Larry Dyck is trying to make tough soil a little less tough. It may sound like a simple objective, but it’s been a 40 year journey for the cash cropper, who operates Campden Grain with his son Ben, near Campden on Ontario’s Niagara peninsula. Dyck, a member of the Ontario Soil Network, first started no-tilling… Read More
Category: Soil School
It’s important to know what’s going well, and what’s not, especially with soil. Certain “canaries in the coalmine” can indicate existing, persistent problems with management practices that over time can be improved. Adam Ireland, who farms with his family near Teeswater in Bruce County, Ont., is joined by Bernard Tobin for this episode of Soil… Read More
Soil health, in a rotational grazing and cattle operation sense, starts with ground cover and consistently adding organic matter that will eventually become sequestered carbon. Logistics-wise and from a management stand-point, how is improved soil health achieved in a cattle operation? In this Soil School episode, Bernard Tobin is in the field with Aaron Bowman,… Read More
First off, predictive soil mapping takes the information from the soil surveys in the 80s and 90s that were limited by technology, and improves the resolution of the generated maps and overlays polygons digitally, that contain more soil information. “Instead of knowing each polygon has three or four different soil types, you actually have an… Read More
Every conversation on soil health these days eventually comes around to the topic of organic matter. Does it really matter? What percentage should farmers have in their soil? How do you conserve organic matter? How do you build it? On this episode of Soil School, Bernard Tobin and University of Minnesota soil extension specialist Jodi… Read More
The topic of soil health has gained a tremendous amount of followers over the last ten years. There’s a large, dynamic community devoted to the topic, too — from farmers and researchers, to consultants and extension specialists. Dr. Abbey Wick, extension soil health specialist and associate professor at North Dakota State University (NDSU), recently presented… Read More
What type of return on investment do farmers realize when they make a long-term commitment to planting cover crops on their farm? That question can be tough to answer. In many cases, the payback can’t be calculated using only dollars and cents; better soil heath, the benefits of increased water-holding capacity, and a soil’s ability… Read More
Today is World Soil Day, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has dedicated this year’s celebration to soil biodiversity. The slogan for this year: “Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity.” Closer to home, the Canadian Society of Soil Science’s goals for today’s celebrations are to draw attention to the importance of… Read More
Keep your soil covered, do as little tillage as possible, maintain a living root system 365 days a year, and fit it all into an economic model that makes money: this is sustainable soil health. It’s a challenge, for sure, but it’s one Dresden, Ont., farmer Woody Van Arkel is happy to tackle. On this… Read More
A land and cattle operation that includes consistent cover crops in a diverse cropping mix can offer several benefits, including improved soil fitness, better equipment and water holding capacity, and a decreased diesel fuel bill. In this episode of the Soil School, Bernard Tobin is joined by Elmwood, Ont.-based Ken Schaus from Schaus Land and… Read More
As combines roll across Ontario, growers are harvesting impressive crops that in many cases are producing record yields. But with all that excitement, it’s important to remember the impact those huge yields will have on nutrient removal and what they take out of your soil bank account. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soil School, Brussels… Read More
Farmers are taking a closer look at their soil’s health lately, and measuring the impact of cover crops or different types of strip-tillage. In this episode of Soil School, we’re talking about overall soil health and nutrition and we’ve got a great example of what you can achieve when you combine soil health and balanced… Read More
Finding soil fertility recommendations for different crops can be time-consuming and hard to pin down. A new app that is simple and quick to use provides tremendous value by bringing soil fertility recommendations for different crops — both field and vegetable — all to one place. “In terms of the Soil Test Manager app, it’s… Read More
After the primary macronutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, come secondary macronutrients, sulphur, calcium, and magnesium. These secondary nutrients are needed in lower quantities, but just because sulphur is qualified as a secondary macronutrient does not mean it’s not as important as those primaries. Sulphur deficiency can be diagnosed in wheat and corn for example, by… Read More
Are Ontario farmers doing a better job of getting phosphorus to stay put on their farms? Over the past decade, farmers, agronomists, researchers and governments have ramped up efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus leaving farm fields and creating environmental challenges in areas such as the Lake Erie and Sainte-Claire watersheds. University of Waterloo… Read More