Submitted by the Western Canadian Wheat Growers In the midst of a global pandemic, the federal government is using April Fool’s Day to increase the carbon tax from $20/tonne to $30/tonne. At a time when hundreds of thousands of people are being laid off and many businesses are at least temporarily closing, the tax on… Read More
The Ontario government has announced that farmers will have until June 30, 2020, to apply for or make changes to coverage under the risk management program (RMP) for Livestock and RMP: Grains and Oilseeds, Ontario’s crop and livestock insurance programs. Extending the RMP deadlines “gives farmers more time to make business decisions and to assess… Read More
IntelliDrive, the variable rate seed metering system, is expanding its Canadian footprint. The company, which uses 12-volt electric motors to control individual sections of seeding equipment to enable variable rate planting, initially focused its efforts on John Deere central commodity system drills. Two years ago, IntelliDrive made its first foray to Canada as an exhibitor… Read More
Growing pulses can be tricky at times, and getting proper emergence keeps the crop competitive. Ensuring the crop has the proper amount of nutrients is key to a high and healthy yield, and that means choosing the right type and amount of inoculant. But inoculants aren’t like other crop production products, as they have a… Read More
We’re glad to see that most people went easy on the April Fools jokes, as it seems that life right now is one big prank — what with COVID-19 tanking the economy, taking lives, and adding so much uncertainty to the economy. But, dear friends, all is not awful, and there’s still a crop to… Read More
As of now, there haven’t been any ethanol plants closed in Ontario, but there are reports that many plants are dialing back production amid the COVID-19 pandemic. What does that mean for overall corn demand and, of course, price? Crosby Devitt, the new CEO of Grain Farmers of Ontario, says that as of right now,… Read More
After wreaking havoc in the U.S. and parts of Ontario, herbicide-resistant waterhemp has arrived on the scene on the eastern side of the Canadian Prairies. Patches of the prolific weed — a cousin to Palmer amaranth — were found in multiple fields in five municipalities in Manitoba last year. In one case, over 30 acres… Read More
Many industries are struggling to cope with COVID-19, but in agriculture farmers still have to plant. Today (March 31, 2020) the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its 2020 planting intentions report. Canadian farmers are watching this report very closely as the U.S. corn and soybean acreage — and possible carryout — impacts Canadian… Read More
Does building your corn planting and side-dress fertilizer program around a fertilizer cart make sense? That’s what Blenheim, Ont., farmer Joe De Brouwer does and that’s why he’s on this episode of The Sharp Edge on RealAgriculture. De Brouwer, who farms with his father and two uncles, tells Maizex Seeds’ agronomist Greg Stewart that an… Read More
When it comes to small plot trials, sometimes producers wonder how the data can be implemented onto their fields and used in a “real-life” format. Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions are headed into the first year of their Plot 2 Farm program, which will conduct trials on wheat and barley on a larger scale. On… Read More
Early reports today that China would fully re-open its market to all Canadian canola are not correct, according to both the Canola Council of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Today marks four years since Canada signed an MOU with China on the blackleg issue. Discussion this week between China and Canada have been centred… Read More
Devin Dreeshen, Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, has announced the creation of Results Driven Agriculture Research (RDAR), a non-profit, arm’s-length agriculture research organization. The creation of RDAR is the result of consultation with farmers, industry, and key partners in the agricultural sector, the province says. It was established so that farmers, in collaboration with… Read More
Mark Burnham is doing his best to promote more wheat acres in Ontario. It can be a tough sell, but there’s no disputing the soil health benefits of having wheat in the rotation. The Cobourg, Ont.- farmer, who runs a mixed farm with his family, believes a corn-soy-wheat rotation, with some hay and cover crops,… Read More
Farmers are always looking for new ways to increase their yields while protecting their investment. To help barley and oats growers do just that, Corteva Agriscience has developed Cerefit™. The new dual mode of action fungicide provides broad-spectrum control of yield-limiting leaf diseases for a stronger, healthier plant foundation that maximizes yield and manages risk… Read More
What’s your nitrogen strategy for winter wheat? When it comes to spring nitrogen applications, the first thing growers need to consider is their planting date, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. That planting date typically correlates with a specific amount of fall growth, which growers can use to guide them in their spring nitrogen applications. On… Read More