There was a time when many people thought of field insects like weeds — all bad. Weeds steal yield, so we try to eliminate all or mostly all of those weeds. Now through many years of research, the way we look at insects in a crop has begun to shift away from this all-bad, all-must-go... Read More
Category: Agronomy
By Peter Johnson, RealAg Agronomist, @WheatPete It is COLD! There are lots of questions right now about how low nighttime temperatures in the forecast might impact Ontario's awesome wheat crop. I am hoping this is just another one of those times that growers like to “kill” the wheat crop, but the reality is that there... Read More
After a decent start to the spring season, Ontario's weather has done a bit of a 180 and turned cool and damp. What does it mean for planting and spraying? In this week's episode of Wheat Pete's Word, host Peter Johnson covers why tank contents might be more important than temperature when it comes to... Read More
Soybeans can handle cold, dry conditions at planting, but growers need to be careful when a cold, wet forecast is bearing down on their farm. Planting is proceeding quickly across Ontario, but many growers are asking if they should park the planter as an early-May polar vortex approaches the province — daytime highs of 3... Read More
Drier weather over the last few years has taken some of the wind out of soybeans' sails in Western Canada, but there's a case to be made that fundamental climate trends on the Prairies still support good soybeans yields in the longer term. Especially if growers are on the ball with planting when the soil... Read More
Before any crops go in the ground, many producers are already thinking, "How can I make my harvest go smoothly?" When it comes to growing pulse crops — especially peas and lentils — one of the ways you can get ahead is by land rolling. This is done to ensure uniformity in the field, by... Read More
Producers across the country are beginning to get into the fields and getting that corn seed in the ground. When it comes to planting corn, getting that seedbed prepped is imperative to ensuring a steady start — whether you are growing silage or grain corn. A key to this is ensuring your soil temperature is... Read More
Cover crops, tillage and herbicides —they're all tools growers can use to build an effective, integrated approach to controlling troublesome Canada fleabane. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Soybean School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs weed specialist Mike Cowbrough looks at the role tillage can play in controlling the weed. He notes mounting... Read More
On this Thursday edition of the RealAg LIVE! Q and A guest Aaron Stevanus, technical sales manager with Mosaic Company, joins host Shaun Haney for a lively back and forth about all things crop nutrition, including some fun props for extra flair. On this Q and A you'll hear: Why that first drink of water... Read More
Will it pay to park the drill and invest in precision planting technology for wheat? That's a question Michigan State University researcher Dennis Pennington is tackling in an ongoing research project. Earlier this year, he shared some of his early results with growers attending the CerealSmart conference at Kitchener, Ont. On this episode of RealAgriculture's... Read More