According to Michael Landsberg, when he first went to his family doctor about his depression the doctor said, in effect, “You’re ok, I see you on television.” Many people make the same mistake that the doctor did. That’s because you can’t diagnose mental illness with an Xray or a thermometer. Landsberg, a former sports broadcaster… Read More
It’s not the greatest news to start of the winter learning season — corn growers need to be on alert for a new leaf disease making its way towards Canada. Speaking at the Southwest Agricultural Conference, Martin Chilvers, field crop pathologist with Michigan State University, says tar spot has moved swiftly out of Indiana and… Read More
There is no mineral that provides nitrogen for plants. No rock, like there is for phosphate or sulphur. There is some nitrogen in the organic matter of soils but any additional nitrogen that a plant needs has to come out of the air. The good news is that about 78 percent of the air around… Read More
There are a lot of different strategies farmers can use to delay or manage for herbicide resistant weeds. Some are complex and some are expensive, but sometimes a simple thing like making sure the ground is covered can make a big difference. RealAgriculture’s Dale Leftwich recently had the chance to speak with Ian Epp, Canola… Read More
The 2018 Ontario soybean crop is one for the record books, but you never would have predicted that back in July when much of the crop was desperate for rain. Not only did the 2018 Ontario crop set a record yield average at 54 bu/ac, it smashed the previous record of 48.3 set in 2012… Read More
Those within agriculture are always looking for ways to communicate to those outside of agriculture just how many rewarding careers there are in the industry. University of Guelph students David Westerveld and Brendan McDougall are two such “non-farm kids” who are turning interests in veterinary medicine and technology into agriculture-related jobs. Selected as “future influencers”… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada (CCC) presented its slimmed-down budget and re-directed strategy to the Canadian canola value chain gathered for the Canola Industry Days December 5, 2018, at Saskatoon, Sask. CCC president Jim Everson took some time out of the conference to discuss what the new priorities will mean. “The board of directors really… Read More
There’s no understating just how significant the loss of Canadian pulse exports to India has been this past year. Carl Potts, executive director of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, says that the organization’s budget — directly funded through a value-based levy — fell short by nearly 40%. It shows just how dire the situation has been… Read More
The 2018 Ontario soybean harvest got off to a roaring start in early fall but quickly ground to a halt as poor weather parked combines. In early December, many growers are still struggling to bin their beans. The wet weather has left growers asking how they can manage higher moisture, wet soybeans. Management decisions are… Read More
There are a number of reasons why herbicides sometimes fail to control weeds. Perhaps surprisingly, one of the easier things to rule out is whether the weed is herbicide resistant. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed specialist Mike Cowbrough says many universities across Canada conduct testing for herbicide resistance, but growers have… Read More
Although Agribition has come and gone, there’s still much talk around town about Jim Reeves, the the Texas longhorn steer that graced the show for the first time in 2018. Owner Kris Johnson says about the longhorns: “They’re a very very docile breed, which is what’s so special about Jim Reeves, he’s a big massive… Read More
It’s nice to have all the bells and whistles on new equipment, and you have to keep up-to-date on new ideas or you’ll get left behind. It’s is also important to listen to your customers and realize that sometimes it is hard to manipulate bells and whistles when you have to wear thick gloves to… Read More
Farmers need seed to grow crops. It’s just that simple. This is why public institutions have played such an important role in plant breeding over the years. But, just as new varieties are needed when environmental conditions change, new funding models for plant breeders are needed when economic conditions change. Kofi Agblor knows all to… Read More
A hot, dry early summer encouraged some rarely seen insects to set up shop in corn fields in 2018. Steph Kowalski, agronomy lead for the Agromart Group in eastern Canada, admits she was surprised by the number of reports of thrips in corn crops in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces this year. Thrips are generally… Read More
A year in to a trying time for pulse movement into India, and there are some reports of a slight uptick in Canadian tonnage moving in to the country. It’s not that the tariff or fumigation situation is resolved — instead, reports of dry local conditions could be putting a damper on domestic production. Regardless… Read More