Drought conditions in Ontario could slow harvest in some soybean fields this fall where plants suffer from Green Stem Syndrome. In this edition of Real Agriculture Soybean School, Pride Seeds market agronomist Dan Foster explains Green Stem Syndrome happens when there is partial or complete leaf drop but the soybean plant stem remains green. “The... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Wet conditions at harvest inevitably result in a mess, as heavy combines and grain carts leave their mark in the soft soil. With above normal rainfall extending into harvest in parts of Western Canada, we're seeing some deep ruts and serious compaction from harvest equipment. "That wheel traffic compaction can go as deep as three... Read More
It’s been four years since Todd Boughner of Judge Farms took the plunge and installed 67 acres of subsurface drip irrigation on a sandy soiled farm near Delhi, Ontario. When Real Agriculture first visited the project, Boughner, the farm manager, was busy working with a crew to install drip tape across the entire field in... Read More
With a smartphone in their pocket, every farmer, farm employee, or agronomist is now also a photographer. The ability to share pictures from the field has dramatically improved how farmers and agronomists communicate and diagnose issues. However, the information gleaned from a cellphone photo can only be as good as the original picture. A poor... Read More
Would you trade $50 of soybeans for $90 of wheat? Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson thinks you should. In this Wheat School episode, Johnson shares his key takeaway from this year’s record Ontario wheat crop, which is pegged at an estimated average of 96 to 98 bushels per acre, 20 percent above the historical... Read More
With wet growing conditions in many areas and high prices driving tight pulse crop rotations, the table was set for root rot to feast on pea stands in Western Canada this year. While one of the main culprits — aphanomyces — was first confirmed in Saskatchewan in 2012 and in Alberta in 2013, testing on... Read More
That's a question many growers ask when they see parts of their soybean fields prematurely turning yellow in August and early September. In this episode of Real Agriculture Soybean School, OMAFRA’s Albert Tenuta and University of Guelph researcher Dave Hooker team up to answer the question and provide management tips. When his phone rings, Tenuta... Read More
Growers in the east and west can both attest to the truth in Luke Bryan's lyrics about rain and corn this year, but for different reasons. While drought-stressed corn plants in parts of Ontario have failed to produce cobs, the crop has benefited from plenty of moisture on the prairies. "I've always jokingly said —... Read More
It'll be a few weeks before we actually know how this year's soybeans are going to yield, but we can get a pretty good idea now, especially if we're willing to put some time into building a good sample size for making an estimate. Dieter Schwarz, the new market development manager for corn and soybeans... Read More
Talking about strip tillage in corn is easy, but making it work in the field can be challenging. In this episode of Corn School, resident agronomist Peter Johnson sets out to find the perfect strip till berm at the recent Elgin Soil and Crop Improvement Association field demonstration day. Johnson explains that planting into 6"x6"... Read More