Across the country we continue to see winter like conditions. Corn has suffered significant frost damage in Ontario and farmers in the western provinces continue to battle snow drifts. In-climate whether sometimes forces farmers to crowd suggested spraying windows and gamble on the effectiveness of the product or risk unwanted damage to the crop itself…. Read More
It is easy to talk about seeding depth pre-planting but it is even more critical to review planting depth after emergence. It is no different than any other business process. PLAN – EXECUTE – REVIEW – IMPROVE – REPEAT THE CYCLE. The stand above ground tells only part of the story though. You also need… Read More
The weather in Western Canada this spring has really been unbelievable. With portions of March that felt like June and an April that felt like January, farmers have been stalled in the field. Many tractors and seeders were trapped in snow drifts for a couple weeks and many people were without power a couple times…. Read More
So far we have addressed seeding speed and seeding depth. The last piece of this seeding triangle is the seeding rate. Whether you are seeding canola, corn, soybeans or canola you need to make sure that you are seeding at a rate that allows you to get the proper emergence. As Derwyn Hammond, Canola Council of… Read More
No matter what crop you are growing, knowing the growth stage of the planst is integral to making the right decisions. Are you spraying herbicides or fungicides or applying growth regulators? Well timing is critical nd all of that timing is derived by the stage of the crop. Depending on where you farm in Canada… Read More
Durum is a crop that many Canadian wheat growers identify with and take pride in. Canada is a major global supplier of high quality durum to the marketplace. Many times we focus on the production and marketing of durum but not what happens at processing. I got a great opportunity while I was at CIGI… Read More
Last week, we discussed seeding speed and the need to keep your seeder at an adequate speed to achieve desired productivity but not lose the accuracy required to get the proper plant emergence and stand. In terms of seeding depth a rule that I was taught long ago is that the smaller the seed, the… Read More
At the recent Canada Grains council meeting a listened to a full day of discussions around Canada’s market access issues across all the main crop types. The recent market access issues with canola are well documented and continue to challenge the countries trade attempts. With 85-95% of Canada’s canola crop getting exported, trade is very… Read More
Seeding equipment continues to get larger and larger which allows for more acres to be covered in a day. Even with the larger equipment some farmers still find it hard to control the speed of the tractor just so they can say that they covered so many acres in a day. Everyone needs to remember… Read More
Last week we discussed the topic of fusarium. Based on the popularity of this One of the frequent confusions is that there is actually a difference between fusarium and vomitoxin. Some people do not understand that you can have fusarium without vomitoxin. Both are issues that are affecting farmers and their ability to market… Read More
With the advent of the introduction of seed treatments like Helix Extra, we do not hear as much about flea beetles anymore. The reality is that they are still around and could have an impact on your yield. Forecasts for this pest are difficult and we require the pest to eat the plants in order… Read More
Fusarium is an ugly monster that continues to rear its ugly head across North America. Some areas are definitely worse than other but the impact is real. With more tolerant wheat genetics coming every year, farmers are desperate to try and manage this disease in the most proactive ways that they can. Some of the… Read More
With canola being one of the only crops in Western Canada that will enable a profit on the farm this year we need to do our best to protect it. One of the largest threats to canola yields is the cabbage seed pod weevil. The cabbage seed pod weevil mainly affects areas of Alberta and… Read More
For years many farmers just worried about nitrogen and phosphorus but things have changed. As we have discovered more about the way the plant reacts to different nutrients, farmers look to anyway to increase the overall health and yield of the canola plant. There seems to be differing opinions on the need for micro nutrients… Read More
Have you ever had visitors to your farm that wish never came? Some of the worst unwanted visitors to you your farm are bugs in your wheat bin. Farming is very hard work. It takes incredible fortitude, perseverance and a little luck to get the crop in the bin in a timely manner with high… Read More