Regulations around flying drones in Canada, especially drones in the 25-150 kilogram weight class, can be complicated. In agriculture, drones that show great potential for producers fall under two different jurisdictions. The first is Transport Canada, which oversees aviation safety and security. The second is Health Canada, which is responsible for pesticide regulations and approvals…. Read More
Category: Fertility
Better together. That’s a simple way to describe what happens when micronutrients and biostimulants join forces to alleviate plant stress. In this report from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s MicroSmart Deep Dive meeting in Kingston, Ont., Agro-100 research and development director Pierre Migner and RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin explore the biostimulant-micronutrient connection and how… Read More
For Derek Axten, changing nitrogen management on over 10,000 acres first required changing the goal. Shifting from a production-maximizing mentality to a profitability-first and resilience mindset is more fun, he says, though it’s not without its share of challenges. The Axtens have been using several different management tools to make the shift to a soil-health… Read More
The fertilizer market doesn’t move in lock-step with the grain markets — both the peak demand and trends work on their own timelines. Which is too bad, of course, when commodity prices drop but fertilizer prices don’t follow suit. Both the fertilizer and commodity markets are, however, working through uncertainty and trade disruption created by… Read More
A fertilizer market free from tariffs is vitally important for U.S. growers, the nation’s food security and the fertilizer industry. That’s the message The Fertilizer Institute’s Leanna Nigon says her organization, which advocates on behalf of the industry, has been working diligently to deliver to the Trump administration as it tries to head off potential… Read More
Manure has been used as fertilizer for a very long time; however, with the advent of fewer mixed farms and access to commercial fertilizer, which is easier to transport and often easier to apply, nearly all farmers have moved away from using manure as the primary source of fertilizer on their operations. That being said,… Read More
Ontario’s relatively youthful soils are less prone to micronutrient deficiencies, but there are situations where soil characteristics can lead to low levels of key micros in farm fields, says University of Guelph associate professor Dr. John Lauzon. Speaking at the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s MicroSmart Deep Dive meeting in Kingston, Ont., Lauzon noted… Read More
When it comes crop nutrition, the macronutrients dominate both the management discussion and the fertilizer bill. That focus is certainly justified as primary macronutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — play a critical role in ensuring a successful crop. Farmers are also rewarded when they pay attention to secondary macronutrients, including sulphur, calcium and magnesium…. Read More
Grandmother’s garden is often the first place that children learn about the benefit of having worms in the soil. They learn from an early age that you don’t throw worms away, you put them back into the ground where you found them, says Mike Launer of Annelida Soil Solutions. Annelida has created a business out… Read More
More farmers are using 4R nutrient stewardship with nitrogen fertilizer application; however, there’s still work to be done on fine-tuning N rates and incentivizing change. For more than 10 years, Fertilizer Canada and Stratus Ag Research have been asking farmers about their nitrogen management strategies and gauging the rate of adoption of 4R management —… Read More