It’s hard to believe we’re already at wheat harvest, but it’s time to get the combine set up! And take a look at those fields! Producers across the province are finding disease, insects and nutrient deficiencies, and it’s all in this week’s Word, with Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture. Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call… Read More
Search Results for: spray tips
Round one of fungicide application is done, but it’s starting to wear off and conditions are still conducive for disease. Knowing what your peas and/or lentils are worth this year, do you take the sprayer out or hire a plane for a second fungicide application? It’s a scenario growers in parts of Western Canada are finding… Read More
After a long winter of farm shows, conferences and trade shows it made a lot of sense to hop back on an airplane and take the family on a vacation. It wouldn’t surprise many of you that I have a few Aeroplan points to use up. Free flights!!! In today’s world of busy, taking time… Read More
As drones have gained mainstream popularity over the last year or two, they’ve become easier to fly, cheaper and safer than ever before, making them more practical and obtainable for use in agriculture. “The technology is so refined, a lot of producers now are starting to see the benefits,” says UAV specialist and pilot Chad Colby of Colby… Read More
A special(?) holiday edition of TWORA: ‘Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the land RealAggies (or Agros?) were thinking about the year we’ve had Not our regular podcast this week, not the same TWORA, We’re looking back on 15 — officially, the year of our soil So as the stockings are hung by… Read More
Harvest is in full swing in Ontario, high-moisture silage pits are seeping (you need to act on this!), winter wheat planting is underway, weakling cover crops may be stronger than you think, and big thanks for your valuable feedback! All that and more in this week‘s episode of Wheat Pete’s Word. The Highlights For the most part,… Read More
By now you’ve watched our video on determining when to desiccate faba beans, and perhaps you’re gearing up to go ahead. Now the all-important next question: what to spray? Well, according to Robyne Bowness, pulse research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, there are currently only two options for drying-down faba beans: diquat (a desiccant) and glyphosate (a… Read More
We should know better than to be surprised by the weather, but wow, some areas of the province have gone from too dry to rain, rain, rain. In some areas, reports of up to six inches of rain is causing ponding, flooding, and is delaying first planting, let alone replanting. And so, we can think… Read More
This week, I had the distinct pleasure of joining a small group of range enthusiasts for a ranch tour in central Alberta. I wasn’t sure what to expect, besides a scorching sun and gale-force winds. But the afternoon ended up being so much more than an excuse to step away from my laptop. It was the… Read More
Nobody wants to be stuck with a crop that suddenly has no market, especially when it’s due to avoidable circumstances. While Canada’s regulatory process and international trade policies are designed to prevent situations where residues from pesticides and other tools used to grow crops become trade obstacles, each farmer must still carry out their own due diligence…. Read More
The persistent buzz and tickle of tiny feet on my face early this morning as the sun rose reminded me that fly season has reached our part of the country once again. Hopefully, most of you will have started your fly management activities months ago, but for those a little slow off the bat, or… Read More
Palmer amaranth could be the next glyphosate resistance weed problem for Ontario farmers. University of Arkansas weed scientist Jason Norsworthy calls it “pigweed on steroids.” Norsworthy, who first saw glyphosate-resistant palmer amaranth in Arkansas in 2006, says the weed can grow two to three inches a day after it reaches four inches tall. “You can… Read More
It’s mid-July and that means the canola is blooming! It also means you’re trying to sneak in some down-time at the local fair or at the cabin. And that’s a fantastic plan, says Angela Brackenreed, agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada, but before you go, there are a few things to scout for in… Read More
There seems to be a stigma around exercise in many rural communities: if you’re working hard, you won’t need to run (making those who do actually appear lazy). Perhaps it’s a belief stemming from our ancestry. Farmers worked the land on the end of a rough plough, threshed and stooked with little help from machines… Read More
It seems whenever a new disease or pest rears its head, the old wives tales and myths follow closely on its heels. Take, for example, the advent of clubroot being found in Alberta about 10 years ago. Never fear, said many in the more eastern parts of the prairies, our high pH western Canadian soils… Read More