For several weeks the message has been that growers need be adjusting their corn variety heat units based on late planting. For some growers, it has become too difficult to drop much further based on hybrid availability in certain heat unit ranges. RealAg Agronomist Peter Johnson recognizes the challenge. “As you move into the lower… Read More
Cool, below normal temperatures in Prince Edward Island have set back the potato harvest for some producers. Ryan Barrett, lead agronomist with the PEI Potato Board says as of Friday, May 25, roughly five to six per cent of the spuds were in the ground. “We are a little bit behind schedule. Normally our main… Read More
Late May means two things in Ontario: black flies and hybrid corn heat unit swaps. While the week’s forecast is nothing to write home about, the market wants more corn acres. If you are sticking with corn, and you should, when do you decide to trim back on heat units? The key in capitalizing on… Read More
It’d be fantastic if this Wheat Pete’s Word update included a milestone planting progress update, but 2019 is proving to be a slow one for much of Ontario. And while Western Canada is having much more luck getting the crop in, areas are still dry to very dry. Questions submitted for this week’s show involve… Read More
Planting is rolling on, even if it is verrrry slowly for parts of Ontario. Meanwhile, crops are emerging well in many parts of the Prairies. This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word tackles some timely topics, such as creative ways to apply N to hungry wheat, why starter fertilizer is almost always worth it on corn, and… Read More
Planters are parked across Ontario as rain-soaked and flooded fields are far from fit for corn seed. But soil conditions can turn around in a hurry with better weather and there’s still plenty of yield potential for growers to chase, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) corn lead Ben Rosser. In… Read More
Setterington’s Fertilizer Service Ltd, part of the Agromart Group, has announced it has achieved 4R certification in Ontario through the 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program. The Cottam branch of Setterington’s is the third agriculture nutrient service provider to achieve certification in the province. Setterington’s is in the Western Lake Erie Basin. “We encourage growers who… Read More
Alert! Alert! Alert! It’s May — time to panic! Wait, no, not yet. Yes, weather conditions in both eastern and western Canada have been less than ideal for different reasons, but while farmers are absolutely itching to get rolling in the field, it’s not late…yet. That said, Wheat Pete’s Word host Peter Johnson knows that… Read More
The Amity brand of seeding tools is reintroducing the Concord brand, a name associated with the initial development of its air seeding technology. Any air drills and air carts that would have the Amity name will now be branded as Concord, starting in the model year 2020. Concord Inc, founded in 1977 by Howard and… Read More
Canola growers are asking whether they should chase moisture this spring across dry regions of Western Canada. That’s a question Canola Council of Canada agronomist Autumn Barnes tackles on this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School. “If growers have to chase moisture down to 1.5 or even two inches, they’re putting a lot of pressure on… Read More
Your perfect stand of canola and someone else’s idea of a perfect stand of canola could be significantly different. More than that, any two seed lots could have a significantly different seed size, and that translates to having to move away from one “rule of thumb” pounds per acre seeding rate. Seed is expensive, too,… Read More
From the sweet, sweet taste of maple syrup, to the sad state of this Ontario wheat crop, this week’s Wheat Pete’s Word has something for just about everyone. Host Peter Johnson covers soil structure problems, patchy wheat problems, seed-placed fertilizer and so much more in the audio below. Listen now or listen later! Have a… Read More
There’s more reason than ever to make sure you’re setting your wheat seeding rate in weight or seeds per acre versus a “bushels per acre” rule of thumb. That’s because of a few things, says Dr. Brian Beres, with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Lethbridge. First off, the genetic yield potential of wheat has improved over… Read More
Traditionally, when the soil is fit for planting, growers fill the planter with corn seed and start to roll. But is it time to rethink that time-honoured approach? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soybean specialist Horst Bohner believes so. He says there’s plenty of evidence to suggest early-planted soybeans deliver a… Read More
Variable seed size, seed costs, and unique seeding equipment can make recommending a canola seeding rate nearly impossible except on a farm-by-farm basis. What agronomists can do is help farmers work backwards from the desired plant stand count to get where they need to be, but what if that number proves very expensive? The Canola… Read More