Category: Crop Schools

Seed treatments are a very useful kind of insurance policy that help to build the strong foundation of a plant stand to start the growing season. What seed treatments do within a plant can be compared to putting on a Saskatchewan ‘bunny hug’ (that’s a hoodie to the rest of us!) over a t-shirt in… Read More

While most Canadian eyes and ears have been tuned to the U.S. and its president’s next move, the U.S. markets have been focused on China. So much of the current news cycle has been centred on the U.S. tariffs on Canadian products, but there is another U.S. policy looming — on incoming Chinese and Chinese-made… Read More

Soybeans pack plenty of yield punch. Georgia grower Alex Harrell offered proof of that again in 2024 when he smashed his previous yield record with a new harvest benchmark — a whopping 218 bushels per acre. Yield contests show the genetic potential of soybeans, but what’s a realistic goal for growers as they continue to… Read More

Population, seed singulation, avoiding those skips and doubles, and getting the seed in the ground in the proper planting window are all key to optimizing corn yield; but if the planter is not properly tuned for uniform emergence, corn yield can take a big hit. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Huron Tractor… Read More

Tar spot was first confirmed in Ontario at Ridgetown in the southwest corner of the province in 2020. Since then, the corn leaf disease has spread across Ontario, pushing east past Toronto and into Quebec. Many Ontario farmers experienced the yield robber in their fields for the first time in 2024 and the disease is… Read More

Weather is a central topic in many coffee shop conversations, plays a large role in the success or failure of a crop, and is outside of a wheat grower’s control. But that doesn’t mean farmers can’t at least try and out-maneuver Mother Nature. Dr. Brian Beres, senior research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC)… Read More

Clubroot disease is not only spreading, but also adapting in real-time, as the number of confirmed versions of the soilborne disease that reduces canola yields in Western Canada has climbed to 55 as of this winter. “The growing season in 2024 was quite good for the clubroot disease itself. There were quite a few new… Read More

Never let your wheat crop have a bad day. It’s a management philosophy that more growers are adopting as they look for ways to reduce crop stress and chase higher winter wheat yields. But Oklahoma State University professor Dr. Brian Arnall is asking winter wheat growers to rethink that strategy. He argues that some pain… Read More

Scott Buchan sees the impact of technology whenever he’s watching his broiler chickens or looking at his hydro bills. For Buchan, who operates Buchrest Farms along with his family in Ontario’s Waterloo Region, investing in technology and innovation plays a key role in making the operation more profitable and sustainable. Buchan notes that his energy… Read More

Harvested seed quality is heavily influenced by weather conditions throughout the growing season. Summers with drought conditions, as well as heat blast, can lead to an increased occurrence of mechanical damage in pulse seed lots. While the Prairies experienced both last year, the quality of seed going into 2025 is quite stable, says Carey Matthiessen,… Read More