After blasting past the one million acre mark in 2013, many farmers in Manitoba wonder how high soybean acres can go in the province. And it’s no wonder — this long-season crop has steadily been picking up acres as average yields tick close to the 40 bushel an acre mark with strong prices. If you… Read More
Category: Crop Production
In 2012, the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program supported the Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association in the development of apps designed for prairie farmers. Those apps are very near completion, and in our first discussion with Tom Wolf, spray application specialist, we spoke of one that will help producers determine the spray quality of various nozzles, an obviously important… Read More
There are some factors that influence soybean yield far more than others, for example a healthy crop rotation is going to do far more to help the crop reach full potential than any amount of tillage. In this Soybean School episode, Horst Bohner, soybean specialist with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, recaps the top four… Read More
By Jim Hale, grain farmer, Lancer, Saskatchewan. Find him on Twitter as @FarmerJim79 and at his blog, What I know (And What I Don’t): http://cjkfarm.wordpress.com/. This post originally appeared there. After tweeting about how the grain terminal that I have my flax contracted with was having rail car logistical issue (that happen to work in… Read More
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was on hand at Brandon’s Ag Days yesterday to announce more than $3.7 million in funding awarded to projects spearheaded by the Prairie Oat Growers Association (POGA). The funding is targeted at varietal development and to help oat producers sell more of their crop in the global marketplace. POGA will… Read More
If your farm is one soil type from end to end, you can feel free to skip this post. Of course, unless your farm is only 20 feet square, it likely contains several soil types and textures overall and in each field. The concept of managing each soil type or resulting management zone is not… Read More
The only data that’s useful is data you can…well…use. On the farm, that means data that can translate into a decision, without the use of an interpreter, quickly and efficiently. Many companies currently offer all kinds of data collection services for your operation. The real question is, how will that impact what you do tomorrow?… Read More
The numbers for the 2013 Ontario winter wheat crop are in. This year growers averaged 80.6 bu/ac of winter wheat. Not too shabby, however, according to Peter Johnson, Cereal Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, what may be coming down the pipe for the 2014 crop is even better. How much better? The trend… Read More
In part one of our top 10 list of corn production tips, Greg Stewart, Corn Specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture & Food presented us with a 1-5 list that was fairly data-driven. This time around, with the exception of number 6, the list revolves more around exploring ideas and concepts on your farm…. Read More
The Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association received $91, 205.00 from the Canadian Agricultural Adaptation Program in early 2012 to build agricultural apps designed for Canada’s prairie farmers. The results of this project are now being announced, with apps very near completion. This project will produce five agricultural apps for smartphones and tablets that will give producers… Read More
Following the discovery of a BSE-infected cow in the Canadian cow herd in 2003, cattle producers saw a 30% to sometimes more than 50% drop in prices. What’s more, the slammed-shut U.S. border impacted cattle flow south for years. In over a decade since the BSE crisis, the Canadian cattle industry hasn’t so much “recovered”… Read More
What’s the best call for adding potash? How much bang for your buck do you get from seed-placed blends? Are protected N sources worth the cost? Greg Stewart, corn specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food, recently presented the top 10 corn production tips from 10 years of research and monitoring, and some… Read More
Quite simply, agricultural spray adjuvants are chemicals added to a herbicide to improve its effectiveness. This is done by improving retention, deposition and/or absorption of the chemical. In the United States, adjuvants are largely unregulated. In Canada, adjuvants are regulated by the Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA). This means that adjuvants must be proven to… Read More
These are exciting times for farmers, as new cereal commissions, associations and industry groups crop up (sorry) offer farmers the chance to forge the path ahead for the wheat and barley industry’s market development. Alberta was the first province to set up a development commission following the dismantling of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly powers… Read More
If you’ve got a GPS-equipped yield monitor in your combine, I have good news. You’re already well on your way to developing a practical precision farming plan for your farm. Well of course I am, you say. But, if we’re all being very honest here, what do you actually do with that yield map beyond… Read More