Organic matter plays a key role in soil health, productivity, and resiliency. But building or replenishing organic matter can take a long time and a tremendous amount of organic material. On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soil School we visit with Nicole Penney, precision ag manager for FS Partners in Ontario. Penney notes that it takes… Read More
It’s time to talk soil health, nutrient management, and more on Day 5 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Cover crops, soil compaction, topsoil sampling and soybean fertility are the focus of this episode. We’ll kick it off with cover… Read More
A collaborative program between six major crop commissions will look at the role of wetlands and their ecosystem services, over three years. “We’re very excited this year that we have a collaborative program to monitor Alberta’s wetlands,” says Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist with Alberta Pulse Growers. “What we’re looking for is, first off,… Read More
Under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Canadian Wheat Research Coalition (CWRC) is the host of the current wheat research cluster, a five-year agreement from 2019 to 2023. Collaborative funding between Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and producers is funnelled into the cluster to support industry-led research, explains Lauren Comin, director of research at Alberta Wheat and… Read More
It’s time for agronomy hot topics on Day 4 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Crop nutrition, weed control and planting depth and timing are the focus of this episode. We kick it off with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food… Read More
The PRIDE Seeds Education Centre is into its second year, and Matt Chapple, agronomist with PRIDE Seeds, says it’s like his sandbox — where the company can do studies and demonstrations, look at different genetics, or trial different practices that can improve yields. In this Soybean School episode, Bernard Tobin joins Chapple in his “sandbox”… Read More
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are an excellent tool for controlling the height of a wheat crop, and they also impact stem strength, especially for a crop under high management. “Lodging is caused by high nitrogen rates, or excessive nitrogen, and also high seeding rates,” says Mike Holzworth, research agronomist with C&M Seeds. In this Wheat… Read More
Corn and soybean insects and disease are the focus of Day 3 of Ontario Diagnostic Days. The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. On this episode, host Shaun Haney is joined by OMAFRA field crops entomologist Tracey Baute to discuss growing concern about corn rootworm… Read More
Buckle up, it’s time for Day 2 of Ontario Diagnostic Days! The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester are again virtual in 2021. Cover crops, forage and wheat management is the focus of this episode. We get started with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialists… Read More
Success in certain crop systems can sometimes translate to other cropping systems; for example, using a planter in corn adds precision and accuracy to maximize yields and improve agronomic management. In recent years, not a lot of progress has been made in the area of irrigated durum wheat yields, and Farming Smarter is looking at… Read More
It’s important to know what’s going well, and what’s not, especially with soil. Certain “canaries in the coalmine” can indicate existing, persistent problems with management practices that over time can be improved. Adam Ireland, who farms with his family near Teeswater in Bruce County, Ont., is joined by Bernard Tobin for this episode of Soil… Read More
Long-term field research, conducted by the University of Guelph, has confirmed Solvita Soil Tests as valuable testing tools for evaluating soil health. Research results show that Solvita tests enabled a high level of certainty in “useful” cropping comparisons and correlated with soil carbon levels and total soil nitrogen. Solvita tests have the ability to capture… Read More
The annual Ontario field crop diagnostic days held at Ridgetown, Elora, and Winchester will again go virtual in 2021. The organizing committees of these three highly successful in-field education and learning events are again partnering with crop researchers and extension, along with support from RealAgriculture and a host of sponsors to bring you a series… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Marie-Claude Bibeau has announced $2.6 million in federal funding for the Canadian Forage and Grassland Association (CFGA) to support three projects that will assess and improve alfalfa growth using artificial intelligence and develop a carbon offset system for grasslands. Some of the funding announced July 19 will also be used… Read More
What if corn, like soybeans, could fix its own nitrogen? It’s a question agronomist Dale Cowan and his team at AGRIS Co-operative are tackling this summer as they test a biological product that promises to help corn plants fix nitrogen, when applied directly on the seed, in pop-up fertilizer, and through foliar application between the… Read More