Winter durum wheat isn’t grown in Western Canada, but the possible benefits have breeders working on developing it. As Jamie Larsen with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in Lethbridge discusses in this Wheat School episode, winter durum could perform well during dry years, and face reduced fusarium head blight (FHB) risk compared with spring durum. “We are… Read more »
Category: Video
Soybean School: Preventing those yellow patches next year
Most of the yellow patches in soybean fields in Western Canada and the northern U.S. have disappeared as the plants have recovered, or turned necrotic and died, but one of the big questions heading into harvest is: what toll did widespread issues with iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) earlier in the season take on yields? The… Read more »
Knowing your variety helps avoid ‘gnarly barley’
Cereal variety trials typically give researchers great insight into yield, disease tolerance, standability and a host of management considerations to help growers pick the right variety for their fields. In this year’s Ontario Spring Cereal Performance Trials, researchers are also getting a good look at the impact herbicide choices can have on cereals. In this… Read more »
Canola School: Weather aids arrival of diamondback moths
Numbers of diamondback moths have increased in Western Canada over the past couple of weeks, in part due to the dry weather and strong winds. In some areas where the canola is still in late bloom, they are causing a fair amount of damage. Héctor Cárcamo, entomologist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, says the key to… Read more »
Pulse School: Avoiding bleaching in peas
With pea and lentil harvest underway, the question on the forefront of many growers’ minds — what is the quality of my crop that’s coming off? We think about what sort of season and conditions the crop has gone through, and while sometimes you are prepared for the sample you’re looking at, sometimes you aren’t…. Read more »
ATV safety — do you wear a helmet on the farm?
When people go trail riding or use their ATV for recreational use, wearing a helmet is something that most don’t blink an eye to. They do it with no questions asked. So why is it when we use them around the farm, we hop on the quad at the same speeds, helmet-less, without thinking twice?… Read more »
Pulse School: CGC urges growers to submit harvest samples
When marketing your peas, lentils, or any other crop, it can be helpful to have a third-party assessment showing the grade, protein content and other attributes of what you’re selling. Every year the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC) looks for samples from farmers from across Canada as a part of its Harvest Sample Program. The program, which… Read more »
Canola School: Comparing vacuum planter and air seeder results
The ability to precisely place individual seeds in a row, as with corn or soybeans, has led some canola growers to switch from air seeders to vacuum planters. Trials in southern Alberta support the hypothesis that better seed-to-soil contact from using a planter results in improved germination and emergence, says Mike Gretzinger, research manager for… Read more »
Wheat School: Stripe rust here to stay, but help is on the way
Stripe rust was back in Ontario wheat fields again in 2017. This year the presence of the disease was first confirmed in Essex County by AGRIS Co-operative. This marks the second consecutive year the disease has devastated farm fields in the province. But help is on the way. In this edition of RealAgriculture Wheat School,… Read more »
Wheat School: Putting a value on the “unpaid army”
Beneficial insects provide free labour in the field, preying on insect pests, but what is that labour worth? Because we don’t know the economic value of most of these insects, they don’t necessarily get factored into the decision to go ahead with spraying an insecticide. Finding economic values for the work these beneficial bugs are… Read more »
Canola School: Considerations for straight cutting as acres surge
“15 to 20 years ago it made me nervous to drive past a canola field waiting to be straight cut. But now…our genetics have improved, our ability to handle that crop, and the size of our combines and ability to handle that crop and harvest it in a timely fashion has gotten much better.” This… Read more »
Tool makes harvest loss management simple
As a farmer, you take care of our crops all year, pouring thousands of dollars into making sure the final product is up to the standards you expected. So why would you let all that time and money spent go down the drain when you lose a good portion of your crop to harvest loss?… Read more »
What maltsters are looking for in your malt barley
As harvest begins, the goal is always to get the crop off in the condition that maximizes its value to buyers. In the case of malt barley, there’s a list of specs that maltsters are looking at, starting with protein level and kernel plumpness, explains Kevin Sich, supply chain director for Rahr Malting at Alix,… Read more »
Canola School: Looking at drift in a different way
When we think of sprayer drift, we usually associate it with wind, but there are other environmental factors that influence where droplets end up. Tom Wolf, spray specialist with Agrimetrix and Sprayers101.com, takes a fun twist on learning more about spray drift in this Canola School video, using…a bubble machine. “The bubbles fly just like… Read more »
When you want to cut the grass (or crop residue) in a hurry…
At 42 feet wide, Schulte Industries has made a tool for anybody who wants to mow acres in a hurry. (It might require removing some trees, but just think about how fast you could mow the yard.) The Englefield, Saskatchewan-based manufacturer says its FX-742 mower is the largest rotary cutter built in the world. As… Read more »