When precision agriculture concepts were first introduced, fields with high variability were seen as the natural first choice on which to deploy the technology. As precision technology has evolved, improved, and become more efficient, it's much easier to make a business case for its use on nearly every acre. "All land, all farmland has a... Read More
Category: Agronomy
Air suspension systems are common on vehicles. They provide all kinds of advantages over other systems, including the potential for a wide variety of height adjustments. They can also be a really good fit on a piece of equipment where you might not expect to find them — headers, for example. Honey Bee Manufacturing has... Read More
Plants communicate. So much so, that they actually sense weed competition and reduce yield potential even before they emerge from the ground. It may sound like science fiction, but it's just one of the many scientific facts that University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Clarence Swanton has helped prove during his 35-year career. Over the... Read More
A difficult harvest will push farmers to figure out ways to allow a little more harvesting done or protect what is already in the bin. Getting grain fit to store safely is always a challenge, but if a dryer is at capacity or not an option, can supplemental heat be enough? Rene Deschamps, with Ag... Read More
While corn yields are quite good across much of Ontario, the level of DON — a mycotoxin produced by gibberella infection — in some of the tonnage coming off fields is just too high to easily market the grain. There's been much frustration over testing procedures at the elevator, questions on crop insurance, and conflicting... Read More
Air seeders are getting bigger at the same time that farmers are applying more total product per acre. Is the distribution system that worked well on a 36-foot air seeder up to the task of evenly distributing 300-plus pounds of seed and fertilizer across an 86 foot air drill? Not likely. Dale Leftwich, RealAgriculture's Saskatchewan... Read More
Ontario's agriculture minister is asking the province's corn growers who have high vomitoxin levels in their crop to focus efforts on harvesting their good corn first. Late last week, Minister Ernie Hardeman called together industry stakeholders to look for solutions and creative ideas to help manage escalating mycotoxin levels in the crop that has turned... Read More
MacDon is well known for its header offerings for cereal and pulse crops but, until now, it has not had a presence in the corn industry. That is all about to change. MacDon recently acquired Harvest Tech which the company says will help expanded its product line into some additional areas. RealAgriculture's Dale Leftwich had... Read More
Much has changed on the Ontario soil conservation front since 1987. No-till farming has been firmly entrenched, most farms in the province now proudly tout their own Environmental Farm Plan, and soil health is recognized as key to a $13 billion food economy that fuels 800,000 jobs. It's a 30-year journey that Harold Rudy captures... Read More
Harvest weather has not been kind, but some great yields make up for it at least a little for many Ontario farmers. We've also got some good news on wheat acres, too. It can't all be good, of course, and this fall weather has left many fields rutted and compacted. What to do about tillage?... Read More