Applying seed treatment isn't what it used to be. Long gone are the days when someone would yell "turn up the red!" as the seed came out of the treater. There is a lot more than just a visual O.K. that goes into treating your seed properly. Over application isn't cost effective and under applying... Read More
Category: Seed
Now that you have probably picked up your pea or lentil inoculant from your retailer, you need to make sure that you are storing it properly on farm. You need to remember that your inoculant is a living biological organism. It needs to be taken care of handled in a proper manner before it is... Read More
All farmers try to take advantage of early good conditions to try and plant early. Many farmers calculate the risk of replanting and take the gamble that they are comfortable with. A late spring frost could wreck havoc on the corn plant if the growing point was impacted. What makes 2012 different is that a... Read More
Establishing a seed grade can be a frustrating process at times, especially at point of sale. If a seed lot is on the edge, there is a lot riding on what grade it ends up making. If the crop is graded on site, there can be a lot of areas where doubt can arise as... Read More
A good crop starts with good quality seed. As far as choosing that seed goes, most producers make that choice based on two factors, germ and vigour. Those two things are critical, but they don't tell the whole story. The truth is that there are other unseen things that, if unaddressed can have a major... Read More
Germination tests are standard when it comes to any seed lot. A lot of seed for sale has to tested for germination so that the farmer or seed company can decide whether the seed lot will be suitable for sale. Farmers that are saving seed also need to make sure that their saved seed will... Read More
With the release of the Ontario 2011 hybrid corn performance trials, growers get a chance to review how last years varieties performed and what might be a good idea to plant in 2012. As always there are many options and getting as much information as possible can help narrow down some of these tough decisions.... Read More
A couple weeks ago at the Canadian Seed Trade Association meeting in Toronto, the seed industry released a video that demonstrates the challenges ahead for agriculture. You may know the issue as the "feeding the world" challenge. The video demonstrates the realities but at the same time lays the groundwork for the role of the... Read More
For farmers in the West finished harvest, there is a tendency to sit back and breathe a big sigh of relief and rightly so. However, as any farmer who's had a bin full of grain go bad can tell you, it's not a time to sit back and forget about that crop. Monitoring and conditioning... Read More
RealAgriculture.com is happy to present a new feature segment we call "Under the Microscope". We have partnered with BioVision Seed Labs to educate and inform producers with respect to what goes on inside the seed lab and hopefully take some of the mystery out of the process. In the first episode we talk to Holly... Read More