Shorten soybean maturity, plant early, add a seed inoculant, topdress humic acid, bump up the sulphur, and add in some 20-inch rows — it’s all part of what makes Dan Petker a ‘Real’ wheat farmer, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. On this Wheat School episode, Johnson travels to Port Rowan, Ont., to get the scoop… Read More
A new soybean pest has hit the radar screen, and it could be a threat to soybean growers across Canada. Gall midge was first detected in Nebraska in 2011 and has since been confirmed in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, OMAFRA entomologist Tracey Baute explains that the midge… Read More
Spring 2019 will be remembered by Ontario soybean growers as one of the toughest they’ve ever tackled. Unprecedented rainfall delayed planting, with the majority of soybeans being planted in June, and some acres having to wait until July. For some growers, those early rains were followed by a dry summer and then the rain and… Read More
There are several downgrading factors in the pulse crop that farmers have no control over — snow or rain at harvest that causes sprouting and bleaching being perhaps the most common. Other factors, however, such as dirt tag, staining, and cracks can be managed to some degree through harvest management and gentle handling. For this… Read More
Are we feeding our soybeans enough? There are plenty of opinions but no definitive answers, says Veritas Farm Management manager Aaron Breimer. The challenge is determining which nutrients are limiting yield, something that can vary from field to field and even across individual fields. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, Breimer dives into the… Read More
Will relay intercropping work in Ontario? For a second year, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson has been keeping a close eye on relay intercropping trials planted in the province. The objective of the research is to evaluate whether Ontario farmers could effectively plant soybeans into standing wheat versus double cropping soybeans that are planted after wheat is… Read More
Spring, summer, or fall — when do you think is the best time to test for clubroot? Visual symptoms on the plant show up later in the season, yes, but that’s not when soil spore load is highest, explains Kim Kenward of 20/20 Seed Labs, in this episode of the Canola School. “Soil testing is the… Read More
The good news is tar spot — a new corn leaf disease — has yet to be found in Ontario cornfields. The bad news is it’s only a matter of time before the yield robber is confirmed in the province, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs plant pathologist Albert Tenuta. On this episode… Read More
When send soil samples for testing, what do you ask for? If you’re following Ross McKenzie’s advice, there’s likely some real value in testing more than just nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and sulphur (NPKS). The former soil scientist with Alberta Agriculture says it’s not too late to test soil this year, as frozen ground may require… Read More
One extra soybean per plant based on a population of 165 plants per acre equals one bushel. Based on that math, it only takes two or three pods per plant for growers to add six to nine bushels per acre to their harvested yield, says Veritas Farm Management manager Aaron Breimer. Throughout Ontario cash crop… Read More
As growers continue to plug away at harvesting remaining canola acres, a lot of the crop already in the bin is in less than ideal condition. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School, Canola Council of Canada agronomy specialist Angela Brackenreed offers management tips for growers who have canola in bins that could be 15… Read More
Knowing your yield potential is a key factor to consider when selecting corn hybrids for specific farms and fields. Are you planting into highly productive soils with high nutrient holding capacity or a field with heavy clay that has lower yield potential? That’s a big consideration when growers are selecting hybrids for spring planting, says… Read More
From a too-early pre-harvest application to environmental stresses through the growing season, there are many factors that can impact the quality of harvested pulse seed. To find out more about the quality of the crop, it’s important to test the seed as soon as possible, to find out what’s going on, and whether or not… Read More
As growers actively manage herbicide-resistant weeds on their farms, many are also looking at how to secure future effectiveness of other crop protection tools, including fungicides and insecticides. In this first episode of a new season of RealAgriculture’s Resistance Management School, we take a look at the current state of fungicide resistance in field crops… Read More
Many farmers in 2019 will be harvesting late-planted corn that struggled to mature as combines roll through fields this fall. Much of that corn will likely be heading directly to the elevator, but there will be marketing opportunities for growers who are willing to dry and store that grain. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Corn… Read More