The 20-year pulse breeding agreement between the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers’ Association (SPG) and the Crop Development Centre is changing, and that has many farmers asking what happens next. Previously, varieties that came out of the SPG/CDC agreement were released royalty-free for producers. Before the expiry of the agreement, the CDC notified SPG of their intentions… Read More
Soil sensors can provide a multitude of information, but not all soil sensors are created equal. As part of Olds College’s Smart Farm applied research programs, the accuracy and functionality of five different soil sensors and their capability to measure soil properties were evaluated. Daniel Stefner, Smart Ag Research project lead and farm liaison at Olds… Read More
Cover crops deliver significant soil health and ground cover benefits, but they can often cause spring headaches when growers fail to kill them off in advance of corn and soybean planting. In this video report from Ontario Diagnostic Days 2021, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soil management specialists Anne Verhallen and Jake… Read More
If you change how you deliver seed to the ground, what else has to change? From fertilizer planning, to seeding rate, to weed control, the planter vs. seeder decision isn’t as easy as which unit does the most consistent job. To explore considerations for canola and soybeans, and to kick off the 2022 season of… Read More
Ontario’s agriculture ministry is set to hire four new extension staff over three locations: Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Vineland. Job offers are currently posted for a soil fertility specialist, a cropping systems specialist, a livestock specialist, and a lead for horticulture sustainability. Newly-posted OMAFRA crop and livestock specialist positions at Ridgetown, Kemptville, and Vineland. Soil… Read More
The P.E.I. potato industry hasn’t had an easy time lately, as the finding of potato wart fungus in two fields in the province halted potato exports to the U.S. The two positive cases were confirmed in October of 2021. Ryan Barrett, agronomist with the P.E.I. Potato Board, and farmer at Belmont, P.E.I., provided RealAgriculture with… Read More
Wheat is an emotional crop. It doesn’t cry or yell but it will tell you how it’s feeling, especially if it’s struggling in a field that’s compacted, has inadequate drainage, or is suffering from poor manure or nitrogen application. “Wheat shows everything,” says Russ Barker, Corteva/Pioneer Hi-Bred agronomist, who joins OMAFRA cereals specialist Joanna Follings and RealAgriculture’s… Read More
In this first-of-the-year episode of Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson discusses Ontario Ag Conference (on now), soil nutrient bank accounts, and low volumes going through a combine. Plus, Johnson works through a tiling/drainage problem for clay textured knolls. Have a question you’d like Johnson to address or some yield results to send in? Disagree… Read More
When glyphosate-resistant waterhemp was first discovered in Lambton County in 2014, University of Guelph weed scientist Peter Sikkema never imagined the course the weed would take across Ontario, or the speed it would travel. Fast forward to 2022 and glyphosate-resistant waterhemp has moved 700 kilometres east to Leeds & Grenville County. The invading resistant weed, often… Read More
Mayo Schmidt has left his position as president and CEO of Nutrien, the company says. Schmidt stepped in as CEO in April, 2021, after Chuck Magro left the position. Magro saw the company through its merger of PotashCorp and Agrium. Ken Seitz, executive vice president and CEO of Potash, has been named the company’s interim CEO…. Read More
A new year can bring a clean slate, a fresh start, and with it some encouragement to improve ourselves, our businesses, and our habits. Beyond the usual lose-20-pounds (hello, COVID weight), or eat more vegetables, let’s take setting out New Year’s resolutions a step further to the farm business itself. Whether it’s getting a better… Read More
You’re out in a piece of new machinery and something in the computer system breaks down. Are you equipped to fix it? Do you have the right to repair it? Geoff Backman, manager of business development and markets at the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, says farmers’ frustrations continue to grow as they don’t have… Read More
Farmers across the country are getting creative in trying to find the answer to high fertilizer prices and tight supply for 2022. Including manure can be a part of the plan to decrease the fertilizer bill, but there are some considerations when including it as part of the overall fertility plan, says Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson…. Read More
We can be fooled by a plot demonstration side-by-side comparison when we use a visual response to evaluate products. Whether it’s an in-crop fertilizer application, a fungicide application, or something else, a visual response in a crop doesn’t necessarily translate to a yield bump. Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson gives the example of fusarium trials in… Read More
At this point in the year, plenty of growers have booked their canola varieties for the upcoming season or are trying to sort that decision out as quickly as possible. There’s been increased focus over the past few years on reducing seeding rates, and it’s a good question to explore says Russell Trischuk, InVigor technical… Read More