As Ontario cereal specialist Peter Johnson says, farmers aren't satisfied 'til they've (mentally) killed the winter wheat crop three times. So, it's no surprise then, that as the earliest fields are appearing from under the snow (sigh, alas, not yet in all areas), many farmers are concerned with how the crop looks and whether or... Read More
Category: Agronomy
Adopting warm season crops, like corn, in cool season areas, like Western Canada, takes time, patience and adaptation. The first crucial step is access to shorter season varieties, which we've got, but from there the nutrient/pest/harvest management trial and error learning has to follow. Hear & download more Agronomy Geeks podcasts by clicking here Grain... Read More
Good spray quality is essential in application, but all of the factors involved can make getting there quite a challenge. In reviewing magazines, you may see that publishers will bold a certain pressure (like 40psi). They do this not because that is the pressure the nozzle must experience, but because that is the pressure at... Read More
Canola seed size has climbed in recent years from a once-common 4 grams per 1,000 kernel weight to north of 7 grams per 1,000 seeds. What does that mean to you, the farmer? It means that if you've stuck with your typical four pounds per acre seeding rate (and there are good reasons to do... Read More
As seeding approaches, one of the most common topics I hear discussed is vigour. A vigourous plant stand comes from a healthy seed that is out of the ground and competing in a timely fashion. This can mean fewer days to maturity, quicker ground cover, better weed competition, a more robust rooting system better able... Read More
It seems more and more producers are interested in growing corn in Canada, with interest spanning as far north as North Battleford, and increasingly, west into Alberta. In fact, the grain area in Alberta increased nearly 297% from 2006 to 2011, according to Stats Canada. Besides growing corn for grain, many cattle producers are using... Read More
Feedlot operators are constantly running through a cycle of market highs and lows. When cattle prices are down and feed prices are up, cutting feed costs and improving feed efficiency are top of the list for producers. It was out of one of those particularly tough times in 2011 that the industry began to look... Read More
From a distance, a nitrogen deficient canola plant and a sulphur deficient plant can actually look rather similar. It's only once you get up close and compare it to plants from other areas of the field, that you can better assess what's hampering growth of the crop. In this episode of the Canola School, Dan... Read More
Contrary to what it looks like outside my window right now, it is officially spring. Eventually the snow will recede and the warmth will return and the ice and frost will disappear just long enough to eek out another crop from the prairie soil (apparently I wax poetic after 5 full months of winter). When... Read More
Syngenta Canada Inc. has launched its Vibrance Maxx seed treatment, a convenient combination of Apron Maxx RTA and Vibrance, for use on peas, lentils and chickpeas, in time for the 2014 growing season. Vibrance Maxx seed treatment provides control of early-season diseases, including Rhizoctonia, to help ensure a healthy stand establishment. Vibrance Maxx for pulses... Read More