What type of return on investment do farmers realize when they make a long-term commitment to planting cover crops on their farm? That question can be tough to answer. In many cases, the payback can't be calculated using only dollars and cents; better soil heath, the benefits of increased water-holding capacity, and a soil's ability... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
You may not have heard of the Western Canada Canola/Rapeseed Recommending Committee (WCCRRC), but the organization is responsible for setting the framework for canola variety recommendations and the testing system for varieties for western Canada. "Their job is to provide guidance and oversight to the program that I administer on behalf of the WCCRRC as... Read More
More diverse crop rotations are better, agronomically speaking, but economically speaking, the story is not always so clear. Cash flow in the immediate term sometimes takes centre stage when growing a high-profit crop such as canola. But what if growing a more diverse rotation was just as profitable as growing canola in a one-in-two, or... Read More
Glyphosate-resistant waterhemp was first identified in Ontario in 2014. Since that time the weed, which hails from the pigweed family, has spread across the province with confirmed sightings in 14 counties in 2019. To make matters more troubling, waterhemp resistance continues to grow beyond glyphosate, and now includes multiple resistance to Group 2, 5, 9... Read More
Farmers work hard to maximize fertilizer applications, both for economic and environmental reasons. Making sure all that money spent in fertilizer gets turned into crop — not lost as greenhouse gas emissions — is a key concept in today's farming practices. "We want to make sure a producer is realizing value from every gram of... Read More
Sixty-inch spacing for corn is sure not for everyone, but the math and soil conservation rewards can work for farmers who have limited rotations and can benefit from extended grazing for livestock on well-established cover crops. That's Sunderland, Ontario, farmer Ed Hanson's takeaway from the first year of growing corn in 60-inch rows on his... Read More
Testing wheat seed for fungal disease is important for a few reasons. A basic seed test for germination and vigour will tell you how viable that seed is, but if your germination rate is down, a basic test won't tell you why it's down. With low germ, you may have to increase the seeding rate,... Read More
Today is World Soil Day, and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations has dedicated this year's celebration to soil biodiversity. The slogan for this year: "Keep soil alive, protect soil biodiversity." Closer to home, the Canadian Society of Soil Science's goals for today's celebrations are to draw attention to the importance of... Read More
When it comes to strong soybean plant establishment, growers often focus on seeding rates, seeding depth, and tillage. Those are all important management practices, but Horst Bohner emphasizes the need for growers to also set up and run their planter or drill effectively, to produce optimal plant stands that deliver top yields. On this episode... Read More
Do you need to manage herbicide-resistant weeds? Could you use more flexibility during the busy planting season? Does heavy weed pressure make it difficult to keep fields clean early in the season? These are all questions growers should be asking as they plan their 2021 soybean weed control programs, says BASF technical development manager Rob... Read More