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 »
Category: Nutrient Management
Corn School: Does wet soil need more nitrogen?
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 »
Corn School: Cool weather calls for more sidedress nitrogen
Ontario’s cool, wet spring not only delayed planting, but also put the brakes on nitrogen mineralization, limiting the nutrient’s availability to the growing corn crop. According to OMAFRA pre-sidedress nitrate testing (PSNT) survey results released this week, corn growers are looking at the lowest rates of available nitrogen since the survey began in 2013. In… Read more »
Corn School: Time to start talking NPK and S
The N-P-K conversation – nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium – is the focus of most corn nutrient management discussions. But is it time for the letter S (sulphur) to be a routine part of that conversation? In this edition of RealAgriculture Corn School, AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan is joined by crop sales specialist Mike Veenema to… Read more »
Corn School: Cold and wet means less available nitrogen
What a difference a year makes. In 2016, Ontario’s cold and dry spring conditions produced plenty of available nitrogen for the emerging corn crop. But when you fast-forward to 2017, those cold soils are now waterlogged and the wet conditions mean there’s very little nitrogen available to the crop. The wet soil conditions have a… Read more »
Corn School: Knowing vs Hoping — Randy Dowdy’s Principles for Growing Record Yields
There are many aspects of farming that are beyond a farmer’s control (weather, markets…), but there are also variables that can be managed better than they have been in the past, according to the Georgia farmer who has set world corn and soybean yield records. “We make big yields and we blame the weather. We make… Read more »
Ontario CCAs Taking Lead on 4R Nutrient Management
Almost half of North American Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) holding a new 4R Nutrient Management designation reside in Ontario. That puts Ontario’s crop advisors at the forefront of efforts to help farmers and agriculture improve water quality, environmental stewardship and sustainability, says Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association executive director Susan Fitzgerald. Earlier this week, the… Read more »
Corn School: Turning Agronomic Insight Into Yield Results
With corn planting just around the corner, it’s time to take stock of agronomic advice we learned this winter and take it to the field. In this episode of Real Agriculture Corn School, Bernard Tobin and Pride Seeds market agronomist Aaron Stevanus review research findings and agronomic management insights that emerged during the winter meeting… Read more »
Seven Corn Management Ideas for 2017
Put two great corn minds together and you come up with seven corn management concepts to help you boost yields in 2017. University of Guelph professor Dr. David Hooker and Maizex agronomist Greg Stewart shared the results of their brainstorm with growers attending the recent Southwest Agricultural Conference, held at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown… Read more »
A Smooth Ride For Fertilizer Spreaders
It all comes down to more acres per day for John Deere’s new F4365 high capacity nutrient applicator. At the recent Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa, John Deere product manager Jason Beuligmann showcased the new, 330-cubic-feet dry spinner spreader. He explained that the company’s engineers had two goals in mind for the design – operator comfort,… Read more »
Corn School: Testing Nitrogen With ‘Tailgate Technology’
Fine-tuning nitrogen rates promises to get easier with the arrival of ‘tailgate technology’ that allows growers to test for nitrates on the tailgate of their truck. That means no more couriering soil samples to the lab, or waiting for up to three days for results in the busy season. In this episode of the Corn School,… Read more »
Corn School: Can Nitrogen Levels Play Catch-Up After A Cool Spring?
What impact will a cool April have on nitrogen availability for Ontario’s corn crop? Will the hot late May weather speed up nitrogen release and help soil levels catch up? On this episode of Corn School, Real Agriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is joined by OMAFRA Corn Lead Ben Rosser to tackle these questions. Rosser says… Read more »
Corn School: Zone Banding Helps Manage Phosphorus Run-off
Talk of banding versus broadcasting nutrients is likely to become a much bigger conversation as Ontario works to reduce the impact farm phosphorous on the Great Lakes. In this Corn School episode, Purdue University professor Tony Vyn offers insights on why he feels farmers should consider banding nutrients as apposed to broadcasting. While attending the… Read more »
Corn School: Big Plans for 2016 with WheatPete and AgBern
Put down your popcorn, buckle your seatbelt and hold on as Real Agriculture’s Bernard Tobin and Peter Johnson rip through a 2016 Corn School preview. What’s up for Corn School 2016 on Real Agriculture? Where will we go? What will we cover? Who will you see? You’ll get it all in three minutes. The 2016… Read more »
Corn School: Want to Grow 500-Bushel Corn? Stop The Insanity
If farmers want to supersize their corn yields, they have to challenge conventional thinking and become students of the crop. That was the main message National Corn Growers Association yield contest champion Randy Dowdy shared with hundreds of farmers at the 2016 SouthWest Agricultural Conference in Ridgetown, Ontario earlier this week. In 2014, Dowdy set… Read more »