The first public consultation meeting regarding impending neonicotinoid seed treatment regulations got underway yesterday in London, Ontario. Real Agriculture’s Ontario field editor Bernard Tobin was there to cover the event. The meeting format may have surprised some, as opportunities for individuals to speak were kept to a minimum. Instead, government officials from both the agriculture… Read More
Tag: Bernard Tobin
This year’s growing season is not likely to be forgotten for a very long time — and, unfortunately, not for great reasons. A late, wet, tough spring, widespread white mould in the beans and down-right cold break in the summer all cumulated in a long, drawn out harvest that’s headed into the holiday season for… Read More
Wild and whacky weather, tumultuous markets, the plight of the honeybee and more will feature prominently on the agenda of the 2015 Southwest Agricultural Conference. Slated for January 6th and 7th, 2015, at Ridgetown, Ontario, SWAC, as it’s affectionately known, is sure to sell out — and for good reason. This year’s agenda is packed… Read More
Early care and feeding frequency of dairy calves leaves a lasting impression on your herd. Just how significant feeding frequency is on eventual productivity of your dairy cows may surprise you, however. In this interview filmed at the 2014 World Dairy Expo, Donald Sockett, of the Wisconsin Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, summarizes a… Read More
Whether you’re looking to make a great ration, improve livestock bedding or feed the cellulose ethanol industry, John Deere says you need to check out its new L340 large square baler. Jeremy Unruh, John Deere’s baling and mowing product line manager, gave us a tour of the new balers at the Farm Progress Show last… Read More
Farmers have been collecting data since the first yield maps appeared 20 to 30 years ago. The promise then was that farmers would be able to turn data into management decisions that would benefit their bottom line. For most farmers, though, that has yet to happen. In this episode of the Agronomy Geeks Ontario podcast,… 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
Protecting honeybees and pollinators is a key focus for Ontario farmers. Limiting exposure of the bees to certain insecticides, namely neonicotinoid-based corn and soybean seed treatments, plays an important role in a thriving bee population in the province. Corn planter air exhaust has been identified as a possible risk to moving neonicotinoid particles off the… Read More
If you’ve never been to Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, or it’s been a long time since you’ve gone, Real Agriculture’s Bern Tobin spent a day on the grounds talking with those in the know about the 2014 show set to start in just two weeks — September 9, 2014. From where you should stop first,… Read More
How did the bees do this spring planting season? Very well, says Tracey Baute, field crop entomologist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Likely attributed to several factors — a late planting season being one of them — Baute and her colleagues have kept a close eye on the Ontario bee… Read More
It’s nothing personal, Stratego fungicide, but it’s time for a sprucing up. Winter wheat and soybean growers should soon have access to Stratego Pro, says Allan Kaastra, with Bayer CropScience. The new formulation swaps out propiconazole with prothioconazole, and should be available for farmers to use by 2015, pending appropriate regulatory approvals. Kaastra says Stratego… Read More
Ever wonder how soybean crosses are made? How long it takes for a new soybean variety to go from pod to variety? Each crop type requires unique field work to come up with new and exciting lines that balance higher yield potential with the strong agronomic traits farmers are looking for. In this Soybean School… 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
With 2,500 acres of identity preserved (IP) soybeans in the ground, Sheppland Farms, based at Selkirk, Ontario, is one of the largest IP soy growers in Ontario. For Scott Sheppard, who farms with his father and brother, IP soys have turned out to be a great fit for the farm. The heavy clay soil makes… Read More
Growing a bumper crop of corn requires a big meal of plant nutrients. But if you’re going to feed a hulk of a plant, you’ve got to make sure you protect it too. Fungicides may not always be warranted, but if the yield potential is there and conditions are right for disease development, a fungicide… Read More