Canola acreage has shot up over the past couple of years and with the price right now it can be one of the most profitable crops on the farm. The research that goes into canola is phenomenal and has allowed yield averages to soar in the last few years. But there are still some myths… Read More
Category: Crop Production
The US drought is causing much concern for farmers and the impending impact on food prices in the next 12 months. It can be difficult to sometimes get a handle on how bad this year is in comparison. Its always easy to say, “this is bad but nothing like 88 or 34.” Sometimes a graphic… Read More
The Ontario corn crop was really off to the races. There was optimal planting dates, early timely rains and the crop looked fantastic. And then KABOOM!!!!! The Ontario corn crop is now subject to some of the same stresses as its US counterpart. Dry hot weather has really impacted the Ontario corn crop moving the… Read More
The US drought is capturing the attention of many people. One of the groups that is majorly impacted by the drought but has been lost in this meteorological drama is the beef industry. The US drought is playing a major role in the decision making of some beef producers and feedyards heading into the fall… Read More
It’s not over till it’s over. That’s the truth behind getting out to scout your canola. Until that crop is off the field and in the bin, you need to be out looking for potential pest problems. Even though canola has an incredible ability to recover, late season pests can still do some damage to… Read More
This long and drawn out stretch of hot and dry weather in Ontario has sucked the potential out of a number of crops. High temperatures and no rain have put the brakes on some great looking early planted crops. For crops that manage to hang on through the stresses of a hot and dry July… Read More
Controlling glyphosate resistant weeds is a challenge. It’s a challenge that can be strewn with complications as well. Timing is a key factor in the control of glyphosate resistant weeds and if that timing is thrown off by any number of factors, a complicated situation can lead to a herbicide injury situation. That’s precisely the… Read More
With the current drought devastating the US corn crop, some seed companies are already concerned about seed supplies in 2013. At the Canadian Seed Trade Association annual meeting this week two seed companies mentioned to me that a bad scenario is possible for supplies this coming winter. A chain of events has led us to… Read More
Western Canadian Farmers will have more choices open to them in the cereal crop arena thanks to an agreement (see press release) between French based Group Limagrain and Western Canadian based Canterra Seeds. The partnership strengthens the already strong breeding programs of both companies providing farmers across the West with access to new and advanced… Read More
With recent dry conditions slowly sapping the potential from the Ontario corn crop, producers want to protect their corn in any way they can. Leaf disease on top of heat stress can add insult to injury taking even more of your yield potential. A well timed fungicide application, when it makes good economic sense, can… Read More
Today a twitter friend of mine, Brian Scott was featured on CNN. CNN visited his Indiana farm to have a closer look at the corn crop and the impact that the drought will have on farm incomes and food prices for consumers. There is definitely some ugly looking corn in this footage. If you cannot… Read More
With the recent very dry conditions, the Ontario corn crop has quickly moved from one of very high expectations to begging for water. This week while I was at the Canadian Seed Trade Meeting (CSTA) in Charlottetown many of the seed companies relayed the message to me that the majority of the province needs rain badly in the next… Read More
For producers living in areas with a less-than-stable climate, trying to get in to the field to spray can often mean going out before the sun comes up or after the sun goes down. With current GPS technology, spraying in the dark is one option producers can now utilize more effectively than in the past…. Read More
The fortunes of a new wheat variety rise or fall depending on their end use characteristics. The food industry in particular needs varieties that exhibit certain traits during processing. If they don’t meet those specific needs in a commercial area like milling or baking, they simply can’t be used. SEE MORE EPISODES OF THE WHEAT… Read More
When someone mentions precision agriculture, what do you think of? Do you think of autosteer, GPS, variable rate technology or prescription mapping? The truth is that all of those things and more are involved in what we currently term “precision agriculture.” In fact, much of the technology that we associate with precision agriculture is so… Read More