Soybeans in parts of Western Canada have started to show visual signs of nitrogen deficiency due to poor nodulation and dry conditions. The symptoms are showing up as nitrogen uptake is about to peak, with the crop heading into the critical pod-filling stage. Nodulation failure appears to be more prevalent in fields where soybeans have… Read More
The practice of split-applying nitrogen through the growing season has been increasing throughout U.S. midwest corn states and in Eastern Canada. In Western Canada, about 20 percent of corn growers in Manitoba have adopted the in-season practice, according to newly-released results of a survey conducted by the Manitoba Corn Growers. In this episode of RealAgriculture… Read More
In any crop, it’s just as important to know what is going on under the ground as it is to know what’s going on above ground. In a pulse crop, it is particularly important because pulses fix their own nitrogen and you have to actually see the roots to know what is going on. In… Read More
A week of spotty rain has some farmers singing and others moaning, as this challenging growing season marches into mid-summer. The questions for host Peter Johnson continue to roll in, and this week’s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word covers it all from plot results, to fungicide questions, to a correction, and on to grain storage… Read More
Every farmer doesn’t need to own and operate a drone for UAV technology to have a positive impact on their farm. That’s the message Scott Ditschun shares with farmers when he discusses how Bayer CropScience is employing drones in its agronomic and product research. He says UAV technology could effectively increase Bayer’s field research efficiency by… Read More
All farmers want to get their crops off to a good start, and the right amount of phosphate gives canola that pop-up effect that farmers just love to see. There is, however, such thing as too much of a good thing. It turns out that although much research has been done on safe rates of… Read More
Average yields of 110 to 115 bushels per acre on soil that is often more than 60 percent clay? That’s impressive. And that’s why Parkland Farms is featured on our latest episode of ‘Real’ Wheat Farmers. In this video, RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson peppers Parkland Farms agronomist Clark Aitken with questions on how the Lambton… Read More
RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is keeping a close eye on relay intercropping trials planted in Ontario this summer. The objective of the research is to evaluate whether Ontario farmers could effectively plant soybeans into standing wheat versus double cropping soybeans that are planted after wheat is harvested. In this video, Johnson inspects an intercropping trial at… Read More
As a crop input, phosphorus is one of those nutrients we tend to think about early, make application decisions as we are seeding, and then all too often, do not think about again until the next growing season. In reality, our crops have a season-long need for phosphate, and this singular focus and approach to… Read More
New technology built on 30 years of Ontario- and Quebec-specific corn data is producing some surprising nitrogen top-dress recommendations for Ontario’s corn crop. The prescription? Some dry areas of the province with a 220 bushel corn yield target are receiving total N recommendations of just 100 pounds per acre. Yes, really. Is this even possible?… Read More
Summer has officially arrived, and it’s time to get out and assess soybean plant stands. In this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soybean School, we catch up with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner as he surveys plots at a research site in Bornholm, Ontario. As Bohner surveys a stand planted… Read More
Vital crop nutrients act differently in the root zone. Some, such as nitrogen, move easily with soil water, but others, such as phosphorus, hardly move at all, requiring that plants grow to seek out the nutrients. With the rise of no-till, crop residue builds up on the soil surface — a good thing for many… Read More
Canadian ag retailers have a new tool to help their farmer customers adopt 4R nutrient stewardship practices. With the launch of Fertilizer Canada’s new 4R designation toolkit, the industry organization says it will be easier for retailers to support farmers as they work to enhance management practices with the principles of 4R nutrient stewardship – a globally recognized, Canadian-made… Read More
Not only do dry soil conditions hamper seed germination, they also raise the risk of fertilizer toxicity for seedlings after they germinate, especially in a sensitive crop like canola. That means rates of fertilizer placed at seeding last year or the year before might not be safe this year, explains Don Flaten, soil scientist at… Read More
In 2013-14, the idea of nitrogen-fixing, non-leguminous crops hit the media big-time. UK-based Azotic Technologies was one of the companies making bold predictions, including that it expected to offer its commercial natural nitrogen-fixing technology, N-Fix, in two to three years. It’s been five. So, where is it? In 2014, we spoke to David Dent, director with… Read More