Canola has been referred to as the “Cinderella of the Prairies,” but the story of Goldilocks might also be relevant. Specifically when it comes to the discussion in the canola community lately about ideal plant populations — not too high, not too low, but just right. The Canola Council of Canada has developed a target… Read more »
Category: Seeding
Wheat School: New FHB1 varieties offer better fusarium control, agronomics and yield
The FHB1 gene for fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance has been around for some time, but now it’s available in stronger agronomic varieties that deliver yield punch. That’s good news for North American wheat growers, says Bryan Gerard of Indiana-based Gerard Seed Solutions. In this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, Gerard explains that the FHB1… Read more »
TechTour: Manitoba farmer gives planters a new look
From the road, it looks like a custom-made air seeder pulled by a Big Bud four-wheel drive tractor. But after your eyes move on from the rare tractor, you might notice something else. Those look like planter row units mounted on the frame. Having grown corn and soybeans in the southwest corner of Manitoba near Waskada… Read more »
One-pass applications save time in a late spring
When unfavourable soil conditions arise, many growers look to one-pass applications to save time. One-pass seeding, however, isn’t just for when conditions are poor. In fact, a one-pass system can work for different soil conditions and areas, even when conditions are favourable. Ray Dowbenko, senior specialist of agronomy with Agrium, says that putting your seed and… Read more »
Soybean School: Monitor seed size variation between varieties and seed lots
The race is on in many areas — and hopefully soon will be in others — to get this year’s soybean crop in the ground. It’s critical to make some pit-stops along the way to adjust the planter or drill for optimum performance, as covered in this Soybean School episode. Seed size can vary widely,… Read more »
Canola School: Options for seeding canola in wet conditions
For some farmers in some southern parts of Western Canada, seeding is starting to wrap up. But others are still have the challenge of getting last year’s crop off, all while trying to get this year’s crop in the ground. In this Canola School episode, we talk to Brittany Hennig, agronomy specialist for the Canola Council of… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 10: Quality forage timing, cold temp fallout, and two-pass fungicide strategy
This week’s (almost!) cross-Canada Wheat Pete’s Word is packed full of great questions, worries about cold temperatures, solid timely answers on field management, and at least one alert, alert, alert! Your host Peter Johnson tackles questions on harvesting cereal rye (soon! this week!) while keeping compaction in mind, if corn seed is going to be… Read more »
Corn School: No second chances for hitting your population target
Planting season can be a busy, chaotic time, but not paying attention to details, such as variation in seed size, can be costly and impact yield potential for the rest of the growing season. “There are no second chances as it relates to population. What you put in the ground now is what will make your… Read more »
Late seeding leaving a tighter window for pulse crops
How late am I still comfortable with putting this seed in the ground? With wet conditions holding things up, the optimal timeframe for seeding pulse crops, especially peas and fababeans, is getting tighter in parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta, leaving some growers asking themselves the above question. Peas, from a strictly maturity perspective, are quite flexible,… Read more »
Farmer Rapid Fire: #plant17 update across Canada for May 4
Planting and seeding (depending on your geography) is sort of underway across the country. The harvest of 2016 still lingers in some areas of northern and central Alberta and Saskatchewan. With rain hammering much of Ontario this week, planters getting going in Manitoba. Saskatchewan has more than its fair share of moisture, and around a… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 3: Rust alerts, wet weather, and the philosophy of seeding rates
We’re kicking off May with wet, wet weather both at home and south of the border, and not one but two alerts for very early disease detection in Ontario’s Bruce and Essex Counties. Peter Johnson, your host of Wheat Pete’s Word, also has cautions on using saved soybean seed from the 2016 crop, why you… Read more »
Soybean School: Management Tips for Plant 2017
As 2017 soybean planting gets rolling across Ontario, what management considerations should be top of mind for growers? In our planting edition of Real Agriculture Soybean School, we put that question to Pride Seeds market development agronomist Dan Foster. In this episode, Foster explains why he’s excited to see Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans going… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, April 26: Double Crop Thinking, Fleabane Management, and Manganese Needs
It’s the last week of April and not only is there crop in the ground in areas of southern Ontario, but there’s even a few corn and soy plants poking above ground! Don’t feel bad, though, if that’s not where you’re at — there’s plenty of field prep and planning still happening across not just… Read more »
Wheat School: Shedding Pounds Makes Healthier Seeding Rate
Peter Johnson wishes farmers managed wheat more like corn. He admits that corn’s bigger yields and higher profitability creates more interest in intensively managing the crop, but that does not excuse growers from making good, basic wheat management decisions. One thing that drives Real Agriculture’s resident agronomist crazy is wheat growers who seed based on… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word — April 5: Plant17 in Alberta, Starter Fertilizer Conundrums, Test Plots, and Lodging Risks
We’ve hit April, and that means it’s time for the first of many #plant17 reports! This week, we’ve got super early wheat going in in Alberta, believe it or not, so that’s where we start with this edition of Wheat Pete’s Word. For Ontario growers, host Peter Johnson kicks off with a rust warning and… Read more »