You can learn a lot about reducing tillage in 35 years. That's the combined number of years Horst Bohner and Rob Templeman have spent leading Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soybean research and extension efforts. On the first episode of the 2024 season of RealAgriculture's Soybean School, OMAFRA's current and former... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Tar spot was a little late arriving in Ontario cornfields in 2023, but the leaf disease ramped up post tasseling, and with an extended fall, took a late-season bite out of grain yields in southwestern areas of the province. Growers who sprayed fungicides to defend their crop against disease were rewarded with higher yields, reports... Read More
With any new crop pest or disease, it takes time to understand the problem and to develop best management practices. It's been around a decade since verticillium stripe was first confirmed in Manitoba. Both awareness and prevalence of the disease have increased across the Prairies since then, but there are still gaps to be filled... Read More
Growers and agronomists typically focus on the ear leaf at flowering when tissue testing corn to determine nutrient needs. But is that still the best choice for determining the optimal nutrient prescription for the crop as it moves into the reproductive stages? Purdue University professor emeritus Dr. Tony Vyn believes the evolution of modern hybrids... Read More
Soybeans or corn? Which seed makes the most sense to plant first next spring? Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs soybean specialist Horst Bohner says good arguments can be made for planting either crop first. The best solution might be to buy a second planter and start rolling with both crops at the... Read More
Healthy soils can be a crops's best friend when the weather turns extreme. If it's too dry, a healthy soil with high water-holding capacity can capture, store, and deliver critical moisture to growing plants; if it's too wet that same soil will play a key role in transporting excess water down through the soil profile... Read More
It won't be long before final decisions on seeding rate, seeding date, and pre-seed burndown are made. Every year holds a certain level of unknown, but a few key pests are proving to be a likely issue for the coming growing season. For this episode of the Canola School, Lyndsey Smith is joined by editor... Read More
There's a possible yield benefit for peas following wheat in a crop rotation rather than canola, according to research done through the University of Manitoba. This Pulse School episode features Brodie Erb, MSc student and field technician at the U of M, who has spent the past three years looking at how preceding crop, residue... Read More
Corn growers often apply nitrogen later in the season to gain more control of the crop. At the V10 or V11 development stage, growers typically have a better understanding of how the crop is developing, its yield potential, the growing environment and what the market is willing to pay. There's also logistics to consider —... Read More
Black beans, sometimes called black turtle beans, are hugely popular in Latin American and with fans of cajun and creole cuisines. From salads to rice, burritos and fajitas, demand for the small, shiny bean is creating opportunities for bean growers across Canada. On this episode of the RealAgriculture Edible Bean School, host Bernard Tobin looks... Read More