Peter Johnson wishes farmers managed wheat more like corn. He admits that corn’s bigger yields and higher profitability creates more interest in intensively managing the crop, but that does not excuse growers from making good, basic wheat management decisions. One thing that drives Real Agriculture’s resident agronomist crazy is wheat growers who seed based on… Read More
Category: Wheat School – East
Will you be splitting your wheat nitrogen application this spring? Agronomist Peter Johnson thinks you should. In this episode of Real Agriculture Wheat School, Johnson reviews the split N strategy and why growers should take a hard look at making it part of their management plan. “First of all, it simply buys you insurance against… Read More
If you want that good looking winter wheat field to deliver top yields don’t skimp on sulphur this spring. That’s the key message agronomist Peter Johnson has for growers in the latest episode of Real Agriculture Wheat School. Johnson explains that 10 pounds per acre is sufficient for growers targeting 100 bushel per acre wheat,… Read More
Will your wheat survive all the thawing and freezing during this up and down Ontario winter? It’s a question Real Agriculture agronomist Peter Johnson hears every day. “I always get calls from guys asking, ‘Did the wheat break dormancy? If it gets cold is it going to die?’ The simple answer is no – your… Read More
Are you tired of planting wheat every year? What if you only had to plant the crop every four years? If those questions spark your interest, you won’t want to miss this episode of Real Agriculture’s Wheat School featuring Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Jamie Larsen. He’s working to develop perennial wheat that would grow… Read More
Does it make sense to grow more bushels per acre of wheat? Only if it’s more profitable, says agronomist David Shortall. In this episode of Wheat School, Real Agriculture agronomist Peter Johnson talks with Shortall, a native of Ireland, who now works for Cargill in Ontario. They discuss the results of a recent case study… Read More
Every wheat farmer has watched with glee as the number on their yield monitor jumps 20 to 50 bushels as the combine travels through the field. In this episode of Real Agriculture Wheat School, agronomist Phil Needham of Needham AG Technologies offers advice on how farmers can drill down through yield maps and soil tests… Read More
Ontario farmers rarely see the yield monitor hit 240 bushels in their wheat crop. But Barry and Tyler McBlain hit that number in 2016. What’s even more amazing is that it happened on the tough clay soils southeast of Brantford in Brant County. In this episode of “Real Wheat Farmers”, agronomist Peter Johnson talks with… Read More
Do you know a “real” wheat farmer? If not, agronomist Peter Johnson is going to introduce you to some of Ontario’s finest wheat growers in the upcoming episodes of Real Agriculture’s Wheat School. In this episode, Wheat Pete travels to Ripley, Ontario to talk with Brucelea Poultry’s Mark McLean. He takes wheat seriously and shares… Read More
You may vary inputs based on field history or soil type, but have you considered treating your wheat differently, based on variety? It turns out that there are significant differences between how varieties respond to nitrogen, fungicide, and plant growth regulators. How a variety performs depends not just on its age, but where the background genetic… Read More
In a perfect world, winter wheat growers would apply a pre-plant weed control application to tackle winter annual and perennial weeds. But it doesn’t always work out that way. In this episode of Real Agriculture’s Wheat School, OMAFRA weed management specialist Mike Cowbrough takes a look at weed control options for producers who didn’t have… Read More
Ontario’s winter wheat crop is growing like gangbusters thanks to unseasonably warm fall temperatures. But could it grow too much? “No way,” says agronomist Peter Johnson in Real Agriculture’s latest Wheat School episode. “The only thing we have to worry about is if it’s still growing on Christmas Eve, like last year.” In that case… Read More
Would you trade $50 of soybeans for $90 of wheat? Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson thinks you should. In this Wheat School episode, Johnson shares his key takeaway from this year’s record Ontario wheat crop, which is pegged at an estimated average of 96 to 98 bushels per acre, 20 percent above the historical… Read More
Spraying wheat for fusarium head blight is simple. Right? You pick the correct product, target the middle of the application window and you’re ready to roll with the sprayer. What could go wrong? Plenty. In this episode of the Wheat School, OMAFRA application technology specialist Jason Deveau and Bayer CropScience market development specialist Troy Basaraba review the… Read More
Did you apply sunscreen on your wheat? Your crop could probably use it. Every summer RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is deluged with questions about diseased wheat when the crop is actually suffering from physiological fleck caused by the sun’s UVB radiation – just common sunburn. Johnson says growers call him up wanting help identifying the… Read More