The old saying “it’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish” applies to the story of the 2024 soybean crop on the Prairies and Northern Plains. Final yield numbers from crop insurance — usually the best overall estimate — are not yet public, but Statistics Canada says Manitoba farmers set a new… Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Better seed genetics and strong market prices are putting kidney beans on the radar for an increasing number of edible bean growers in Ontario. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Edible Bean School, Hensall Co-op origination manager Wade Bickell looks at the evolution of kidneys and how two new varieties, Dynasty and Gallantry, have helped fuel… Read More
Weather is one of the many, but main, factors that determines yield outcomes at harvest. It’s also a factor that is completely beyond a grower’s control. Or is it? While farmers can’t make the rain fall or the sun shine, there are plenty of things that can be done to mitigate the stress that a… Read More
How does commercial nitrogen fertilizer impact soil organic matter? Does adding nitrogen burn up organic matter or does it actually enhance organic matter levels in farm soils? Earlier this year, Syngenta soil health assessment lead Jordan Wade and Washington State University agronomist Andrew McGuire teamed up to answer that question. After reviewing decades of academic… Read More
With herbicide resistance on the rise, the need for more tools in the toolbox is higher than it has ever been, because as Dr. Breanne Tidemann of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada says, there are no magic bullets. While any single management strategy is unlikely to be the final solution to herbicide resistance and weeds generally,… Read More
Dandelion control in soybeans was a significant issue across Ontario in 2024 — large dandelions set roots in many fields and killing the weed was a troublesome chore for growers and agronomists. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough says he hates to sound like a broken record but best… Read More
Ecosystems are strange and wonderful places, and the ecosystem within canola fields is no exception. It can be easy to overlook the incredible abundance of interactions between different arthropods, including insects and spiders, happening within the canola canopy. Plus, when a farmer or agronomist sees damaged plants, it can be challenging to figure out if… Read More
Genetics and fungicides are the two pillars of disease defence when it comes to yield robbers like tar spot. But weather and technology also play a key role in helping growers defend their crops against the foliar disease. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Agribusiness pathologist Albert… Read More
The Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) program for winter wheat has expanded from 43 farms in 2021 to 184 farms across Ontario and a growing number of U.S. states in 2024. In four short years, the program has identified key agronomic and management strategies that consistently drive higher yields for YEN grower participants. On… Read More
Those healthy looking soybeans may be hiding a hunger for nitrogen that could deliver higher yields. The oilseed’s nitrogen needs have been much studied over the years with researchers generally agreeing higher rates of nitrogen don’t pay, but that may not be the case when growers push for higher yields. On this episode of the… Read More