What’s in that snoil? That’s snow and soil, in case you’re wondering (AKA snirt). That’s that “little” skiff of brown or black snow in ditches and in fact, there’s a heck of a lot of good stuff in that snoil. From nutrients to organic matter, top soil moved by wind erosion is some of the… Read More
Cover crops deliver significant soil health and ground cover benefits, but they can often cause spring headaches when growers fail to kill them off in advance of corn and soybean planting. In this video report from Ontario Diagnostic Days 2021, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialists Anne Verhallen and Jake… Read More
How do you measure soil heath? On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soil School, OMAFRA soil scientist and land use specialist Dan Saurette joins Bernard Tobin to look at some of the assessment tools available to farmers and the type of insights they provide. One of the most well known soil health tests is Cornell’s Comprehensive… Read More
A comprehensive survey of farmers in Ontario suggests that once farmers incorporate cover crops in to the cropping strategy, they tend to stay in the rotation. That’s according to the Ontario Cover Crop Feedback Survey, completed by graduate student Callum Morrison and advisor Yvonne Lawley with the University of Manitoba. They collaborated with the Ontario Cover… Read More
Phosphorus is a key nutrient for crop production, and requires careful management to ensure there’s enough P to feed a growing crop, but not so much that the nutrient moves off the field in run-off or soil movement. For what makes phosphorus management different versus say, nitrogen, we go to experts Dr. Merrin Macrae, professor… Read More
Whether or not you’re farming healthy soils depends on many things, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs soil specialist Anne Verhallen. When asked what makes a healthy soil, Verhallen says that growers need to think first about the qualities of their soil, including properties such as soil texture — are you farming… Read More
Biology is a wonderful thing. Given enough time and the right ingredients, soil biological processes can do some pretty amazing things, including breakdown of herbicides, cycling and releasing nitrogen, and even disposing of pathogens. The key is time: biology and biological processes can replace plenty of crop inputs given enough time. Especially for our northern… Read More
The Lake Erie Agriculture Demonstrating Sustainability (LEADS) initiative is entering its final intake, beginning November 2, 2021. LEADS cost-share projects must be completed by September 30, 2022. The program, funded through the federal-provincial Canadian Agricultural Partnership, supports cost-share projects that improve soil health and reduce the risk of nutrient losses on farms while improving water quality in… Read More
The Herrema family have been giving back since Gary Herrema emigrated from Holland to farming country in Ontario’s Durham Region in 1949. The Uxbridge, Ont. farm family has always been active in local fairs, farm and community groups, and municipal politics. They also believe investing in their soil is vital for the health of their… Read More
Erosion could be an issue for pulse crop fields after harvest, especially if the header was set very low and there’s minimal residue leftover. Edible beans in particular are a tricky crop for “field aftercare” as there is very little residue left over, and harvest requires undercutting, increasing the potential for soil wind erosion. Scott… Read More
It’s time to talk soil health, nutrient management, and more on Day 5 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Cover crops, soil compaction, topsoil sampling and soybean fertility are the focus of this episode. We’ll kick it off with cover… Read More
Members of the Ontario Soil Network are inviting complete strangers onto their farms — virtually, of course. Mel Luymes, communications and community director of the Ontario Soil Network, says that the Soil Road Trip allows farmers, researchers, or just those who are curious, to tour up to 100 fields and discover what each farmer is… Read More
We’re painting this episode of The Agronomists red — for red clover! On this episode, Dr. Dave Hooker, University of Guelph Ridgetown Campus, and Dan Petker, farmer and red clover grower extraordinaire from Port Rowan, Ont., join host Shaun Haney for a thorough discussion on being successful with cover crops, not just red clover. SUMMARY… Read More
A $200 million, three-year fund has been launched by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada under the federal government’s Agricultural Climate Solutions program. As of August 12, the On-Farm Climate Action Fund is now open for delivery partner proposals. The partner(s) will then provide direct grants to farmers to adopt beneficial management practices that store carbon and reduce… Read More
What’s the difference between weeds and a cover crop? You’ll have to listen on to this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word for the punchline. Listen below or download for later and hear host Peter Johnson who can’t believe the beans are turning already, wants to make Hay West happen, and talks clover success and weed… Read More