A pre-seed burn down is often the first pass on a field. Some may overlook the importance of getting a strong burn-down, but in reality it can be a huge detriment if some components get overlooked. And if you’re going to do a job, you should do it well. Why does a pre-seed burn-down matter?… Read More
Tag: Shane Thomas
As seeding approaches, one of the most common topics I hear discussed is vigour. A vigourous plant stand comes from a healthy seed that is out of the ground and competing in a timely fashion. This can mean fewer days to maturity, quicker ground cover, better weed competition, a more robust rooting system better able… Read More
With the 2014 growing season fast approaching (we hope) you are probably wrapping up your seeding and input plans and getting antsy to get into the field. As cropping plans start to fall into place, the logical next step for many is to decide on which products or practices to test out to measure their… Read More
By Shane Thomas Plant nutrients are always big driving factors in how our crops yield, with macronutrients getting the majority of the attention. However, micronutrients can be limiting factors in a lot of our cropping systems, especially for those really pushing yield with intense management. One micronutrient that gets discussed a lot is copper. This… Read More
Nitrogen and phosphorus get all the glory when it comes to the macronutrients. But there are two others in the NPKS mix, you know. The third most important nutrient, potassium, often gets thrown by the wayside and only seems to come up when there is a market discussion on Potash Corp or Russia’s Uralkali. There… Read More
I can’t stress enough the importance of having your own two feet in the field to see what the heck is going on in your crops. Too often there is far more that we can bring to the field to help us identify exactly what is occurring, but the lack of a few simple tools… Read More
Earlier this month, the Canola Council of Canada rolled out its vision for the canola industry over the next decade or so. While the plan includes growth of the domestic and export markets, the plan has also sparked some discussion on tightening canola rotations. The Canola Council has shifted its canola rotation stance slightly —… Read More
As we gear up for the busy farm meeting season, farmers can be sure to learn about a few new product releases from their favourite crop protection company. 2014 appears to be no different with many new options coming out for growers in the area of seed treatments. Earlier in 2013, I was at a… Read More
When I first started working in the agriculture industry I spent the entire month of May blending fertilizer. At this point in time when a grower came in and asked for a “34-17-0” blend, I was a pretty happy guy. It meant less work and less chance of screwing up, win-win for me as an… Read More
No, you didn’t read that title wrong — fertilizer impregnation is a real thing. In fact, it isn’t even a new concept and many will have heard of this before but likely in the context of added pesticide products to fertilizer prills. The type of impregnation I want to talk about today is impregnating fertilizer… Read More