Nitrogen in the soil is available to plants in two forms: ammonium (NH4) and nitrate (N03). The problem with nitrate is, unlike ammonium, it’s a negatively-charged ion that’s not attracted to soil particles or soil organic matter. Nitrate is also water soluble, so it can easily move out of a crop’s rooting zone to places… 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.
2017 may well be remembered for the spring that just kept on giving. From flooding to hail, Mother Nature threw just about every challenge imaginable at Ontario farmers during the early portion of the growing season. But despite difficult conditions that wreaked havoc on spring tillage, planting, weed control and nutrient application, farmers have persevered…. Read More
When and how should you apply phosphorus for maximum crop production benefit while ensuring it stays put in the field? Answering these questions is a job for the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ new phosphorus loss assessment tool, explains OMAFRA soil fertility specialist Jake Munroe. In this video, Munroe explains how the… Read More
A stretch of sunny, dry weather in Ontario has soybeans on the comeback trail. That also means that soybean fungicide timing is sneaking up on many growers as the crop picks up steam in mid July. In this edition of RealAgriculture Soybean School, BASF agronomist Ken Currah takes a closer look at the soybean fungicide… Read More
When it comes to plant development and yield potential, Ontario’s corn crop is all over the map. With pollination quickly approaching, many growers are now wrestling with fungicide strategies for a highly variable crop. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, BASF agronomist Ken Currah reviews the struggles of the 2017 crop and discusses where,… Read More
Surging wheat markets mean there’s plenty of profit potential in high protein wheat, and Peter Johnson has some tips to help you cash in on those premiums. In this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, Johnson, our resident agronomist and shameless wheat promoter, shares protein management insights for growers in Western Canada and spring wheat growers… Read More
Are the roots of your corn crop running into a cement pad six inches below the surface? It’s time to find out. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan demonstrates how growers can effectively use a soil penetrometer to locate a soil hardpan and help eliminate the compaction so plant… Read More
Insects, insects, insects! Peter Johnson is amazed by all the insects he is seeing this year. In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson talks about bugs, disease diagnostics, and weed control woes. He also has some “cover crop craziness” to discuss, and much more! Check out what Wheat Pete has… Read More
The rain keeps falling in Ontario and all the water-logged soils make it tough to get a good read on how much nitrogen is available to the province’s corn crop. In this edition of RealAgriculture Corn School, agronomist Peter Johnson discusses whether corn acres need supplemental nitrogen and how much they might need. It depends on… Read More
When hail hits first trifoliate soybean plants in late June, should you replant? In most situations, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson would give you the ‘thumbs down’ and tell you those plants are resilient and they’ll make a comeback. But the decision really depends on the condition of the plants, says Johnson in the latest episode… Read More
What’s with all the hail and rain? In this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson once again talks about the extreme weather Ontario has been facing, including the hail, and what it’ll take to recover. He expresses excitement about some beautiful barley he’s seeing, but also disappointment as he talks of… Read More
Ontario crops have experienced widespread hail damage in recent weeks and many growers are asking how they can minimize the yield impact. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, agronomist Peter Johnson takes us to a field of eight-leaf corn that has been shredded by a recent hailstorm. He says at this stage, yield loss… Read More
Despite the creation of new dicamba formulations that are much less volatile and an unprecedented education campaign on how to reduce spray drift, reports of dicamba drift injury are piling up in the U.S. The complaints coincide with the release of Monsanto’s Xtend soybeans, which contain the dicamba tolerance trait that many farmers have been… Read More
Have you ever spotted an area of vigourous plants in your cornfield and wondered why they’re a growth stage or two ahead of neighbouring plants? There are plenty of agronomic insights we can glean from our fields to improve farm management and yield, says AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan. Quite often the opportunity is right… Read More
What about that weather? It’s uniformly variable and mostly what we don’t want, explains RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson on this week’s Word. In 17 power-packed minutes, Peter laments the arrival of armyworm, soybean aphids and cereal leaf beetle. He also describes how you can fit the roots of 8-leaf rootless corn in your coffee cup…. Read More