From blackleg to sclerotinia,to clubroot and verticillium, growers face a shifting landscape of canola diseases, and with that comes a steady stream of questions about when to scout, what to spray, and how to choose the right genetics. In this episode of RealAgriculture's Canola School, Keith Gabert, provincial canola agronomy specialist with Alberta Canola Producers... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
When Ryan and Romy Schill purchased Ryan's grandfather's farm at Mapleton, Ont., in 2008, the young couple decided to add 25 ewes to round out their mixed operation, which also included cattle, hogs, and chickens. The Schills admit that the ewes were simply a side project at the time but 18 years later they've built... Read More
Traditional plant breeding is still the foundation of bean variety development, but the ability to analyze massive amounts of data is revolutionizing how new varieties are identified and developed to meet grower and market needs. On this episode of RealAgriculture Edible Bean School, University of Guelph assistant professor Dr. Mohsen Yoosefzadeh Najafabadi shares how new... Read More
The canola market is dealing with a wide range of trade and political uncertainties this season, as growers navigate large supplies in Western Canada and slower movement into export and crush channels. Tariffs on seed, oil, and meal going into China, along with unclear U.S. biofuel policies, are creating added volatility at a time when... Read More
Understanding how pulses are graded can help clarify marketing decisions and avoid surprises at the scale. It can also help inform management practices for next year, if quality issues are due to handling or storage, for example. In this episode of RealAgriculture's Pulse School, Joey Vanneste, operations supervisor with the Canadian Grain Commission (CGC), walks... Read More
Strong nodulation and adequate access to soil nitrogen are two keys to a high yielding soybean crop. But what happens when those ingredients are missing from a field’s agronomic recipe? In this case, Ontario agriculture ministry soybean specialist Horst Bohner says growers typically see pale yellow plants that are suffering from nutrient deficiency due to... Read More
As breeding programs continue to bring forward new pulse genetics, growers now have a wider range of varieties to choose from across peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans. Farmers have plenty of combinations of yield potential, disease resistance, and agronomic traits to wade through. In this episode of RealAgriculture's Pulse School, Laurie Friesen, seed program... Read More
Managing crop residue is a key early-season consideration for corn growers, especially in regions where cool soils can limit emergence. Residue plays a major role in early-season corn performance, and managing it well can be the difference between even emergence and a field that struggles from the start. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Corn School,... Read More
Whether it's a corn planter, strip tiller, cultivator or high-speed disc, running any form of tillage over a field will move both soil and the fertilizer farmers apply. On this episode of RealAgriculture's Soil School, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food & Agri-Business crop innovation specialist Ian McDonald compares how different tillage implements move soil and... Read More
Honey bees may not be top of mind when it comes to canola production, but they can play a subtle yet valuable role in crop development and harvest timing. While canola is generally self-pollinating, the addition of bees can help the crop pollinate more uniformly and potentially wrap up earlier, advantages that matter at harvest.... Read More