It was only a matter of time before clubroot infection or viable clubroot spores were found in Manitoba soil, still it’s not welcome news. Manitoba’s provincial ag department released this press release today, underscoring the importance of spread prevention (Click here for a Canola School on the topic): Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives… Read More
Category: Crop Production
The transition from the closed to open wheat and barley market has gone very smoothly, of that most will agree. Sales have gone through, prices have been strong and the hiccups have been relatively minor. Earlier this week, several market analysts, grain buyers and farmers converged on downtown Winnipeg for Wild Oats Grainworld, a conference… Read More
As average corn yields are pushed higher and higher, some companies view the traditional row crop corn header as approaching maximum capacity. Geringhoff, a specialized corn header company, has unveiled a new type of corn header that combines aspects of both the row crop type and the solid-seeded type best suited for corn silage. The… Read More
Ah, early spring — the days are getting longer, the snow is starting to melt ever so slightly, and farmers are dusting off the machinery in hopes of an early seeding season. While many are fine-tuning their crop rotations and acreage counts, the savvy farmer is also pouring over seed test results and using the… Read More
It’s one thing to know that you should be scouting for blackleg, sclerotinia, sulphur deficiency and cutworms, for example. It’s another thing entirely to actually scout every field for every pest at the optimal timing during the hectic growing season. What if there was a way to practice insect, disease and nutrient deficiency identification when… Read More
Everyone loves a good challenge. The Grain Farmers of Ontario 2012 spring wheat challenge recently awarded top prize to Del Cressman, from Listowel, Ont., for his 112 bu/ac average crop. Breaking and surpassing 100 bushels per acre while maintaining protein doesn’t happen by chance, of course. In this video, Cressman outlines the management factors and… Read More
Is there such thing as a perfect farm? If so, what does it look like? Is it a fixed size? Is it highly specialized, or incredibly diverse? The perfect farm is a concept that Gary Martens, instructor with the department of plant science at the University of Manitoba, brought up to me some time ago… Read More
Demands and expectations are very high on seeders and planters. Seed must be delivered quickly and gently, then metered accurately and placed precisely in the furrow, regardless of conditions. The planter then has to close up the furrow, pack it down and carry on, all the while adjusting for terrain and trash at over five… Read More
There is a proverb that says “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Never is this more true than at the field level, nestled deep in the crop canopy, where beneficial insects are hard at work killing and eating crop pests. The tricky part, however, is that these beneficial insects can look a whole… Read More
While Australia and Canada have much in common in regards to farming, the two countries’ growing seasons are also drastically different in many ways. One major similarity is farmers’ love of a good head-to-head equipment comparison, and what better to compare than seeder set-ups. That’s exactly what ABC News’ Landline program covered in a recent… Read More
I heard recently that only an estimated 20% of the fields across the Canadian Prairies are soil sampled. This is a surprisingly low number to me, as soil testing is the base on which many components of a farm plan for the year are built. What’s worse is that of the 20% of fields sampled,… Read More
Soybeans are the hot topic of 2013. From Manitoba to Alberta, farmers are curious about growing the crop or are planning to expand acres in a big way this year. While the crop isn’t brand new for Manitoba, the projected 1 million acre mark for 2013 is not going to be reached by only seasoned… Read More
Many factors converge in determining the final yield tally of the soybean crop each year, but choosing the highest yielding variety for your area is a good place to start. How do you know which is the highest yielding? Well, on-farm performance is a good indication, but it pays to compare what else is available…. Read More
Farmers growing glyphosate-tolerant soybeans now have a new herbicide option in BASF Canada’s Optill product. Optill is a pre-plant soybean herbicide that offers a fast burn-down and residual weed control of grassy and broadleaf weeds. Pre-registration trial results for Optill showed a yield increase of two to three bushels per acre compared to using glyphosate… Read More
Investing in a sectional control option on a new seeder isn’t an inexpensive proposition, however, you may change your perception of the true cost once you see just how much it can save you. Chris Morson, with Seed Hawk, took Shaun Haney on a tour of Seed Hawk’s software program that incorporates Google Earth images… Read More