There’s plenty of excitement for both economic and environmental reasons about the potential for biological nitrogen fixation for corn and other crops that don’t fix their own nitrogen, but a soil scientist from North Dakota State University says farmers and agronomists should be asking several key questions before counting on added organisms to supply N… Read More
Category: Research
Grower groups and the federal government have partnered on providing funding for wheat research to the tune of over $20 million over five years. With over $11.2 million in funding coming from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership AgriScience program, a further $9.3 million will come from: Manitoba Crop Alliance… Read More
Scientists and plant breeders have their sights set on root rots, given the risk that one in particular — aphanomyces — poses to pea and lentil production in Western Canada and the Northern Plains. Federal funding for a new five-year Pulse Crop Research Cluster, leveraged by funding from farmer check-off organizations, was announced earlier this… Read More
In recent years, many corn growers in Ontario have wrestled with gibberella ear rot in the crop and the high levels of deoxynivalenol (DON) levels it can produce in the grain. It’s made for stressful harvest seasons, especially in 2018 when mycotoxins produced by the gibberella fungus in some fields climbed well above safe feeding… Read More
The dry bean breeding program at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Morden Research Centre in Manitoba will continue for at least another five years under a new arrangement involving McGill University in Quebec and AAFC’s Harrow Research Centre in Ontario. An earlier proposal from the federal government would have seen the program cut or moved to… Read More
The massive uncontrollable variable that is the weather can create challenges when benchmarking and comparing agronomic decisions over large geographies. Antara Agronomy is trying to overcome the problem with weather by taking a “small data-first” approach with Antara Insights — an agronomy benchmarking program that was recognized with a runner-up award in the Ag Days’… Read More
Biologicals hold great promise for improving crop production. From increasing root activity, soil microbes, and nutrient availability to building plant resiliency to abiotic stresses — this emerging crop input segment is bursting with product choices. But for farmers, selecting which product and application is right for their acres can be a daunting and confusing task…. Read More
Diversity pays dividends in crop production but researchers, agronomists and farmers really don’t have a good grasp of how and why different crops impact each others in the rotation. University of Guelph crop researcher Dr. Dave Hooker is never shy to champion more diverse rotations. Research from long-term trials at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown… Read More
Soybeans or corn? Which seed makes the most sense to plant first next spring? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner says good arguments can be made for planting either crop first. The best solution might be to buy a second planter and start rolling with both crops at the… Read More
There’s a possible yield benefit for peas following wheat in a crop rotation rather than canola, according to research done through the University of Manitoba. This Pulse School episode features Brodie Erb, MSc student and field technician at the U of M, who has spent the past three years looking at how preceding crop, residue… Read More
Corn growers often apply nitrogen later in the season to gain more control of the crop. At the V10 or V11 development stage, growers typically have a better understanding of how the crop is developing, its yield potential, the growing environment and what the market is willing to pay. There’s also logistics to consider —… Read More
More than just a friendly competition, the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network is designed to better understand all the external factors and management decisions that drive wheat yields. Marty Vermey, senior agronomist for Grain Farmers of Ontario, says the network is about not just who grows the most wheat, but also about what’s the real… Read More
When soybean plants lodge, bad things happen. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner says growers are okay with the “power lean” — that’s when pod-laden plants tilt slightly under the weight of their bean bounty. “But when they start to get close to the ground, and really lean over,… Read More
Successfully securing funding for a new zero-till drill or a nitrogen-saving fertilizer treatment feels good, but one-off payouts to farmers as a funding model for advancing agriculture in the big picture is short-sighted, says Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist. Johnson is firmly on the side of funding big-picture research and extension. And for… Read More
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) has announced funding for two pulse-related genomic research projects, co-funded through Genome Canada’s Climate-Smart Agriculture and Food Systems initiative (CSAFS). SPG’s $1.4 million will contribute to the total pulse research and development investment of over $12.8 million for the two, four-year projects that aim to develop information and tools for breeding… Read More