Building organic matter is a complicated and sometimes slow process, but you can't build soil organic matter without carbon and biological activity. There's some research out there to suggest that adding commercial nitrogen fertilizer to cropping systems burns through organic matter — but field level research doesn't show the same results. What's happening? First time... Read More
Category: Agronomy
When it comes to increasing soybean yield, University of Illinois plant physiology professor Fred Below has two words of advice — plant early. In his presentation earlier this month at the Ontario Agricultural Conference, Below shared data from eight years of trials that show growers in Illinois lose almost half a bushel (0.47 bu/ac) for... Read More
Regina is on its way to becoming the canola crush hub of the country. The most recent canola crush announcement, made last week, includes a 1.1 million metric ton capacity plant, funded by AGT Foods and Federated Co-operatives Limited. While announcements have been fast and furious the last few years, Chuck Penner of LeftField Commodities... Read More
It's always amazing to see how much can transpire in just one week. Since Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson returned from Montana last week, much of Ontario and the Prairies got a foot of snow or more, someone fell asleep on the listener line, and Pete owes someone a steak dinner over Ontario's average corn yields.... Read More
Planting corn into a cultivated strip provides many soil health and management benefits, but dealing with residue from the previous crop can prove challenging. In this video report from 2021 Ontario Diagnostic Days, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs corn specialist Ben Rosser and Anderson Agronomy Services agronomist Chad Anderson share what they’re... Read More
Precision Planting is entering the sprayer technology market, with the unveiling of several products focused on improving the sprayer operation and data collection. The company, known for its planting technology, made the announcement at its annual winter conference Jan. 18 at the company's headquarters in Tremont, Illinois. To start, Precision is planning to offer a... Read More
There are significant differences between what is available in Canada and the U.S. when it comes to adjuvant additions to the spray tank. But that's not to say there aren't options for Canadian farmers — there are — and knowing what's available, how they work, and when to use them is key to getting the... Read More
2021 was a big year for corn yield in Ontario. Although not official, the average yield is expected to check in at just over 200 bu/ac — a new record. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Corn School, we take a closer look at where this yield is coming from with Purdue University agronomy professor Dr.... Read More
Corn rootworm resistance to Bt proteins and hybrids is a growing concern for Ontario corn producers. In this video report from Ontario Diagnostic Days 2021, University of Guelph research scientist Jocelyn Smith helps growers understand corn rootworm’s life cycle and how to rate corn roots for rootworm injury. She also discusses how growers can work... Read More
The last strategic plan launched by the Canola Council of Canada (CCC) set the goal of 26 million tonnes of production by 2025. Tucked in to that strategic plan was also a shift in the Council's approach to agronomy. "Agronomy changes over time," says Clint Jurke, agronomy director for the CCC. "In 2018, we did... Read More