Whether you’ve recently purchased a planter, or you’re bringing it out of hibernation, making sure it’s in good working order is essential to good establishment. Besides greasing, checking hydraulic hoses and vacuuming mouse-made nests, you should also check that the planter is running level, and with the correct amount of down pressure. Related: The Pros and… 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.
As the snow finally melts in Ontario, cash crop farmers have a lot to do in a short window. There’s still plenty of corn out there and lots of unfinished tillage work. In this episode of the Ontario Agronomy Geeks podcast, Bernard Tobin talks strategy with agronomist Mervyn Erb of Agri-Solve Inc. — what should… Read More
This is your friendly neighbourhood public service announcement: go check your bins. For those of you not in Manitoba, spring is arriving…and for those of us in Manitoba, it may arrive soon, I’ve heard. The warmer (ahem) daytime temps and longer hours of spring sunlight can get bins warming up and, if higher moisture pockets… Read More
As Ontario cereal specialist Peter Johnson says, farmers aren’t satisfied ’til they’ve (mentally) killed the winter wheat crop three times. So, it’s no surprise then, that as the earliest fields are appearing from under the snow (sigh, alas, not yet in all areas), many farmers are concerned with how the crop looks and whether or… Read More
Adopting warm season crops, like corn, in cool season areas, like Western Canada, takes time, patience and adaptation. The first crucial step is access to shorter season varieties, which we’ve got, but from there the nutrient/pest/harvest management trial and error learning has to follow. Hear & download more Agronomy Geeks podcasts by clicking here Grain… Read More
Good spray quality is essential in application, but all of the factors involved can make getting there quite a challenge. In reviewing magazines, you may see that publishers will bold a certain pressure (like 40psi). They do this not because that is the pressure the nozzle must experience, but because that is the pressure at which… Read More
Canola seed size has climbed in recent years from a once-common 4 grams per 1,000 kernel weight to north of 7 grams per 1,000 seeds. What does that mean to you, the farmer? It means that if you’ve stuck with your typical four pounds per acre seeding rate (and there are good reasons to do… Read More
From a distance, a nitrogen deficient canola plant and a sulphur deficient plant can actually look rather similar. It’s only once you get up close and compare it to plants from other areas of the field, that you can better assess what’s hampering growth of the crop. In this episode of the Canola School, Dan… Read More
Syngenta Canada Inc. has launched its Vibrance Maxx seed treatment, a convenient combination of Apron Maxx RTA and Vibrance, for use on peas, lentils and chickpeas, in time for the 2014 growing season. Vibrance Maxx seed treatment provides control of early-season diseases, including Rhizoctonia, to help ensure a healthy stand establishment. Vibrance Maxx for pulses… Read More
If you suspect herbicide resistance on your farm, what’s your plan to manage it? More and more, farmers are tuning in to the increased risk of not just Group 1 and Group 2 resistant weeds, but also those that are developing resistance to Group 9 — old faithful glyphosate. Kochia, an already wily weed that’s… Read More
After running through your sprayer’s routine maintenance, it’s time to assess the suitability of its nozzles for upcoming applications, and, let’s face it, that decision can be pretty complicated. Besides the typical competition between manufacturers, you also have to consider spray quality. Do you want coarse droplets? Fine droplets? Air induction nozzles? Twin-fan nozzles? How… Read More
If you’re looking for a new fungicide option in corn and soybeans, BASF’s Priaxor has expanded to include both crops in Eastern Canada, starting this year. The fungicide boasts two modes of action with active ingredients fluxapryoxad and pyraclostrobin, of the carboxamides (group 7) and strobilurins (group 11), respectively. Priaxor affects multiple stages of fungal growth,… Read More
The number of acres committed to identity-preserved (IP) soybean production in Ontario has dwindled in recent years, but 2014 will likely reverse that trend, as lower commodity prices make the IP premium more attractive. But where will IP soybean acres end up? How big of a jump could Ontario see? What’s seed supply and contract… Read More
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has approved the registration of a 12 month recrop interval for canola and a 24 month recrop interval for lentils after use of Authority. This means growers who used Authority in the spring of 2013 can plant canola in 2014 and lentils in 2015 on that land. “This label change… Read More
No two farmers manage their corn crop the same way, yet can achieve top yields. This is great news, because it means that no matter what your goals are for the farm, from decreasing tillage, to using more cover crops, there’s a way to produce more corn per acre. That’s one of the take-home messages… Read More