Weed control is often focused first on out-competing the pest. Some escape, of course, so "control" shifts to decreasing the weed seed bank. There are limited ways to eliminate those weeds with mature seeds at harvest, but recent work in Australia and here in Canada is focused on destroying weeds at the combine. According to... Read More
Category: Agronomy
Like with human health, maintaining or creating healthy soil is more about doing lots of things right vs. adding one product. And, just as with human health, there's no magic pill to solve a problem — anyone who tells you there is, is probably selling something. Dr. Don Flaten, soil scientist at the University of... Read More
Have you ever wondered how countries that buy Canadian wheat learn about each crop-year's characteristics? The story of each crop begins with the harvest sample program, involves a careful analysis of the crop, and continues with crop missions to countries such as Singapore, Ecuador, China, and Mexico. Cam Dahl, president of Cereals Canada, and Gary... Read More
Before being released in Canada, hemp cultivars go through an approval process very different from other crops. Unlike wheat or canola, for example, lines are not required to undergo a certain amount of trialing in Canada before they can be grown here. That's not to say there aren't processes in place to vet cultivars before... Read More
Is 100 bushels per acre a reality for Ontario soybeans? If so, what can Ontario growers do to push soybean yields to the next level? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner believes one of the keys to making the yield jump is getting more nutrition into the soybean plant.... Read More
Changing weather patterns played havoc with corn planting and harvest in 2019 and they also affected insect cycles and how pests impacted the crop. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs entomologist Tracey Baute notes that the cold, wet spring had a big impact on western bean cutworm (WBC). A significant reduction in early-season... Read More
Fungicides play a key role in helping manage disease in pulse crops across the Prairies. But growers need to be vigilant to prevent fungicide resistance and ensure they have the tools required to fight yield-robbing diseases, says Alberta Agriculture and Forestry pulse research scientist Robyne Bowness Davidson. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Resistance Management School,... Read More
Shorten soybean maturity, plant early, add a seed inoculant, topdress humic acid, bump up the sulphur, and add in some 20-inch rows — it's all part of what makes Dan Petker a ‘Real’ wheat farmer, says RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson. On this Wheat School episode, Johnson travels to Port Rowan, Ont., to get the scoop... Read More
A new soybean pest has hit the radar screen, and it could be a threat to soybean growers across Canada. Gall midge was first detected in Nebraska in 2011 and has since been confirmed in Iowa, Minnesota, and South Dakota. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Soybean School, OMAFRA entomologist Tracey Baute explains that the midge... Read More
It's December 18th, have you checked your corn bins lately? Host of Wheat Pete's Word, Peter Johnson has more than a few public service announcements this week, and one of them is all about high moisture corn turning into big blocks of ice (and, conversely, yucky heated hot spots) in the bin. But before we... Read More