A wet harvest has led some Western Canadian farmers to make the switch from tires to tracks on combines, tractors and grain carts. “The tracks are going to give you the decrease in slippage and a bit of extra floatation, and that’s what people are looking for right now,” notes Marla Riekman, soil management specialist with… Read More
Category: Crop Production
Ontario’s winter wheat crop is growing like gangbusters thanks to unseasonably warm fall temperatures. But could it grow too much? “No way,” says agronomist Peter Johnson in Real Agriculture’s latest Wheat School episode. “The only thing we have to worry about is if it’s still growing on Christmas Eve, like last year.” In that case… Read More
You’ve likely seen Environment Canada’s Tweet celebrating #WorldFoodDay and thanking farmers…well, some farmers. If not, here it is: Today is #WorldFoodDay. Thanks Farmers! Let’s help keep the planet healthy and productive. Tips here: https://t.co/D4WBHIjjU8 — Environment Canada (@environmentca) October 16, 2016 Seems nice enough, yeah? Well, then you follow the link. It doesn’t lead to… Read More
Ontario’s corn crop is showing high vomitoxin levels and growers are being urged to harvest as quickly as possible to preserve corn quality. Last week, the OMAFRA Field Crops team revealed that 26% of the samples taken in its annual vomitoxin survey had DON concentrations of 2.0 ppm or greater. At these levels, vomitoxin produced… Read More
Just east of Westlock, Alberta, whole fields of standing canola are encased in ice. This latest storm that rolled through late Saturday night was insult added to the injury of five to ten inches of snow that fell Friday, October 14, 2016. These scenes at Westlock aren’t rare right now: huge areas of central and northern… Read More
There are revolutionary developments happening in the world of molecular biology that could soon make their way to the farm or field. That is, if society allows it. Chances are you’ve seen a headline containing the terms ‘gene editing’ or ‘CRISPR’ in the last year or two. It likely involved a scientist excited about how this new… Read More
Looking for a faster way to triple rinse your sprayer? OMAFRA’s application technology specialist Jason Deveau has an idea for you. At Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS), Deveau teamed up with HJV Equipment’s Adam Ireland to demonstrate the concept of continuous rinsing. In this video, Deveau notes that the concept comes from Europe where there… Read More
Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should adopt a new practice across the entire farm in one year without first evaluating it on a much smaller land base. Never has this been more evident, perhaps, than the #PlantGreen concept sweeping the Ontario landscape. First off: Ontario farmers should be applauded for their rapid adoption… Read More
To understand what happens with nutrients in the soil and how to manage zones within a field, you have to pay attention to how the soil handles water. If that wasn’t obvious enough, it becomes clear when you visit Mitch Timmerman and his ‘rainfall simulator’ trailer. “Water can influence the fate of nutrients, the development of… Read More
Frost over the Thanksgiving weekend has put an end to the growing season, and should help with drying down soybeans, as Peter Johnson kicks off this week’s Word with an update on soybeans and corn. From there, he offers some timely advice on fall burdock control, disease considerations in cover crops and — of course, saving his… Read More
When it comes to cover crops, there are many equipment and planting options. But regardless of the tools you choose, seeding at the right depth and achieving an even spread pattern are key for success. In this video, Real Agriculture’s resident agronomist Peter Johnson visits the Elgin Soil and Crop Improvement Association field demonstration day… Read More
Corn may be king in the grain world, but does it reign supreme in the silage world, too? The short answer: yes. When it comes to both silage yield and quality, plus digestibility, palatability, and energy density, corn comes out on top vs. barley, says Nicole Rasmussen, with DuPont Pioneer, in this Beef School episode…. Read More
Mildew doesn’t impact the milling qualities of wheat as much as it affects appearance, according to a two-year study conducted by the Canadian Grain Commission. For this reason, the CGC says it’s allowing an increased presence of mildew in milling wheat classes in Western Canada effective immediately. The commission initiated the study after extensive downgrading… Read More
Did you know in-bred(parent) corn lines are short wee things? And that gibberella genetic resistance is a multi-gene trait? If ever you’ve been curious as to where hybrid corn lines originate, this latest Corn School is for you. RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith visited Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm to meet with Dr. Lana Reid, corn breeder for Agriculture… Read More
As we roll into October, some later-seeded soybean yields are coming in better than expected, but there are still some disappointing stories where growers in the driest areas aren’t even bothering to harvest their beans. Meanwhile, decisions have to be made for fall weed control and wheat planting as the days get shorter. Peter Johnson,… Read More