"I am the greatest botanist on this planet," declares Matt Damon's character in 20th Century Fox's new blockbuster "The Martian." Astronaut Mark Watney (played by Damon) is stranded on Mars, able to survive by growing potatoes for food. Several Earth-bound scientists who are members of the Crop Science Society of America shared their thoughts on... Read More
Category: Agronomy
What crop and seed mixes could farmers plant to make their farms more bee-friendly? That’s a question Bayer CropScience and Pollinator Partnership are trying to answer with a study aiming to give farmers recommendations on what they can do to improve bee habitat on their farms. Vicki Wojcik, research director for Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit... Read More
How’s wheat planting coming along? Are you all done? Call 1-888-746-3311 or tweet @WheatPete to leave your feedback and questions for Wheat Pete! In this instalment of Wheat Pete’s Word, resident agronomist and host Peter Johnson covers a long list of topics, including what wheat plant populations should look like in fields that have already... Read More
John Deere’s new ExactEmerge retrofit kit will allow farmers who own the company’s late-model planters to step up their speed and accuracy. John Deere launched its ExactEmerge seed delivery system in 2014, promising farmers precise seed placement and spacing while boasting the ability to travel at much faster planting speeds, up to 10 mph. The... Read More
Wondering how to get product into dense canopies? Well, you just have to boost up spray pressure, right? No way! The dynamic duo of Sprayers101.com — Tom Wolf, of AgriMetrix, and Jason Deveau, of OMAFRA — join us to bring you the second episode of a very special series of Spray Tips videos. An educational... Read More
Protein premiums or discounts can be a major factor in marketing wheat. In some years there's plenty of high protein wheat (as looks to be the case for 2015-16) and in other years millers are left scrounging for wheat with high enough protein. We asked earlier this week whether yield or protein is a higher... Read More
Farmers watched as planters and seeders of all sizes, shapes and capabilities rolled down the field during the planting and seeding demonstration at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show in Woodstock last month. Some planted at 10 MPH while others showed off their ability to plant multiple crops, combine seeding and tillage, or the flexibility to plant... Read More
Alberta wheat growers are contributing nearly $1 million to 13 wheat-related research projects across Western Canada over the next five years. A total of $970,000 in research funding was announced by the Alberta Wheat Commission in Calgary yesterday. “Investing in research is one of our key priorities as it ensures farmers have consistent access to... Read More
RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is all smiles these days as the warm fall continues to give farmers an opportunity to plant winter wheat into optimum growing conditions. But with bean and soybean harvest progressing rapidly, Johnson says farmers have to be mindful of seeding rates to ensure they're not creating headaches down the road. "If... Read More
Canadian wheat has a reputation in many parts of world of being the best wheat for milling. Customers will blend high protein Canadian wheat into their recipes to make up for lower quality grain. New wheat varieties released in Canada over the last few years have opened the door to growing higher yielding wheat. Some... Read More