Ontario farmers have been strip tilling for almost two decades, but the soil conservation tillage method appears to be gathering momentum across the province. Ian McDonald, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs crop innovation specialist, says part of the attraction of strip till is its ability to capture the benefits of both conventional… Read More
Kinze is rolling out a new configuration of its 36-row, 20-inch planter for spring 2020. The Iowa-based manufacturer has added a string of technological advancements to its 4700 planter, which it unveiled at the recent Farm Progress Show at Decatur, Illinois. In this video, Eric Broadbent, Kinze’s North American sales director, explains that the new… Read More
Curious, enthusiastic and sceptical farmers welcomed Dot Technology Corp (Dot) to eastern Canada this week as the company rolled out an autonomous row crop planter prototype at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. Dot has been a Western Canada phenomenon as Norbert Beaujot, founder of Saskatchewan-based SeedMaster Manufacturing and Dot Technology Corp, has quickly created a buzz… Read More
It’s an adage familiar to growers across the country, and one Bayer Canada has brought to life with its Roundup Ready® Xtend crop system. Combining the high yield potential of Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® soybeans with a built-in tolerance to both glyphosate and dicamba chemistries, the system provides your soybean crop a head start against… Read More
What are those black spots on the corn stalks? And if I’ve got to choose between two types of fertilizer — how do I know which is worth it? This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word is full to the brim with questions and answers (just like host Peter Johnson likes!). You’ll hear about yield averages rolling… Read More
Case IH is expanding its 2000 series Early Riser planter for the 2020 model year. Two new 60-foot, 15- and 30-inch configurations of the planter will deliver more speed, technology and capacity, says Case IH planter marketing manager Tony McClelland. The new 2160 large front-fold model was unveiled last week at the Farm Progress Show… Read More
Farmers are watching the 14-day forecast like hawks in both Western Canada and Ontario, as cool conditions have slowed down crop development. Cereals in the west need time to mature, and the Ontario corn crop is weeks and weeks away from mature. Even with harvest underway, some are thinking about next year….because the winter wheat… Read More
August rains make soybeans — it’s more than just a cliche, it’s a crop management fact that rings true whenever timely moisture finds soybean fields during a pivotal growing month for the oilseed crop. On the episode of the RealAgriculture Soybean School, AGRIS Co-operative senior agronomist Dale Cowan tells us why and how August rains… Read More
Touring corn and soybean fields in late August is traditionally a great way to get a good handle on total yield potential. But in a year with challenging planting conditions for most of the North American corn growing regions, even a tour this late in the summer carries a healthy does of uncertainty given just… Read More
Grasshoppers have proven to love Manitoba soybeans this season, and producers are starting to get anxious. With harvest approaching, it’s important to know the difference between grasshoppers that are pests and which ones aren’t, and to keep an eye on the pre-harvest intervals on products if a grower decides it’s economical to spray. As John… Read More
Across Ontario, a growing percentage of soil tests are testing lower for nutrients. It’s a trend growers need to be aware of, and there’s a role for wheat to play in addressing the decline. Jack Legg, SGS Agri-Food Laboratories agronomist based at Guelph, says his lab and the International Plant Nutrition Institute, which conducts sampling… Read More
Will 2019 be a soybean aphid year? With a short, late-developing crop that lacks a dense canopy, growers will have to be on the look out for the minuscule, light green, pear-shaped pests, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs entomologist Tracey Baute. With smaller plants, it doesn’t take as many aphids to… Read More
Soybean growers looking for cover crops that can deliver soil health benefits and weed suppression without a yield hit may want to consider planting into cereal rye. Based on Ontario testing conducted in 2017 and 2018, planting soybeans into standing rye doesn’t hurt your soybean yields, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs… Read More
Is 2019 the year of the weird? Maybe, says host Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson in this episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. From planting conditions, to strange looking plants, and on to excessive and strange insect and creepy crawlies — this growing season is nothing short of odd. Johnson tackles what’s going on with things like… Read More
Peter ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson is back for another edition of Wheat Pete’s Word, even if his voice is only running about 80%. It’s early July, and there’s so very much to cover in this week’s audio. From fusarium florets, to surprisingly weedy corn fields, and on to rolling corn cobs, and covering unseeded acres, host… Read More