It’s time to talk fusarium control — by zeroing in on an upright, narrow target. Achieving excellent coverage of a wheat head is a huge challenge, so to talk about better control and spray technology, this episode of the Agronomists brings together Dr. Dave Hooker, with the University of Guelph-Ridgetown, and Dr. Tom Wolf of… Read More
Category: The Agronomists
Tonight’s episode of The Agronomists is dedicated to those rotten… you guessed it… root rots. Identification, rotation impacts, scouting tips, and likely culprits for canola, corn, and soybeans — host Lyndsey Smith covers it all. Joining her is Clint Jurke, of the Canola Council of Canada, and Alison Robertson, of Iowa State University. This episode… Read More
When it comes to soybean fertility, there are many different pieces of the puzzle we could look at. Tonight’s episode of The Agronomists focuses particularly on P and K management. Do starter and pop-up fertilizers make a significant impact on soybean performance compared to just broadcasting the crops’ nutrient needs? When do we soil test… Read More
Early season weed control, tank mix tips, troublesome weeds, and a whole lot more are the focus on this episode of The Agronomists. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Mike Cowbrough of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Tammy Jones of Corteva Agriscience. This episode of the Agronomists is brought… Read More
Residue management, seeing rates, dates, other establishment factors in the early season, and a whole lot more are the focus on this episode of The Agronomists. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by certified wheat gurus Phil Needham of Needham Ag Technologies, and Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist. The focus for this episode is… Read More
Because biological crop products are neither fertilizer nor pesticide, there’s no requirement for efficacy proof before a product is released for commercial sales. So long as it doesn’t cause harm to the crop or pose an environmental risk, these biostimulants, stress supporters, and nutrient enhancers are largely sold on a buyer beware market. But that’s… Read More
There are several pest species of aphids that attack crops in Canada. Some species are very host-specific, such as the soybean aphid, but others can be found on several plant hosts. Aphids are known to be able to build numbers incredibly rapidly and so require careful scouting during the growing season. To unpack what we… Read More
Before we head into the field, there’s plenty of things to consider; however, once we do finally get out there (which, for many across Canada seems to be a ways away, yet), that planting pass is crucial. Tonight’s focus is on corn — and getting that crop established to the best of our abilities. What… Read More
Canola seeds are tiny but mighty. They can also be fraught with mighty problems — from high seed mortality, to early insect pressure, heat blast, disease struggles, and more. And yet, somehow this yellow crop overcomes all of that and delivers on yield. How can we set the crop up for success, despite the pressures?… Read More
There are two key messages from this episode of The Agronomists: avoiding compaction and minimizing topsoil movement is well worth the planning and effort, because the alternative results in significant yield loss and is expensive to fix. To dig in (!) to the topic, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by guests Dr. Jeff Schoenau, from… Read More
A Yield Enhancement Network (YEN) isn’t a yield contest, per se; instead it’s a field-scale learning experience for growers looking to take yield to the next level. In Ontario, the Great Lakes YEN is entering its third year, and has attracted more growers each year. Farmers who participate in the network also tend to sign… Read More
The end goal of using cover crops varies from farm to farm, but if using cover crops, there’s always one thing to consider: how and when to terminate the crop for maximum benefit and minimum headache. To tackle the topic of spring management and termination of cover crops, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Ontario… Read More
Nitrogen can’t have all the fun — sometimes we need to bring in the lesser-knowns of the NPKS party. For this episode of The Agronomists, we dive in to the world of sulphur: why crops need it, why farmers have to add it, and how to diagnose and correct a deficiency. Our experts are Colin… Read More
Canola has the toughest start of any crop in Western Canada, if only because it’s the preferred food of striped and crucifer flea beetles that lie in wait for the first sign of green each spring. Flea beetle pressure has become so heavy that seed treatments and a foliar spray can, at times, not be… Read More
If soybeans need a cozy warm seedbed to get rolling, tillage is a must, right? Well, no and no. Emerging research suggests that cool soil isn’t nearly the detriment to soybean growth once thought, which also means working an entire field for spring “warm up” isn’t required either. To dig in to managing residue ahead… Read More