Do you know how many pounds per bushel of phosphorus and potassium corn pulls out of the soil? Nitrogen gets all the attention in crop production, but these two nutrients are also very important to corn production, and, in years of decent yields, the total pounds per acre of P and K drawn out of… Read More
Category: Seeding
Larger discs sure do look menacing. They also require far more horsepower to pull, but they wear out more slowly than smaller-diameter discs. But there are two very important considerations when choosing planter disc size. The first is trash management (guess which one cuts through straw better? You may be surprised) and the second is… Read More
The concept of controlled traffic farming — that is, running all equipment on set paths in a field to reduce compaction — is one RealAgriculture.com has explored before. In this video, Steve Laroque discusses what he’s learned in the second year of adopting the practice. Alberta is most certainly the leader of the practice in… Read More
Uniform seeding at a consistent depth is the first step to a banner wheat crop, but the first mistake many farmers make — seeding too deep — hurts them twice over. Wheat seeded too deep means fewer plants emerge and those that do are slower to grow and produce fewer tillers. It’s an issue for… Read More
A large part of the Prairies is dry. And when we say dry, we mean dusty dry down a few inches. No, not everywhere and, no, not like the U.S., but nearly the entire growing area of Manitoba could use a good drink. Farmers in parts of Saskatchewan and Alberta say the same. A dry… Read More
Shopping around for farm equipment can be a little daunting. Every manufacturer makes claims that their equipment is the best and the best fit for you. While you may have an idea what you want, the actual performance of that equipment can only be seen once you’re in the field. That can leave farmers with… Read More
One of the things farmers learn very early is that you can’t control every variable involved in growing your crop, so you should focus on what you can control. When planting winter wheat, there’s no telling what the season will bring, so you focus on making the best choices available to you from the start…. Read More
Do you remember the story of the little red hen? No one would help her plant the seeds, harvest the grain, grind the grain and bake the bread, but everyone was willing to eat the bread when it was all said and done. That’s a little bit like the story of certified seed. Everyone wants… Read More
While Saskatchewan and Alberta are just now enjoying the first few weeks of harvest, Manitoba farmers are nearly done with cereals and canola and have a few weeks to wait before soybeans and corn are ready. The early harvest has many farmers excited to get winter wheat back in rotation, and more than a few… Read More
With the early soybean harvest that is about to take place in Ontario, some growers are considering on getting an early jump on the fall planting of winter wheat. HOLD ON!!!!! Peter Johnson, Wheat Specialist, OMAFRA, has some key points for you to remember before you hook up the seeder and start roaring down the… Read More
Every farmer at some point in their career has to deal with gremlins. From the moment you park your machinery it’s a virtual free for all of loosening bolts, fraying belts and poking holes in things. That’s why every year at seeding, sure enough, as soon as you take that equipment out to use it,… Read More
In part one of our RealAgriculture Roundtable we discussed with Don Henry of Morris Industries the advantages and the complications that have come from the rise of precision agriculture. This time around we bring up a topic that comes up at almost every farm show where big equipment is involved: How big is too big?… Read More
Monosem describes its vacuum planter as a premium product. That may be something every manufacturer describes their product as, but not every manufacturer can live up to the hype. Just looking at the Monosem planter, you can see that it is a very solidly built, durable machine. Every component that goes into the planter reflects… Read More
In an environment of “bigger is better” the Morris CX8105 seed drill seems to stick out like a sore thumb. Almost every farm show you attend seems to cater to the large acre farmer. The CX8105 is an offering developed especially for the smaller farm. With models that come in 25 and 30 foot widths… Read More
It was over a month ago when we stepped into a disagreement between two brothers over whether or not to reseed their frost damaged canola field.(SEE VIDEO HERE) In the end a compromise was reached where part of the field was reseeded and part was left to recover on it’s own. SEE MORE CANOLA SCHOOL… Read More