Micronutrients are a small ingredient in the crop nutrition recipe but farmers need to pay attention because deficiencies can produce a yield and profit hit. What’s the best strategy for managing micros like boron, zinc, iron and manganese? Agronomy Advantage agronomist Deb Campbell says micronutrient management can be complex and confusing, but with the right… Read More

What’s the difference between a soil test and tissue testing? It’s pretty simple — soil tests measure available nutrients while tissue tests assess nutrient uptake and utilization. Growers use both practices to manage crop nutrients and understanding the nuances of each method plays a key role in ensuring crops have timely access to nutrients, say… Read More

Better together. That’s a simple way to describe what happens when micronutrients and biostimulants join forces to alleviate plant stress. In this report from the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s MicroSmart Deep Dive meeting in Kingston, Ont., Agro-100 research and development director Pierre Migner and RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin explore the biostimulant-micronutrient connection and how… Read More

Ontario’s relatively youthful soils are less prone to micronutrient deficiencies, but there are situations where soil characteristics can lead to low levels of key micros in farm fields, says University of Guelph associate professor Dr. John Lauzon. Speaking at the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s MicroSmart Deep Dive meeting in Kingston, Ont., Lauzon noted… Read More

When it comes crop nutrition, the macronutrients dominate both the management discussion and the fertilizer bill. That focus is certainly justified as primary macronutrients — nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium — play a critical role in ensuring a successful crop. Farmers are also rewarded when they pay attention to secondary macronutrients, including sulphur, calcium and magnesium…. Read More

A new intake for Ontario’s On-Farm Climate Action Fund (OFCAF) opens August 1, 2024. Applications will be accepted on a continuous basis. OFCAF funding, administered by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association in the province, provides successful applicants with cost-share funding to support the implementation of best management practices (BMPs) to tackle climate change through… Read More

Ontario farmers interested in participating in the Living Lab initiative are invited to complete a survey in order to begin the process. The Living Lab — Ontario project has been set up to bring together farmers, scientists, sector organizations, and other experts to co-develop, test, and evaluate Beneficial Management Practices (BMPs) that address climate change… Read More

Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) has named Ashley Honsberger as its new executive director, effective October 9, 2023. Andrew Graham, the current ED, will retire after a celebrated career spanning 43 years, 33 of those with OSCIA. He served as executive director at Soil and Crop for more than eight years. Honsberger has… Read More

Ontario will be home to the first of three new Living Laboratory initiatives beginning this year. Led by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association, the Ontario living lab project will receive up to $9.2 million over five years from the federal government under the Agricultural Climate Solutions (ACS) – Living Labs program. This living lab… Read More

Ontario farmers can access a piece of $68 million in funding through three new programs under the Ontario Agricultural Sustainability Initiative (OASI) Funded through the joint federal-provincial Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (SCAP), the initiative includes: Resilient Agricultural Landscape Program (RALP) — a $56.7 million, five-year program that will make funds available to eligible farmers to… Read More