As edible bean planting wraps up across Ontario, grower focus shifts to controlling post-emergent weeds and grasses. When seed is planted to moisture, in warm soils, growers and agronomists will need to get out and scout to determine what competition, including small and actively growing weeds, the emerging crop will encounter. On this episode of… Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Minimizing erosion, better crop inputs management and higher corn yields is what Port Rowan, Ont., farmer Dan Petker was looking for when he adopted strip tillage five years ago. Farming with his family on the shores of Lake Erie, Petker turned to strip till — the process of minimizing tillage by cultivating eight-inch wide strips… Read More
It’s been a dry spring in Ontario and many growers are asking whether it makes sense to invest in a T3 fungicide for winter wheat. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, resident agronomist Peter Johnson notes that across the province, the crop has received below-average rainfall and the potential for yield-robbing fusarium head… Read More
As the lentil crop begins to emerge, there are many lessons to learn from walking fields early and assessing stand establishment. How does this stand look? Was emergence even? What could be done different next year? These are just some of the many questions that likely need asked every season. Ken Wall of Federated Co-operatives… Read More
The growing season is busy. From before the crop goes into the ground, to after it’s harvested, there are a million different things on the go. Although skipping any steps is frowned upon, one step that should never be skipped is a proper sprayer tank clean out, says Shawn Senko of the Canola Council of… Read More
A bag of seed corn checks in at 80,000 kernels and typically weighs between 35 and 65 pounds. One bag will plant roughly 2.5 acres. But the job of producing that seed is very different than growing a commercial corn crop. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn School, we kick off a three-part series on… Read More
When scouting for blackleg, many imagine clipping stems near swathing or harvest time. But did you know that infection actually occurs at the very beginning of the growing season? If you’re in a high risk situation, such as a tight rotation, growing the same variety, or have background resistance in the field, the disease can… Read More
For all crops, there’s a critical weed free period — a time early in the season where the crop must be kept weed-free to prevent yield loss potential. For pulses, the length of time ranges depending on the pulse type. Ken Wall of Federated Co-operatives Ltd., joins this Pulse School episode to discuss why early… Read More
Canola is not a very competitive crop in its early stages, so keeping an eye on the competition is key. We’ve covered on the Canola School why a pre-emerge herbicide pass can be valuable, but of course, the next step is to watch for weeds that have emerged with the crop. Sean McKnight, technical service… Read More
A soybean plant’s yield potential is closely linked to the number of nodes — the part where a leaf is attached to the stem — it develops prior to flowering and forming pods. Two million nodes per acre is a recommended target, explains Jason Voogt, independent agronomist and owner of Field 2 Field Agronomy in… Read More
Many may think the time to check the drill for seeding rate and depth is as the drill is going over the field. While they wouldn’t be wrong, it’s also important to get out and dig through that field as the canola field germinates and emerges. Rob Macdonald of BASF joins this episode of the… Read More
Once the canola crop has emerged, keep eyes peeled for pesky early insects. Across Western Canada, the top two insects of concern tend to be cutworms and — you guessed it — flea beetles. Anique Josuttes of BASF says even though we say it year after year, the number one tool you can use is… Read More
Nightshade can be a nightmare for edible bean growers. The weed can play havoc with the crop as mature berries produced by the eastern black nightshade plant cause edible bean staining and mud tagging, and can even gum up cleaning equipment at the processing plant. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Edible Bean School, Ontario… Read More
Certain herbicides have done plenty of heavy lifting when it comes to the fight against weeds over the last number of decades, but as herbicide resistance becomes more common, it’s important to spread out that workload whenever possible. Corn is often a crop where there are more herbicide options, explains Jeanette Gaultier, technical services specialist… Read More
Ideally, we want to get every crop off to the best start possible. One of the ways that this can be done in canola is through a pre-emergent herbicide, says Marissa Robitaille Balog, of the Canola Council of Canada. “Canola isn’t super competitive when it’s small,” Robitaille explains in this Canola School episode. “It’s pretty… Read More