healthy soil. From water-holding capacity, pest and disease regulation, to nutrient cycling and physical stability, a robust and resilient soil gives farmers a huge advantage in crop production. But what makes a healthy soil? How can we measure its fitness and whether it’s in top farming shape? That’s a question soil… Read More
Variety choice and planting dates are two key factors that drive soybean yield. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, host Bernard Tobin asks whether later-maturing soy varieties are required for the highest yields and whether growers should plant soybeans before corn. For some answers, Tobin is joined by Michigan State University soybean educator Mike… Read More
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
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
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
Now that the holiday season is behind us, we are full steam into meeting season. There’s so much to learn out there — for you, and for the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson. Keep sending stuff Pete’s way, and don’t forget, if you see him out and about, please say hi!… Read More
Highly engaged wheat growers wanting to learn how to grow better wheat are driving expansion of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). Coordinated by the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Michigan State University, Michigan Wheat Program, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the University of Guelph, the Great Lakes YEN project… Read More
Waterhemp that’s resistant to multiple herbicide groups continues to march across Ontario, but growers still have options to control the weed. There’s also emerging proof that integrated management could help growers take the fight to the spreading yield robber, says University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter Sikkema. At the Ontario Agricultural Conference earlier this… Read More
Welcome back to The Agronomists! We’re kicking off 2023 with a focus on profitability. Is top yield the driver, or is long-term thinking a better bet for profit planning? Joining host Lyndsey Smith to dig in to this topic is Chad Anderson, of Anderson Agronomy Services, and Edgar Hammermeister, Saskatchewan farmer and agrologist with Western… Read More
For many in parts of southern Ontario, the summer dryness of ’22 caused stress and poor yields. Looking ahead, what’s in store for weather trends, water cycles, and average temperatures? At last week’s Ontario Agricultural Conference, Bernard Tobin caught up with Michigan State University professor of meteorology and climatology, Jeff Andresen, to talk about what… Read More
Climate change has cascading effects on many areas of life, many of them negative. However, a changing climate provide some upside potential for crop production. Jeffrey Schussler, an Iowa-based ag technology and research consultant with Schussler Ag Solutions, presented this week at the Ontario Agricultural Conference on how climate change has benefitted agriculture, how genetics… Read More