Demands and expectations are very high on seeders and planters. Seed must be delivered quickly and gently, then metered accurately and placed precisely in the furrow, regardless of conditions. The planter then has to close up the furrow, pack it down and carry on, all the while adjusting for terrain and trash at over five… Read More
Category: Agronomy
There is a proverb that says “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Never is this more true than at the field level, nestled deep in the crop canopy, where beneficial insects are hard at work killing and eating crop pests. The tricky part, however, is that these beneficial insects can look a whole… Read More
While Australia and Canada have much in common in regards to farming, the two countries’ growing seasons are also drastically different in many ways. One major similarity is farmers’ love of a good head-to-head equipment comparison, and what better to compare than seeder set-ups. That’s exactly what ABC News’ Landline program covered in a recent… Read More
I heard recently that only an estimated 20% of the fields across the Canadian Prairies are soil sampled. This is a surprisingly low number to me, as soil testing is the base on which many components of a farm plan for the year are built. What’s worse is that of the 20% of fields sampled,… Read More
Soybeans are the hot topic of 2013. From Manitoba to Alberta, farmers are curious about growing the crop or are planning to expand acres in a big way this year. While the crop isn’t brand new for Manitoba, the projected 1 million acre mark for 2013 is not going to be reached by only seasoned… Read More
Many factors converge in determining the final yield tally of the soybean crop each year, but choosing the highest yielding variety for your area is a good place to start. How do you know which is the highest yielding? Well, on-farm performance is a good indication, but it pays to compare what else is available…. Read More
Farmers growing glyphosate-tolerant soybeans now have a new herbicide option in BASF Canada’s Optill product. Optill is a pre-plant soybean herbicide that offers a fast burn-down and residual weed control of grassy and broadleaf weeds. Pre-registration trial results for Optill showed a yield increase of two to three bushels per acre compared to using glyphosate… Read More
Investing in a sectional control option on a new seeder isn’t an inexpensive proposition, however, you may change your perception of the true cost once you see just how much it can save you. Chris Morson, with Seed Hawk, took Shaun Haney on a tour of Seed Hawk’s software program that incorporates Google Earth images… Read More
Ken Ferrie wants you to slow the planter down. And then stop. Yes, really. While the planting season is a hectic one, rushing, especially in wet conditions, is a recipe for disaster. Ferrie, an independent agronomist, wants farmers to slow down and better match planter speed to planting conditions. What’s more, he wants you to… Read More
A soil test is an excellent starting point for any fertility plan, but interpreting the results can leave some people scratching their heads. There are several strategies to soil sampling itself — analysis and recommendation strategies vary as well. One Saskatchewan company takes a somewhat different approach to testing and recommendations, using made-in-Saskatchewan technology. In… Read More
Seeding (or planting for our eastern and southern friends) is the single most important pass you’ll make on your field this year. The piece of equipment you chose to place and pack seeds typically has to work for all the crops in your rotation, and that can mean using something better suited for large seeds… Read More
Farmers hit with aster yellows in 2012 aren’t likely to soon forget the devastation high infection rates can cause. The trickiest aspect of the disease is how futile it is to try and control it. The phytoplasma, carried on the aster leafhopper, is passed quickly from insect to plant and then the insect moves on…. Read More
Most farmers would find selling the farm and moving a province over a significant undertaking. What about moving an entire continent away? Would you do it? That’s what Stuart Barden did. After visiting Kenya during his Nuffield Scholar tour in 2009 and being wowed by the beautiful black soil and diverse landscape, Barden packed up… Read More
Tillage Radish, a large-rooted cover crop, is one we’ve talked about before on RealAgriculture.com. Kevin Elmy walked us through how he and his neighbours are making use of the crop in Saskatchewan. In this video, filmed at Farm Tech 2013, Patrick Fabian explains how farmers in his area of Alberta are making use of this… Read More
Farming would be much, much easier and far less risky if we could control the weather. We can’t, of course, so the first point of any “most limiting factor” list — the weather — is always moot. After that, though, there are several management factors well within farmers’ control that deserve some attention when gunning… Read More