Are Ontario farmers doing a better job of getting phosphorus to stay put on their farms? Over the past decade, farmers, agronomists, researchers and governments have ramped up efforts to reduce the amount of phosphorus leaving farm fields and creating environmental challenges in areas such as the Lake Erie and Sainte-Claire watersheds. University of Waterloo… Read More
On this Thursday edition of the RealAg LIVE! Q and A guest Aaron Stevanus, technical sales manager with Mosaic Company, joins host Shaun Haney for a lively back and forth about all things crop nutrition, including some fun props for extra flair. On this Q and A you’ll hear: Why that first drink of water… Read More
The McBlain family farm, located southeast of Brantford in Ontario’s Brant County, hasn’t seen a plow in a generation. Tyler McBlain’s grandfather started no-tilling back in the 1980s. Since that time the farm has gradually moved to a no-till system for soybeans and wheat while all corn is now produced in a strip till system…. Read More
Sometimes a small gesture can go a long way to improve your day. So, lucky Wheat Pete’s Word fans, host Peter Johnson has a special gift for you — not one, but TWO podcasts this week. There’s just that much to cover, friends. For this Part A of the April 15th edition, Johnson shares some… 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
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
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
If there’s one thing farmers should understand, it’s biosecurity — and yet, somehow there are many who aren’t taking the physical distancing protocol seriously. Wheat Pete, for one, is having none of it. Of course, the host of Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson, only spend a little bit of time on that topic for this… Read More
With 20 years of teaching and research achieved, Don Flaten says it’s time to retire. It’s a retirement well earned, as the soil scientist with the University of Manitoba has taught over a thousand students the ins and outs of soil, its importance, and revealed to many the complexity of nutrient interactions. Flaten has also… Read More
Wheat Pete’s Word host Peter Johnson is a lot of things — dynamic and opinionated for starters — but he’s also rather humble. This episode marks 250 episodes of this podcast and he’s likely not going to make a big deal of it, but the rest of the RealAgriculture team is! In this 250th episode,… Read More
Welcome to March, which seems to be coming in like a lamb — we’ll have to see if the “out like a lion” holds true! March also means maple syrup, frost seeding, red clover applications on the wheat fields, and starting to nail down crop rotations and fertilizer rates. With many feeling the cash flow… Read More
John Deere’s new ExactRate liquid fertilizer application system is designed to help farmers deliver accurate nutrient placement at precise rates during planting. The company rolled out the new system last month at the National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) at Louisville, Kentucky. In this interview, Deere product manager Brady Alley explains that ExactRate is another of… Read More
For farmers worried about 2020, and perhaps already tight budget constraints, cutting input costs may seem like a quick fix, but how is it impacting your bottom line? Resident agronomist Peter Johnson says finding that balance and making those tough decisions comes down to management. “The beauty of soil fertility is that your soil is… Read More
Knowing your soil and accepting your climatic challenges for what they are is key to choosing the right crops, cover crops, and soil amendments that will perform best. That said, sometimes it takes a major event to push for significant changes to the current status quo. Jenn Doelman farms at Douglas, Ont., and is a… Read More
Do you adjust plant populations, fertility, or other product applications on headlands? If not, why not? In this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word, Peter Johnson answers questions on liquid vs. dry fertilizer and fertilizer set ups, plus what to do with soil test results on sandy soils. He also throws down the challenge of using precision… Read More