As May ticks away, farmers in Ontario continue to wrestle with difficult planting conditions. In this episode of the Agronomy Geeks Ontario podcast, Bernard Tobin and Syngenta agronomic sales manager Shawn Brenneman discuss the pace of #plant14 and the decisions farmers are facing. As of May 21, Brenneman estimates that 40 to 50 percent of… Read More
Poor spring weather inevitably leads to rushed planting and shorter spray windows. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food application technology specialist Jason Deveau says there are three keys to minimizing drift and getting the best return on your spraying dollar. In this video, Deveau and summer research student Tara Wiederman set up a spray trial… Read More
To ensure preservation of unique traits, maintaining purity is essential in seeding Identity Preserved (IP) crops such as IP soybeans. Once certified seed is purchased, it’s up to the grower to keep it clean and separate from other seed sources. This means thoroughly cleaning everything from your seeder to the tractor cab and the cuffs of your jeans. Related: Tips… Read More
As the cool, wet spring drags on in Ontario, many farmers are wrestling with whether they have time for tillage or should they just plant as soon as the soil is fit. In this episode of the Agronomy Geeks Ontario podcast, Bernard Tobin talks tillage strategy with Salford Farm Machinery’s Jim Boak. Are certain types… Read More
Patience wears thin as we head in to May and the ground is still wet and cold. The cost of going in too soon, based on soil conditions and not the calendar, can be mighty costly. If the ground is fit, but a little cool, that’s one thing, but ground that is both wet and… Read More
Just as in money management, investments you make in your farm’s soil nutrient bank account may be short or long term. Depending on the nutrient, crop yields, the weather and soil type, nutrient levels and availability may need immediate deposits or a long-term plan to ensure there’s enough “money” there when the crop needs it…. Read More
It’s early April and farmers are itching to get the planter out in the field. For the precious few of you in Ontario that are nearly ready to roll, have at ‘er, but for most of the corn growing region, it’s not late yet, but it’s looking like the planting window may be slightly compressed…. Read More
UAP’s new Focus herbicide is now registered for soybeans. The surface-applied pre-plant/pre-emerge product was first registered for corn in late 2013. Focus is a co-pack of carfentrazone (Group 14) and pyroxasulfone (Group 15) that delivers up to 60 days of residual control, says UAP territory sales representative Chris Renwick. Focus controls tough weeds like barnyard… Read More
For modern livestock operations, a temporary power source is a must; animals’ lives depend on it! But for many others — farms and rural dwellers, and even ice-storm prone urbanites — having some form of generator or power source as back up to the grid is incredibly important, too. There are several options available for… Read More
By Bernard Tobin When Cairo Prince breaks from the starting gate at the Florida Derby on March 29, the colt will be racing to the finish line with a little help from certified seed. Bettors will likely send the undefeated three-year-old colt off as the favourite in the race at Florida’s Gulfstream Park, which is… Read More
If you’re looking for a new fungicide option in corn and soybeans, BASF’s Priaxor has expanded to include both crops in Eastern Canada, starting this year. The fungicide boasts two modes of action with active ingredients fluxapryoxad and pyraclostrobin, of the carboxamides (group 7) and strobilurins (group 11), respectively. Priaxor affects multiple stages of fungal growth,… Read More
The number of acres committed to identity-preserved (IP) soybean production in Ontario has dwindled in recent years, but 2014 will likely reverse that trend, as lower commodity prices make the IP premium more attractive. But where will IP soybean acres end up? How big of a jump could Ontario see? What’s seed supply and contract… Read More
By Bernard Tobin With just over a week to go before spring (officially), Shawn Brenneman is lamenting the fact that his tractor spent more hours pushing snow this winter than 2013 spring field work and planting combined. With the end of Ontario’s long, cold winter finally within sight, Brenneman, Agronomic Sales Manager for Syngenta Canada,… Read More
New Holland is introducing upgrades to their Twin Rotor CR combines. The changes touch on operator comfort, with an emphasis on overall capacity, efficiency and durability. Perhaps one of the most drastic changes comes from a 15% increase in capacity through the “Dynamic Feed Roll.” The updated setup speeds up crop movement through streamlined feeding… Read More
Kinze is rolling out in 2014 its new electronic metering system for its 4900 series planters, enabling farmers to enter in a prescription map, fill up with two corn hybrids and plant multi-hybrids in the same field. Click here to see more machinery videos from the National Farm Machinery Show RealAgriculture field editor, Bernard Tobin,… Read More