Cover crops are everywhere on Prince Edward Island. In recent years, growers looking to help manage the Island’s light-textured soils have rapidly ramped up cover crop planting to improve soil health and fight erosion. Syngenta Canada agronomist Eric Richter says he noticed a big change since he moved to PEI five years ago. In this… Read More
Category: Rotation
There are about 85,000 acres of potatoes on Prince Edward Island, and every year an increasing number of those acres are planted to winter wheat after potatoes are harvested in September and October. It’s a nice fit for the Maritime cropping rotation, says PEI-based Syngenta agronomist Eric Richter, because it gives growers the ability to… Read More
It’s a long one! Peter Johnson has lots to say on this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. It starts with road safety. Be careful out there, especially when turning with traffic behind you. Planting is finishing up for many in Ontario, but some growers just can’t seem to catch a break and miss the rain;… Read More
Planting across Ontario is nearing completion in many regions, but excessive rain continues to stall progress in some areas, leaving farmers to contemplate switching intended corn acres to soybeans. It’s a decision that has significant cropping implications, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson, and he wants growers to look at all the potential impacts before making… Read More
Legumes, such as alfalfa, trefoil, and sainfoin, are a great feed source, are excellent for soil health, and play a role in sequestering carbon in the soil. According to emerging research by Dr. Bart Lardner, legumes in the bovine diet also lowers methane emissions, one of the components being measured in an on-going research project… Read More
For years, even decades, one crop’s boost in productivity because of following a different crop was put down as the “rotation effect.” As we begin to unravel what the rotation effect actually is, it’s clear that rooting depth and type, root exudates, and microbial population shifts all play a role in contributing to the bigger… 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
Crop researchers can learn a lot in 28 years. That’s how long crop rotation trials have been on-going at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, host Bernard Tobin and University of Guelph crop researcher Dr. Dave Hooker look at the importance of crop rotation and key corn… Read More
Working together towards a common vision is the driving force behind 3Gen Organics, one of the country’s biggest and most progressive family-run organic farming operations. On this episode of Profitable Practices, we visit with Brett Israel, near Wallenstein, Ont, to learn how three generations of the family have worked together to carve out a market… Read More
There are many variables that determine the success of a crop and crop rotations can be used to maintain and manage nutrient and moisture levels in the soil. Anne Paquette is a masters candidate at the University of Saskatchewan whose thesis is focused on water use efficiency. Research typically shows increased water use efficiency of… Read More