Clarence Swanton has worked for 16 years on a super cool project that takes about 40 minutes to explain properly, as he did at the recent Southwest Agricultural Conference. Perhaps more impactful, however, is the time-lapse video he showed whereby the mere presence of weedy surroundings actually killed a tobacco seedling. Perhaps this makes sense —… Read More
Search Results for: corn school
If your wheat stand looks more like a golf green than a cereal crop, should you still put down clover early in the spring? And why the push for longer season varieties? Yes, it’s time for Wheat Pete’s Word here at RealAgriculture, and Peter Johnson has a fact-ion (see what we did there?) packed podcast… Read More
Harvest is rocking and rolling for most corn and soybean growers in Ontario save for @WheatPete himself who took an equipment breakdown as a chance to get the Word done early this week. This week’s Wheat Pete’s Word covers a lot of ground, including the why behind high test weight corn, the nitrogen connection to high… Read More
With above average yields anticipated in Western Canada and the northern U.S., there will probably be some grain going into what we might call nontraditional or alternative storage facilities. Ken Hellevang is a grain storage and drying expert at North Dakota State University. “Grain must be dry and cool (near the average outdoor temperature) when placed in alternative storage… Read More
A beef research scientist at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lethbridge research facility was recognized with the 2016 Canadian Beef Industry Award for Outstanding Research and Innovation on Wednesday. Tim McAllister was honoured by his beef industry colleagues at the inaugural Canadian Beef Industry Conference in Calgary. “His ongoing impact on animal agriculture is monumental,” said… Read More
The complete picture will be painted over the next few weeks, but buyers are bracing themselves for variable quality in this year’s wheat crop in Western Canada. “The big challenge is the ongoing rainfall events,” notes Neil Townsend, market analyst with FarmLink Marketing Solutions, in the interview below. “Other quality factors, not just protein, but… Read More
Farmers are among the most innovative and adaptive people in the world. There are many examples of situations where farmers have noticed a benefit to using a new piece of technology or a different management practice and quickly adopted it, whether it’s the move to less tillage, the quick appearance of GPS monitors in tractor… Read More
Soil microbes require carbon to grow. And they’re not picky where that carbon comes from. To demonstrate microbial activity as it relates to soil health, Manitoba Agriculture soil management specialist Marla Riekman and some colleagues buried what she calls “an indicator material” in various locations this spring. Their material of choice: cotton, specifically the soft,… Read More
Excess water after heavy rains in parts of Western Canada is not only impairing plant growth through oxygen deficiency, but it’s also causing significant nitrogen losses. As John Heard, soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, explains in this video, N losses depend on soil type, with rain causing leaching in sandier soils and more denitrification… Read More
The grains complex pushed up to new highs this week due to two factors: money flow and South America. Here in North America, the percentage of fields planted is well ahead of its 5-year average. This week, soybeans came within a sliver of touching $11/bushel, wheat was pushed up due to quality concerns in the Southern Plains, while corn… Read More
Looking for an update on Ontario agriculture? Having issues with stripe rust, or fusarium? Wondering what this “flag test” is all about? Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture, returns to answer questions and share his agronomic insight in his weekly update — the Word. Skip to Podcast Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-888-746-3311, send him a… Read More
In March, Monsanto CEO Hugh Grant stated that his global seed and trait company was going to focus on research and development instead of a agri-business mega merger. Even if that was his intent, the talk of a possible merger or acquisition didn’t go away for long. This week Reuters and Bloomberg have been aflutter with… Read More
Will tiny tractors solve our compaction issues? Are you re-thinking your typical tillage plans? In this week’s Word, Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture, covers everything from tillage to herbicide and compaction to crop insurance. Skip to Podcast Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected]. Last Week’s Word:… Read More
The grain market had its eyes on weather reports for the first full week of April while taking a second peek at the U.S.D.A.’s stocks and prospective planting numbers from last week. Profit-taking in palm oil markets in Malaysia has pressured soybeans a bit, while canola has maintained near-January levels as the Canadian Loonie has… Read More
In this week’s Word, Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture, examines everything from weather impacts to phosphorous management. And yes, you do have some homework this week. Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected]. Highlights: 01:00 Flooding in Ontario. Erosion, erosion, erosion. 01:57 Red squirrels into corn seed… Read More