The feel-good message about how healthy pulses are for us isn’t new, but those who struggle to eat beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas in their whole form may be able to include more of them in their diet without changing the foods they already eat. That’s the scope of a four-year pulse flour milling and… Read More
Did your wheat crop make you smile this year? Good yields and high protein in the face of strong commodity prices is the coveted winning trifecta of the wheat world. Unfortunately, Canadian wheat growers are not the only ones with bins full of high protein, quality wheat. The traditional high protein spreads only happen when… Read More
Uniform seeding at a consistent depth is the first step to a banner wheat crop, but the first mistake many farmers make — seeding too deep — hurts them twice over. Wheat seeded too deep means fewer plants emerge and those that do are slower to grow and produce fewer tillers. It’s an issue for… Read More
Shopping around for farm equipment can be a little daunting. Every manufacturer makes claims that their equipment is the best and the best fit for you. While you may have an idea what you want, the actual performance of that equipment can only be seen once you’re in the field. That can leave farmers with… Read More
The Ontario corn crop isn’t going to break any yield records in 2012, but most producers are going to fare OK once decent prices are factored in to the lower yields. One bright spot in a tough year is variety comparison — in a good year, it’s difficult to really be objective as to what… Read More
It was the great Kenny Rogers that said “There’ll be time enough for countin, when the dealin’s done”. Well, Kenny Rogers never grew corn….at least not to my knowledge. The truth is, there is a benefit of having an idea where your crop will yield before it’s off the field. The trick comes in estimating… Read More
The price of corn is something that’s weighing heavy on the minds of producers right now. Not producers only, but everyone affected either directly or indirectly with the crop is wondering where corn will top out and where it’s headed as we look to 2013. In this episode of the Corn School, Moe Agostino of… Read More
As the soybean harvest kicks off in Ontario, farmers are enjoying high prices, but the question is always, for how long? We caught up with Farms.com’s Moe Agostino at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show last week hot on the heels of the USDA report. His call? We’re at the top of the soybean market, and next… Read More
Blackleg, a fungal disease of canola, is getting away with murder. That’s right, murder. This fall, dead, brittle canola plants at swathing or harvest are being attributed, sometimes very wrongly, to sclerotinia infection when, in fact, blackleg is to blame. It’s likely been happening for years, Clint Jurke, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of… Read More
In the first part of our interview with MAFRI Cereal Specialist Pam de Rocquigny we spoke about some of the critical elements involved in seeding winter wheat: 1. What kind of stubble you’re going to seed into. 2. How deep you should seed. 3. Weed and volunteer crop control. SEE MORE WHEAT SCHOOL. In this… Read More
One of the things farmers learn very early is that you can’t control every variable involved in growing your crop, so you should focus on what you can control. When planting winter wheat, there’s no telling what the season will bring, so you focus on making the best choices available to you from the start…. Read More
A successful no-till system starts or stops at the combine. This according to Phil Needham of Needham Ag Technologies. As Phil explains, it’s the even spreading of the residue out of the combine that will allow for uniform depth at seeding and uniform emergence as well as other benefits to your crop. SEE MORE WHEAT… Read More
In the last episode of the Wheat School, we spoke with wheat specialist Peter Johnson about some of the problems producers can face when they plant winter wheat early. This time around, Pete offers some advice on how to give that wheat the best possible chance at the point of planting. SEE MORE WHEAT SCHOOL…. Read More
With the early soybean harvest that is about to take place in Ontario, some growers are considering on getting an early jump on the fall planting of winter wheat. HOLD ON!!!!! Peter Johnson, Wheat Specialist, OMAFRA, has some key points for you to remember before you hook up the seeder and start roaring down the… Read More
There are some dismal looking soybean crops throughout parts of Ontario as a result of the extreme summer heat. Late summer rains have provided some relief to those fields but have left producers wondering if it’s too little too late. It’s not just the heat that’s pushed those soybean fields to the brink. The weakened… Read More