Nitrogen fertilizer applied to land can be lost a few ways — and every pound lost can hurt the pocket book, but some losses are far more of a risk than others, depending on where and how you farm. What’s more, some of those N losses occur in relatively benign losses to the environment. For… Read More
Category: Fertility
Manitoba Agriculture’s farm management extension team has developed a tool to help farmers determine how efficient they are with fertilizer, from both an economic and environmental perspective. Agriculture Minister Derek Johnson officially launched the fertilizer efficiency calculator tool at Manitoba Ag Days in Brandon. The calculator takes into account soil test results, fertilizer prices, product… Read More
Highly engaged wheat growers wanting to learn how to grow better wheat are driving expansion of the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). Coordinated by the Grain Farmers of Ontario, Michigan State University, Michigan Wheat Program, the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and the University of Guelph, the Great Lakes YEN project… Read More
John Deere unveiled a new sensor-based starter fertilizer placement technology for planters as part of the company’s keynote address at the CES 2023 tech industry show in Las Vegas on Thursday. The ExactShot system is designed to send out precise small bursts (approximately 0.2 ml) of starter fertilizer onto individual seeds as they are planted,… Read More
How can growers push wheat yields to new levels? That’s a question we asked many times on RealAgriculture Wheat School during 2022. Throughout the season wheat researchers, agronomists and growers weighed in offering insights from research sites and farms in eastern and western Canada. Here’s a look back at what we learned. On our first… Read More
The Christmas presents have been opened and you’ve finished the turkey leftovers. What’s next for the holidays? Why not binge soybean videos! The RealAgriculture Soybean School published 30 videos in 2022 and here’s your chance to see what you missed or do a double take on your favourite episodes. The 2022 season kicked off with… Read More
The full brunt of the 35 per cent tariff on Russian-sourced nitrogen in 2022 didn’t just equal millions of dollars paid by Canadian farmers, it also put a spotlight on the challenges of some global trade flows. Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO) commissioned StoneX to explore the issue, and author of “Farmers Need Fertilizer,” Josh… Read More
More organic matter, fewer weed seeds and insect pests, and a nitrogen credit: that’s what farmers get when they put forage in the rotation, says independent agronomist Pat Lynch. From better soil health to higher yields, the benefits of forage — especially alfalfa — is a story that Lynch promotes passionately. On this episode of… Read More
When it comes to feeding soybeans, investing in potash will give growers the best bang for their fertility buck. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Soybean Specialist Horst Bohner looks at potash soil test values to determine how soybeans respond economically to the nutrient. Bohner… Read More
How cold does it need to be to try and harvest snowed-in corn? That answer depends on the combine you’re running, says Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson on this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. This week’s episode also features a discussion on nitrogen management, losses, cover crop tie-up of nutrients, and an increase in fines on… Read More
Effectively integrating a cereal rye cover crop into corn is not for the faint of heart. Cereal rye can deliver tremendous benefits for a corn production system but there are challenges. Many growers wrestle with how to get uniform establishment in the fall; determining the best nitrogen and tillage plans; and finding that sweet spot… Read More
Ontario set a new record for average winter wheat yield this year at 99.7 bu/ac. And as winter finally settles in on the province, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson says conditions are ripe for the fall-planted crop to break more records in 2023. But Mother Nature will have a lot to say about that… Read More
The technology that allows for varying seed and fertilizer has evolved well past on/off sectional control, despite less-than-widespread adoption of the tool. Any new agronomic tech has to solve a problem, save time, or make more yield in order to earn its way onto farms. That said, if regulations require a certain outcome, such as… Read More
Canadian farmers are very concerned about the impact managing fertilizer emissions through regulation may have on farm profitability. Over 900 farmers from the Insights Panel responded to the RealAgristudies Fertilizer Emissions Survey and offered their concerns, insight, and action on the topic of emissions reductions. 68 per cent of respondents noted they were “very concerned”… Read More
Each growing season offers an opportunity to not just grow a great crop, but also evaluate new products coming to market. For PivotBio, bringing biological nitrogen-fixation products to Canada requires in-field testing under Canadian conditions to best position the product for growers going forward. As Chuck Broughton, general manager for the Canadian arm of the… Read More