How much nitrogen (N) does a corn crop really need? Are split applications the way to go? What’s the biggest risk of N loss in a Western Canadian crop setting? As King Corn marches north and west, these are the questions that need answers if you’re going to go from being a farmer who grows… Read More
Category: Crop Production
Cereals Canada announced today the appointment of Cam Dahl as the organization’s first-ever president. The Manitoban most recently headed up the Manitoba Beef Producers as general manager, and has also served as commissioner of the Canadian Grain Commission, chair of the Canadian International Grains Institute Board of Directors and executive director of the Grain Growers… Read More
I can’t stress enough the importance of having your own two feet in the field to see what the heck is going on in your crops. Too often there is far more that we can bring to the field to help us identify exactly what is occurring, but the lack of a few simple tools… Read More
As Ontario farmers get home from Southwest Ag Conference and FarmSmart, everyone is probably getting itchy for spring. The only thing maybe holding us back is the horrible snow storms that we have been getting. Planting does seem far away but like always at this time of year it is closer than we think. In… Read More
What is the yield response of a soybean crop to a fungicide application? (wait for it…) It depends. If you’re not content with that answer, don’t worry — neither are researchers. While there are several factors that work in to the decision to spray, questions surrounding the efficacy and the response of that application can… Read More
The Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture’s insect surveys and forecasts have been published online and Scott Hartley, provincial entomologist, was on hand at Saskatoon’s CropSphere to summarize some of the findings. In the video below, RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith speaks to Hartley about three of Saskatchewan’s most revered agricultural pests: the cabbage seedpod weevil, bertha armyworms and… Read More
Not skilled in long-division but need to know how much crop you’re losing out the back of your combine? Smartphones may not collect or count lost seeds (yet), but their built-in calculator provides pretty great help with field-math. And, with an upcoming app, the process of determining harvest loss while mobile will become a whole… Read More
If there’s one topic farmers can’t get enough of this month, it’s rail movement. Eclipsing even crop prices, logistics and rail movement was the topic of discussion from breakfast to late-night beverages at FarmTech ’14 last week. RealAgriculture’s editor, Lyndsey Smith, sat down with Gordon Bacon, CEO of Pulse Canada, to talk about the three… Read More
Are narrower rows the way forward in the quest to achieve higher yields and maximize soil productivity? Possibly. Increased seedbed utilization as it relates to root growth and fertilizer distribution can play a significant role in crop development and may even increase yields. The key is in the decreased plant density — more plants per… Read More
If you’re decided on rates and types of inputs, which do you skip or scale back on if margins become tight? Fungicide? Seed? Fertilizer? Should you cut back at all? The concept of intensively managing corn is widely accepted and researched, but not so with soybeans, so Dr. Dave Hooker and colleagues set out to… Read More
If there’s one thing farmers are focused on during the spray season, it’s efficiency. A spray operation must accomplish its goal of getting the right product on, but time is of the utmost importance, especially during the hectic early season or when, say, conditions for disease progression are ideal. Learn more: What’s an inversion? Tom… Read More
If there’s one crop that’s been generating buzz this month, it’s oats, followed closely by flax. A plugged supply chain for our export markets has several farmers exploring other viable crop options for the 2014 growing seasons. Hot on the heels of this, the federal government recently announced funding for the oat market to re-build… Read More
While each and every wonder of the corn plant reaching maximum yields hinges on the weather, there are several other factors that have a measurable impact on yield. At the recent FarmSmart conference at Guelph, Ont., Bernard Tobin spoke with Dr. Fred Below, from the Universtiy of Illinois, to discuss the seven wonders of 300… Read More
Where is US ag policy headed? I guess that’s the question of the day….or more accurately, that’s the question that’s been asked since 2010. Where is US ag policy headed? We’ve had some bi-polar insights into that direction with initiatives like MCOOL, which, from what we’ve seen and heard, do not have majority industry support… Read More
Maintaining good relationships should be a priority in any succession plan, but sometimes it’s hard to get past the financial and legal jargon associated with the process. For both reasons, a farm business should consider appointing a third party to mediate discussions. And, in the meantime, it doesn’t hurt to learn about some of your… Read More