In 1840, J. Von Liebig, a German chemist described as the father of the fertilizer industry, stated that “the rate of growth of a plant, the size to which it grows, and its overall health depend on the amount of the scarcest of the essential nutrients that are available to it.” Since its inception in… Read More
Category: Crop Production
Sensors and data collection are being used to improve efficiency throughout agriculture, including in cotton production. John Deere showcased its Precision Cotton Harvesting Technology at Agritechnica 2017 on its massive CP690 cotton harvester. The CP690 offers non-stop cotton harvesting technology, and now collects 27 data points for every module of cotton, including on-the-go moisture measurements…. Read More
Ontario will set a new corn yield record in 2017 with the crop expected to hit an average of 180 bu/ac or better.Where is all that yield coming from?Corn physiologist Dr. Thijs Tollenaar has poured over the data and identified three key factors driving corn yield improvement.A long-time University of Guelph professor who recently worked… Read More
If you’ve happened to go outside in much of Canada the last couple of weeks, you’ll be well aware of the bone-chilling cold that gripped parts of the country over the holidays. For some, the cold halted plans, while others merely took more time to don more layers, or scheduled an urgent meeting with their… Read More
Monsanto plans to expand its Xtend herbicide tolerance package, which combines tolerance to dicamba and glyphosate, in the coming years, adding other herbicide-tolerance traits, and introducing it to new crops, including canola. Monsanto, subsidiary The Climate Corporation, and The BioAg Alliance — Monsanto’s collaboration with Novozymes — shared their annual innovation pipeline updates in conjunction… Read More
Construction has started on a large pea processing plant in central Manitoba that’s designed to process more than 100,000 tonnes per year starting in 2019.The new processing facility at Portage la Prairie will undoubtedly boost demand for peas on the eastern side of the prairies, however, there’s a big question that has yet to be answered:… Read More
Intercropping — the concept of growing multiple crops together (intentionally!) — can sound overwhelming, messy and complicated for many of us accustomed to growing one crop at a time. Which crops should be grown together? How do we separate them after harvest? Hang on, how do we harvest them? And seeding? How do you manage… Read More
Shares for Nutrien — the new company formed by the merger of Agrium Inc. and Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. — started trading in Toronto and New York this morning. After receiving final clearance from the United States’ Federal Trade Commission on December 27th, the deal to create the world’s largest crop nutrient provider, which also owns… Read More
Ask a typical Ontario grower how their soybeans yielded and you’ll likely hear a number around 47 bushels per acre. Most growers are perfectly fine with hitting this provincial average, but it’s nowhere near the yield potential of the crop. According to Syngenta agronomist Eric Richter, that ‘just enough’ mindset needs to change. “It’s time… Read More
Recent advances in the availability and quality of satellite imagery is providing powerful in-season management insights for corn growers.Many growers feel it’s no longer necessary to fly their own drone to capture aerial images of their fields. They can simply rely on a growing number of agronomic services to scout their crop using drone or… Read More