It’s Monday, and you know what that means — we’re talking agronomics! Today, on the show: DIY precision ag, with Alberta farmer Brian Tischler; Determining nutrient needs, tips for soil sampling, crop trends and more, with Nutrien’s Dr. Cristie Preston; An update from Ontario Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) with executive director Susan Fitzgerald; Is there… Read More
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It’s Agronomy Monday on RealAg Radio today, as we hear from a number of speakers from the SouthWest Ag Conference held earlier this month at the University of Guelph’s Ridgetown campus. Shaun and Kelvin kick off the show catching up on Trump officially beginning the United States’ withdrawal from the TPP and the Liberals cabinet… Read More
Every wheat farmer has watched with glee as the number on their yield monitor jumps 20 to 50 bushels as the combine travels through the field. In this episode of Real Agriculture Wheat School, agronomist Phil Needham of Needham AG Technologies offers advice on how farmers can drill down through yield maps and soil tests… Read More
The Southwest Agricultural Conference marks the official kick-off of the winter conference season, and field editors Bernard Tobin and Lyndsey Smith were there to catch all the best and brightest agronomy minds at work. In RealAgriculture tradition, Bern and Lyndsey took a few minutes at the end of the show to talk about their favourite speakers,… Read More
For some growers, treating wheat seed is a no-brainer, while others still choose to forego a treatment and the input cost that comes with it. So how do you decide? With seeding ramping up for another spring, Pam de Rocquigny, cereal crop specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, joins us in the field… Read More
The ability to follow the contours of a field sets the Case 500 drill apart from its competitors, but while it cuts the soil well, this unit could do a better job closing the soil. That’s according to Phil Needham of Needham Ag Technologies, who assesses the pros and cons of the Case 500T drill… Read More
In this Wheat School episode, Phil Needham, of Needham Ag Technologies, shows how farmers can use a heavy duty rubber mat and some math calculations to calibrate a box drill. This procedure is really good for double disk drills because they do an excellent job of confining the seeds as they are delivered between two… Read More
When it comes to planting no-till wheat, Phil Needham, of Needham Ag Technologies, says farmers need to think first about the combine before rolling out the drill. “You can buy the best piece of seeding equipment on the market, but it’s only going to be as good as the residue management (in a no-till system)… Read More
The seed drill does its most precise job if running through uniform residue and soil. While there’s little you can do about soil variability, residue management is well within your power. As Peter Johnson says in this video, start your winter wheat planting pass from the combine by spreading residue uniformly. (Click here to see… Read More
Phil Needham’s main message for anyone aiming for maximum wheat yields is always to pay most attention to the actual seeding pass. The potential of any crop is established at seeding and emergence, and achieving maximum potential requires quality seed, high seeding rates and the all-important precise seed placement. Several types of drills will do… Read More
Larger discs sure do look menacing. They also require far more horsepower to pull, but they wear out more slowly than smaller-diameter discs. But there are two very important considerations when choosing planter disc size. The first is trash management (guess which one cuts through straw better? You may be surprised) and the second is… Read More
The concept of controlled traffic farming — that is, running all equipment on set paths in a field to reduce compaction — is one RealAgriculture.com has explored before. In this video, Steve Laroque discusses what he’s learned in the second year of adopting the practice. Alberta is most certainly the leader of the practice in… Read More
Uniform seeding at a consistent depth is the first step to a banner wheat crop, but the first mistake many farmers make — seeding too deep — hurts them twice over. Wheat seeded too deep means fewer plants emerge and those that do are slower to grow and produce fewer tillers. It’s an issue for… Read More
Shopping around for farm equipment can be a little daunting. Every manufacturer makes claims that their equipment is the best and the best fit for you. While you may have an idea what you want, the actual performance of that equipment can only be seen once you’re in the field. That can leave farmers with… Read More
With the supremely wet weather that has been significantly delaying corn and soybean. Another one of the impacts of this wet weather is the need to consider fungicides for your wheat crop. Wet conditions tend to bring on disease and that can dampen your yield expectations if not handled accordingly. Phil Needham is a leading… Read More