It's an established fact that seeding depth and plant spacing are critical factors in maximizing yields and uniformity in some crops. That's why corn and soybeans are planted with planters designed to singulate each seed and place it at a precise depth. Wheat isn't generally seeded with a planter, but as part of this Wheat... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
By François Tardif Many master gardeners would tell you that to maximize your vegetable yields, rows need to be oriented in a north-south manner. This is supposed to maximize light interception by the crops, which in turn maximizes photosynthesis. In contrast, east-west rows have more shading and this negatively impacts yields. Is the same true... Read More
Not only do dry soil conditions hamper seed germination, they also raise the risk of fertilizer toxicity for seedlings after they germinate, especially in a sensitive crop like canola. That means rates of fertilizer placed at seeding last year or the year before might not be safe this year, explains Don Flaten, soil scientist at... Read More
What's the best choice of streamer nozzle? It's a question RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is asked countless times every year. Well, here's the answer. In this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, WheatPete puts on his suit and gloves and heads to the field to show us how three-stream, five-stream and seven-stream nozzles compare. He... Read More
Is corn growing greener beyond Ontario borders? How does corn profitability and cost of production in the province stack up with other growing regions around the world — from the U.S. to South America, Ukraine, and China? These are some of the questions Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs business analysis and cost... Read More
There are certainly unknowns and risks that come with planting bin-run soybean seed versus certified seed, but one significant piece of information has been confirmed by crop insurance data in Manitoba: older, off-patent varieties don't have the same yield potential as newer varieties. As Dennis Lange, pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, points out in this... Read More
RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson is a big proponent of pushing nitrogen rates to pump up winter wheat yields. But for higher N rates to pay, growers must ensure the crop has an adequate supply of sulphur or they risk inducing sulphur deficiency. In this episode of the RealAgriculture Wheat School, Wheat Pete explains why growers... Read More
When a field is confirmed infected with clubroot, it's recommended that producers implement (or continue) strict sanitation protocols, crop rotations, and the responsible use of Plasmodiophora brassicae-resistant canola varieties. There may be further options, however, like the use of fumigants traditionally used in horticulture. "The first fumigant I look at is Vapam, and the Vapam... Read More
With increasing cases of herbicide resistance, machines designed to destroy weed seeds at harvest could be a valuable tool. But like any technology that is not yet widely adopted, there are also some lessons to be learned and challenges to overcome, as researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada confirmed last year. 2017 marked the first... Read More
As planting decisions are finalized, the risk of iron deficiency chlorosis (IDC) is one of the factors soybean growers in Western Canada and the Northern Plains are keeping in mind after unprecedented yellowing due to IDC in many areas last year. A wet 2016 growing season followed by a dry start to 2017, left elevated... Read More