How could a changing climate impact weed control? Will some weeds prosper? Will the herbicides farmers have in their management toolbox be more or less effective as conditions change? Cornell Cooperative Extension agriculture educator Sharon Bachman tackled these and other questions when she spoke to CCAs attending the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors meeting in London,… Read More
Category: Ontario Certified Crop Advisors
Farmers need to rethink how they apply crop protection products and there’s plenty of novel weed control technology to address cost, labour and environmental stewardship challenges, says Cornell AgriTech weed scientist Dr. Lynn Sosnoskie. At the Ontario Certified Crop Advisor annual meeting in January, Sosnoskie described a whirlwind of technology ranging from electrification and robot… Read More
There’s growing evidence that cover crops have the ability to support “sustainably intensified” agriculture. That’s the verdict from Purdue University associate agronomy professor Dr. Shalamar Armstrong. He makes a strong case to support the claim that cover crops have the ability to help agriculture produce more crops per acre while also preserving natural resources, including… Read More
The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness (OMAFA) is getting ready to update its soil management recommendations for farmers in the province. That job will be in the hands of the Ontario Soil Management Committee (OSMC), a group that’s been around since the late 1980s, and has acted as a gatekeeper of guidelines published… Read More
When he started soil sampling fields in Walkerton, Ont., during high school, a career in agronomy wasn’t on the radar for Jonathan Zettler. But after working with agronomists and farm retail staff it didn’t take long for him take a shine to the idea of working with crops and calling the field his office. Fast… Read More
Without new demand for corn and soybeans, producers are facing a sideways market plateau that could last 10 years. Over the next decade, corn could be anchored in a $4.30 to $4.40 trading range and soybeans could be stuck in the same mud at $10.30 to $10.40, says University of Illinois farm management professor Gary… Read More
More than 220 certified crop advisors gathered this week at the annual Ontario Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) meeting in London, Ont. That’s one third of the province’s 660 CCAs, a number that’s remained stable since 2019 with a few additions every year, says Ontario CCA executive director Susan Fitzgerald. In this interview with RealAgriculture’s Bernard… Read More
The number of Ontario certified crop advisors (CCA) continues to swell as the provincial organization reports that its membership now boasts 669 agronomists who carry the designation. Ontario Certified Crop Advisor Association chair Aaron Breimer says one of the keys to the growth of CCA ranks is the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders — from… Read More
Winter is a great time to recalibrate your approach to managing wheat diseases and applying fungicides. That’s the message Penn State University plant pathologist Alyssa Collins shared with agronomists attending the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors annual meeting earlier this month. It’s a dormant period for humans and also for fungi and plants, says Collins. “So… Read More
Ahh, the wonders of healthy soil. From water-holding capacity, pest and disease regulation, to nutrient cycling and physical stability, a robust and resilient soil gives farmers a huge advantage in crop production. But what makes a healthy soil? How can we measure its fitness and whether it’s in top farming shape? That’s a question soil… Read More