How do you measure soil heath? On this episode of RealAgriculture’s Soil School, OMAFRA soil scientist and land use specialist Dan Saurette joins Bernard Tobin to look at some of the assessment tools available to farmers and the type of insights they provide. One of the most well known soil health tests is Cornell’s Comprehensive… Read More
Whether or not you’re farming healthy soils depends on many things, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs soil specialist Anne Verhallen. When asked what makes a healthy soil, Verhallen says that growers need to think first about the qualities of their soil, including properties such as soil texture — are you farming… 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
Some Ontario edible bean and soybean fields are being hard hit by root rots, causing large patches of dead, dying, or highly stressed plants. The recent hard rains in some areas of the province have favoured root rot infection. Depressions or areas of high compaction or poor drainage tend to show the worst symptoms. Poor… Read More
Weather is the ultimate source for small talk, and rainfall is perhaps the most talked about — from how much, to when, to not enough, and on too much. For this episode of the Corn School, Bernard Tobin asks Dale Cowan, senior agronomist at AGRIS C0-operative, about how much rain a corn crop needs throughout… Read More
Soil health, in a rotational grazing and cattle operation sense, starts with ground cover and consistently adding organic matter that will eventually become sequestered carbon. Logistics-wise and from a management stand-point, how is improved soil health achieved in a cattle operation? In this Soil School episode, Bernard Tobin is in the field with Aaron Bowman,… Read More
For decades, soybean acreage has increased in Canada and has been internationally fuelled by growing world demand for the oilseed crop. Soybeans have also proven to be a friend to farmers, making a profitable contribution to the bottom line and adding another cropping option to diversify and extend rotations. But what happens when farmers plant… Read More
You can’t get to 1000 episodes without first hitting three hundred, and here we are — episode 300 of Wheat Pete’s Word! For this week, remember that there’s a new number for Wheat Pete for both listening or leaving messages (but we’re glad you mostly listen/download it here), plus some solid numbers that back up… Read More
Each year, Canadian farms and orchards grow an abundance of fruit and vegetables for both local and export markets. From peaches and pears, to broccoli and asparagus, to processing tomatoes and cucumbers, Canada’s horticultural industry plays a vital role in producing local, fresh food for millions. Many of these farms employ seasonal workers, temporary foreign… Read More
The time of year where many are starting to plan for their 2021 growing season has begun, and at the end of the day, the markets will play into those decisions. While we need to be able to make a profit off of the crops we put so much effort into, we also can’t deny… Read More
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