“I am the greatest botanist on this planet,” declares Matt Damon’s character in 20th Century Fox’s new blockbuster “The Martian.” Astronaut Mark Watney (played by Damon) is stranded on Mars, able to survive by growing potatoes for food. Several Earth-bound scientists who are members of the Crop Science Society of America shared their thoughts on the portrayal… Read More
Category: Soil
We’re into the thick of the corn growing season, where you finally get to start seeing the real result of all the hard work that’s gone into this crop before now. The 2015 season has been a trying one for many Ontario growers as a great planting season gave way to too little, then too… Read More
Tile drainage in North America has traditionally been installed with a single-leg plow that rips a vertical groove in the soil as it lays the pipe in the ground. Depending on soil type and moisture conditions, the single-shank will disturb the soil and leave a rut or soft spot that can take years to settle. A water management company… Read More
Phosphorus deficiency is a common problem with corn planted into a rotation following canola. In its early stages, corn relies on mycorrhizae to help with the majority of phosphorus uptake. The trouble with corn following canola is that canola and other crucifer plants are not hosts for micorrhizae, so the beneficial fungi populations must be re-established…. Read More
Soybeans are serious consumers of phosphorus, so it seems logical that supplying P fertilizer would be important for maximizing soybean yields, right? That’s wrong, at least in the short-term, according to research results in southern Manitoba. Researchers from the University of Manitoba and Manitoba Agriculture are comparing how soybeans respond to three rates of P2O5 fertilizer (20,… Read More
Not all wheat varieties are created equally when it comes to the amount of phosphorus they remove from the soil. Some varieties are efficient, while others are phosphorus hogs, explains Jay Goos, soil scientist at North Dakota State University, in this instalment of the Wheat School. So why does this matter? “The reasons I’m concerned about… Read More
Five Canadian universities are receiving $1.4 million in grants from the Canadian Space Agency to analyze soil moisture information collected by NASA’s Soil and Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) satellite. The funding for Université de Sherbrooke, the University of Guelph, the University of Manitoba, the University of Toronto, and l’Institut national de la recherche scientifique was announced… Read More
Preliminary research conducted in southern Manitoba is casting some doubt on the common belief that dark, tilled soil is best for planting soybeans in northern growing regions. Greg Bartley, a graduate student working together with Dr. Yvonne Lawley at the University of Manitoba, is in his second year of comparing how soybeans respond when planted into different… Read More
There’s potential for much more composting in North American farming, say researchers at the University of Manitoba. “Turning waste into gold” was the theme for the annual field day at the U of M’s Glenlea Research Farm last week. Mario Tenuta, soil ecologist at the University of Manitoba, describes the value of farm-scale composting of manure,… Read More
It’s generally agreed that most of the earthworm species native to Canada were actually wiped out during the glacial period. Since then, new species have been introduced to the country, with at least 14 non-native species now tunneling their way through Alberta’s soils alone. To most of us, earthworms are an indicator of good (or… Read More
What a storm that was on Monday night! An incredible light show, tornado warnings, wind and so much rain made for a rather raucous start to the week. Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt, but cut hay and cash crops in the area didn’t need yet another deluge. Excess water is where we’ll start with… Read More
Some of the most useful tools on the farm are also those with the lowest number of wires. While sophisticated soil mapping tools and software exist, the lowly soil probe still has a significant role to play on the farm. In this video, Bernard Tobin heads down to Ridgetown, Ontario, to tour a few fields… Read More
Do you know your four Rs of fertility management? The 4Rs mean using the right fertilizer source, at the right rate for your soil and crop, making sure the nutrient is available in the right form at the right time. If you haven’t ever heard of the 4R initiative, welcome to a new focus for… Read More
The soil beneath our feet is teeming with organisms, each with an incredibly important role in the pedosphere. Among the organisms is a group commonly referred to as earthworms (from the phylum Annelida). (video on earthworm scouting is at the end of this post) Invaders Though a few species are said to remain from the last… Read More
Poor emergence or damping off of young soybean plants can be a sign of a seedling disease or root rot problem, especially following cool, wet weather as experienced in much of the soybean growing part of Western Canada this spring. As Holly Derksen, plant pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture, explains in this Soybean School West episode, there are… Read More