Harvest has picked up in both Western and Eastern Canada, though the challenges facing each region are unique. On this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson tackles late season weed control decisions (mostly: just don’t), diseased corn crop management, and shares some new findings on including cereal rye as a cover crop. Have… Read more »
Category: Cover crops
Wheat Pete’s Word, Oct 10: Harvest woes, late planting for wheat, and big buggy decisions
Harvest woes aren’t just limited to Western Canada, as, while there hasn’t been snow (yet!), wet field conditions are keeping Ontario farmers out of the fields as well. Soybean harvest has hardly advanced since last week, and disease pressure continues to build in standing corn. This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word covers a harvest update, but… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Oct 3: Soybean standstill, toxin problems, and strip till answers
There are not one, but two Alert! Alert! Alert! segments in this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, and that’s just how she goes in a wet, snowy, long, drawn out harvest. Host Peter Johnson is talking wheat storage woes, mycotoxin trouble, and strip tillage tips and tricks in this early October edition of the Word. You’ll… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Sept 5: Big yield predictions, gibberella risks, and selling potash
If you’ve heard tell of some record yield estimates out there, let’s all remember that the crop sure isn’t in the bin yet, says Peter Johnson, host of Wheat Pete’s Word. It seems that some of the good spots look GREAT and some of the poor spots are turning out better than anticipated. When it… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Aug 15: Corn disease risks, a sudden potash deficiency, and cloudy conditions
As the summer days stretch and the forest fire smoke settles in over huge areas of the country, farmers are wrapping up wheat harvest in the east and starting harvest in earnest in the west. Late-season agronomy typically centres on harvest management, but diseases and insects are still lurking, especially in the corn crop. In… Read more »
Do you know your cover crops?
Can you tell the difference between annual ryegrass and cereal rye? How about radish and kale? If you can’t, it’s time to bone up on your identification skills if you want to get serious about planting cover crops mixes on your farm, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialist Anne… Read more »
The secret to reducing your corn nitrogen bill by 75 pounds an acre
Want to apply 75 fewer pounds per acre on corn ground next year, and possibly achieve a higher yield? Peter Johnson, agronomist for RealAgriculture, has the answer: apply red clover to the wheat crop now. Wait, you say, you tricked me! This isn’t a secret at all. And you’re right: frost seeding red clover in… Read more »
Treat your soil like an Olympic athlete for peak performance
What do Canadian speed skater Kim Boutin and your soil have in common? They both prosper and succeed when you treat them like an Olympic athlete. Boutin’s Olympic training earned her three medals at the recently-concluded Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea. What would happen if farmers treated their soil like an Olympic athlete? Soil… Read more »
Salford mounts air boom applicator on Deere sprayer chassis
Salford Group has made its first foray into aftermarket equipment with the launch of mounted air boom applicators for common sprayer chassis and floater chassis. The company unveiled its Salford-Valmar 6700 last week at the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville, Kentucky. The company bills the new release as the world’s only aftermarket chassis mounted air… Read more »
Cover crops and livestock trampling ‘part of the rotation equation’
A ‘good rotation’ is often thought of as a cropping plan that involves diverse species, cultivars, and chemical actives. But that definition may be expanding, thanks to an ever-evolving understanding of soil health. “When you look at that environment, you kind of come down to five principles on soil health,” says United States Department Agriculture… Read more »
Keeping cover crops out of tile drains
Will the growth of cover crops lead to an explosion of plugged tile drains? According to Ohio State professor and farm drainage specialist Dr. Larry Brown, there’s little evidence to suggest that cover crops are going to cause drainage headaches for farmers. At the recent Ontario Certified Crop Advisors annual meeting, Brown says he often gets… Read more »
Dairy School: Cover crops add value to corn silage rotation
Do you plant a cover crop before or after you harvest corn silage? It’s an option dairy farmers should consider, says University of Wisconsin Extension crops and soils agronomist Heidi Johnson, especially when planting corn after corn. Removing corn silage and then leaving the ground bare risks soil erosion, decreases microbial activity, and reduces the field’s ability… Read more »
New research shows cover crops support higher yields
Many farmers understand the benefits cover crops can bring to their operation. From reduced soil erosion to improved soil structure, nutrient recycling, moisture retention and much more – the list of benefits is long and impressive. But how do cover crops impact yield? Do all these benefits add up to higher production and a better… Read more »
Corn School: How long does it take to add 1 percent soil organic matter?
You’ve just finished combining a corn field and you want to know how much organic matter all that corn residue will contribute to your soil. RealAgriculture’s agronomist Peter Johnson tackles that question on our latest Corn School episode. Unfortunately, as Johnson explains, all those stalks and cobs won’t have much of an impact. When it… Read more »
Risk versus reward: thinking critically about cover crops
It’s hard to find a farmer these days who doesn’t see some of the benefits cover crops can bring to their operation. From reduced soil erosion to improved soil structure, nutrient recycling, moisture retention and much more – the list of benefits is long and impressive. But how much is too much? Where and when… Read more »