Now in its third year, the Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley Plot2Farm program is turning out some excellent data regarding questions on nitrogen management, the timing of plant growth regulators, and seeding rates. Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension agronomist with the commissions, says the field-scale, on-farm research program provides producers with the framework to implement... Read More
Category: Agronomy
When it comes to improving soil health and carbon sequestration, cover crops have been heralded as a key practice. But research to prove out the impact is coming to a rather underwhelming conclusion on cover crops' ability to actual build organic matter. Gabriel Popkin has published a report on the Food & Environment Reporting Network... Read More
There’s a lot of excitement in the canola industry about surging demand on the horizon as new crush plants are built in Western Canada. As canola agronomists and researchers gathered in Saskatoon last week for the Canola Week conference, sitting up front, as excited about and invested in the future of the crop as anyone... Read More
More organic matter, fewer weed seeds and insect pests, and a nitrogen credit: that's what farmers get when they put forage in the rotation, says independent agronomist Pat Lynch. From better soil health to higher yields, the benefits of forage — especially alfalfa — is a story that Lynch promotes passionately. On this episode of... Read More
Harry Stoddart will take the helm of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) on January 16, 2023. That's when Stoddart becomes the executive director of OSCIA, taking over from Andrew Graham who plans to retire in June 2023 after a six-month transitional period. Stoddart brings a unique combination of leadership experience in not-for-profit... Read More
When it comes to balancing nitrogen cost, with type, with application set up — is there an easy way to save some money? Yes, and no, says Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson in this week's Wheat Pete's Word podcast. N fertilizer choice does depend on planting or seeding set up, for one, and row spacing and... Read More
In theory, variable rate (VR) technology should result in more efficient use of a farm's resources, whether that's a lower fertilizer bill, improved crop uniformity, or other potential benefits. So why, since most seeding tools are capable of using prescription maps, are adoption rates of VR not higher? And will we see a new wave... Read More
On December 12, 2022, the Canadian government launched public consultations on the creation of a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy (SAS). The strategy — which would be separate from the agricultural policy framework agreements signed by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments every five years — is intended to "provide a coordinated approach to improving the agriculture... Read More
Those looking for a challenge need to look no further than trying to grow the best crop of dry edible beans. Whether in Manitoba, Ontario, or further afield, dry beans offer a real possibility of tidy profit, but the crop is most certainly not for the faint of heart. To get through some of the... Read More
Researchers look to solve problems ahead of time, including trying to find solutions to emerging pests, or expanding markets both locally and globally. Doug Heath, research manager for Sask Canola, says that right now, the eleven ongoing Agriculture Development Fund projects range from disease resistance to abiotic stress of canola. When it comes to diseases,... Read More