Are you ready for an agronomy Q&A? On this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson is ready with some timing questions on #plant24, comparing this year’s weather to 1993 (why, though?), answers several questions on cover crop management, taking out a hay stand, and starting off winter wheat. Have a question you’d… Read More
Category: Cover crops
We are in for a treat this week as host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson, sends us this weekly podcast update while on vacation in Portugal. In the line up for today’s discussion: test weight vs. yield, falling number and binning wheat, stored grain pests, struggling beans, and some great discussion on cover crop… Read More
Earthworms are not just great for fishing bait, but also an indication of soil health. Or is that actually true? The origin of this topic popped into my head as I travelled across the Prairies last week shooting agronomic videos. At a couple stops the farmers referenced earthworm populations as an indication of soil health…. Read More
There are several considerations when deciding to try cover crops to maximum potential, and there are likely equally plentiful considerations to termination when the time comes. While there are a few mainstream ways to terminate a cover crop, Farming Smarter at Lethbridge, Alta., is looking at using a roller crimper to do the job. The… Read More
When it comes to soil management, living roots produced by cover crops provide a laundry list of soil health benefits — everything from building soil aggregates and pore spaces to improving soil infiltration and controlling wind and water erosion. But those cover crops need water and as dry conditions persist in Western Canada, the U.S…. Read More
Working together towards a common vision is the driving force behind 3Gen Organics, one of the country’s biggest and most progressive family-run organic farming operations. On this episode of Profitable Practices, we visit with Brett Israel, near Wallenstein, Ont, to learn how three generations of the family have worked together to carve out a market… Read More
Is liquid fertilizer more or less available to the plant than granular? Is planting barley after potatoes a bad idea? Why would some soybean plants be green in a field of yellow plants? There are just a handful of the questions posed this week to the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson. In the… Read More
This post is part of a series of short introductions of Students of Agriculture. From undergraduates, to PhDs, or those learning out in the world, this series will share snippets of different journeys in agriculture education. Know a student with a neat story? Send Lyndsey a message ([email protected]) to have them recognized as a Student… Read More
The end goal of using cover crops varies from farm to farm, but if using cover crops, there’s always one thing to consider: how and when to terminate the crop for maximum benefit and minimum headache. To tackle the topic of spring management and termination of cover crops, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Ontario… Read More
Someone get the man a party hat — Peter Johnson has hosted 400 episodes of Wheat Pete’s Word! For anyone doing the math, Pete records 50 to 51 episodes a year (depending on if he takes any holidays), so this is a real milestone for Johnson. On this episode of the Word, Johnson doesn’t spend… Read More
When people think of Atlantic Canada, they often think of the abundant potatoes grown in the area. While there’s a reason this comes to mind, as potatoes are a key crop, there are several other crops grown in rotation to ensure soil health and overall crop health. This is one of the messages the Atlantic… Read More
There’s no silver bullet when it comes to managing weeds, and managing herbicide resistant populations is even tougher. One of the best ways to get ahead of weeds is crop competition. Jim Stute, independent research agronomist, has been evaluating the role of cereal rye as a weed suppressing crop to surprising results. Recorded at the National… Read More
Ahh, the wonders of healthy soil. From water-holding capacity, pest and disease regulation, to nutrient cycling and physical stability, a robust and resilient soil gives farmers a huge advantage in crop production. But what makes a healthy soil? How can we measure its fitness and whether it’s in top farming shape? That’s a question soil… Read More
Waterhemp that’s resistant to multiple herbicide groups continues to march across Ontario, but growers still have options to control the weed. There’s also emerging proof that integrated management could help growers take the fight to the spreading yield robber, says University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Peter Sikkema. At the Ontario Agricultural Conference earlier this… Read More
When it comes to improving soil health and carbon sequestration, cover crops have been heralded as a key practice. But research to prove out the impact is coming to a rather underwhelming conclusion on cover crops’ ability to actual build organic matter. Gabriel Popkin has published a report on the Food & Environment Reporting Network… Read More