Category: The Agronomists

Being an agronomist means knowing about plants, diseases, soil, and insects, but it also requires the ability to navigate difficult conversations, earn trust, and drive change. The people part of the agronomy equation is the topic of this episode of The Agronomists. Here to talk about personality differences, clear communication, and patience with people is… Read More

One of the most powerful and inexpensive tools farmers have in the pest management toolbox is crop rotation. A well-planned rotation can add yield stability, more yield, decreased weed and insect pressure, and keep diseases in check. The question is, how do we know which crops should be in a rotation and what benefits we… Read More

Not all datasets are created equal. Without a check strip or variety to compare to, or if too complicated, or with too few replications, resulting trial numbers can be nearly meaningless when comparing one decision to another. Good data means that farmers and agronomists can choose a practice or change or hybrid with a level… Read More

There’s never a shortage of field work to be done in the fall, but fall conditions can sometimes be very unfavourable for tillage, manure, or fertilizer applications. To dig into considerations for fall field work, including compaction, nutrient losses, and cover crop success, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Curtis Cavers of AAFC, Glen Arnold… Read More

You can’t manage what you don’t measure, and if you’re not measuring grain loss out the back of the combine, you could be losing two, four and even 10 bushels an acre on the harvest pass. Recognizing that both header loss and combine loss contribute to lower yield and volunteer issues for the next season,… Read More

Determining sulphur application rates ahead of the crop can be complicated by several factors, including how much sulphur the environment will provide, if elemental forms of sulphur have been applied in the past, and how much rainfall is expected. Sulphur is an important macronutrient that’s also prone to leaching losses and not mobile in the… Read More

Sure, yield matters, but there’s more to making yield than just genetic potential, including disease resistance and adaptation. Choosing a soybean variety or canola hybrid requires balancing several demands based on a geographic area, yield potential, management options, and disease pressure. To navigate the decision, this episode of the Agronomists features Allison Bishop with BASF,… Read More

Can a higher seeding rate make up the yield difference for planting late? How important are fall tillers? Why does winter barley look dead in the spring? All these questions, and more, are top of mind when talking fall cereals. For this episode of The Agronomists, Dr. Brian Beres, with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and… Read More

Soil fertility is the powerhouse that drives crop yield — and this episode of The Agronomists is an absolute powerhouse of soil fertility knowledge in order to learn more about soil pH. When too high or too low, the pH of soil can create huge issues in nutrient availability, nitrogen fixing capability, and soil microbe… Read More

Strange colours, whip tail ends, and misshapen leaves can all point to one thing: a micronutrient deficiency. While not overly common, a micronutrient deficient area of a field usually goes from not good to very bad very quickly. To unpack what micronutrient trouble to expect, how to identify different issues, and how and when to… Read More