Looking to add 15 to 20 bushels to your winter wheat yield? Depending on your base fertility level, seed-placed phosphorus could do the trick. In this episode of Wheat School, Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson takes you on a tour of long-term phosphorus and potash trials at Lucan, Ontario. “In these research trials, we’re… Read More
Category: Wheat School
Sulphur is needed to grow wheat in Ontario. It’s that simple, says Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson. Sulphur deficiency was widespread in the province this year after one of the coldest and driest springs in the past 30 years. The cool temperatures tend to limit the amount of sulphur release, says Johnson who notes… Read More
There are many factors that will make a wheat crop more likely to lodge — seeding rate, fertility, moisture levels, variety and so on, but when it comes to understanding lodging risk during the growing season, watch nighttime temperatures, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. “At nighttime, what does wheat do? All it does is respire,”… Read More
Coming off record global production last year, world wheat supplies are massive. And yet, growing year-over-year ending stocks have not translated into a major decline in cash wheat bids for Canadian farmers. That’s mainly due to two related factors: the weak Canadian dollar and tightening Canadian supplies — a function of the weak dollar driving exports and farmers producing less… Read More
How many of the seeds put in the ground by your airseeder or drill will actually emerge and become viable plants? Seedling mortality can vary greatly, but needs to be considered when determining seeding rates, assessing emergence and when planning for next year. A 5 to 10 percent mortality rate is often assumed when calculating… Read More
For some growers, treating wheat seed is a no-brainer, while others still choose to forego a treatment and the input cost that comes with it. So how do you decide? With seeding ramping up for another spring, Pam de Rocquigny, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, joins us in the field… Read More
Ontario’s wheat crop saw incredible growth last fall, and spring fertilizer plans must be adjusted accordingly. With advanced wheat, nitrogen application should be delayed, explains Graeme Jones, an agronomist from New Zealand who helped set a previous world record wheat yield. Timing depends on nitrogen availability in the soil and crop size, he says, in this… Read More
Do you grow wheat in a high-yield or low-yield part of the world? A farmer in the UK set the new record for world wheat yield in 2015, growing 16.52 tonnes per hectare or 246 bushels per acre. He broke the previous record of 233 bushels per acre set in New Zealand in 2010. In… Read More
What do millers want? It’s a question seed companies that develop and market wheat varieties are constantly asking. How large end users such as Mondelez International, the makers of products like Ritz crackers and Oreo cookies, answer that question has huge implications for seed companies such as C&M Seeds and wheat growers across Ontario says… Read More
In theory, the application of a plant growth regulator to wheat should result in shorter, stronger plants that are less prone to lodging, enabling higher yield potential. In reality, it’s not that simple. “I wish it was a nice black and white, straightforward story, but it certainly isn’t,” says Sheri Strydhorst, who’s done extensive work… Read More