As cereal crops race to the finish line across Ontario, many growers are weighing the option of planting soybeans after a first harvest, which is already underway in some winter barley fields in southwestern portions of the province. Embro, Ont., farmer Ian Matheson and his family have been double cropping soybeans for two decades. He... Read More
Category: Crop Production
If you put your feet in the oven and your head in the freezer, on average, you're at a perfect temperature. This week, Ontario is an oven and Western Canada is an icebox, and both extremes create challenges for farmers. There are plenty of questions about spraying in these hot conditions, and some winter crops... Read More
Today at Canada's Farm Show, Farm Credit Canada announced a $5 million commitment to the accelerated breeding program at the Global Institute for Food Security (GIFS) at the University of Saskatchewan (USask). The program will now bear the name "The FCC Accelerated Breeding Program at GIFS." Accelerated breeding combines technologies such as genomic selection, speed... Read More
A skilled agronomist is as much a detective as they are an agronomy expert. Recognizing signs and symptoms, asking the right background questions, and looking at a problem from all angles helps an agronomist sort out what's going on when things go awry. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by... Read More
As the calendar turns to the back half of June in Ontario, growers typically sharpen their focus on nitrogen management as the crop pushes into its rapid growth phases. But what's happening in the field in mid June 2024 is really dependent on where in the province you farm and whether you've been able to... Read More
Farmers in six Ontario counties have until Tuesday, June 18, to plant corn and still receive production insurance coverage through Agricorp. The announcement came late last week for corn acres being planted in Lambton, Middlesex, Niagara, Chatham-Kent, Essex, and Elgin counties. "Wet weather in parts of Ontario is creating difficult planting conditions for some corn... Read More
The new crop year begins August 1, 2024, and each year the Canadian Grain Commission provides an update on grain grading changes and variety designations taking effect for the upcoming crop marketing cycle. The CGC, led by new chief commissioner David Hunt, has announced several smaller changes for 2024-25, based on consultations with its Western... Read More
Each pulse species requires certain bacteria, usually a rhizobium inoculant, in order for plants to fix their own nitrogen. Once nodules form on the plant roots, those little factories can provide much of the crop's N needs, but there are several decisions farmers have to make at seeding to ensure excellent nodulation, and there are... Read More
Winter wheat may be the fastest growing crop in Maritime Canada. Over the past five years, the cereal crop has seen significant growth with total acreage on Prince Edward Island alone climbing near 25,000 acres. On this episode of RealAgriculture Wheat School, host Bernard Tobin travels to the Island to find out what's driving interest... Read More
Producers in much of Western Canada are looking forward to warmer weather to help crops advance through the early stages after a cool seeding season and delays in seeding. For canola, slow emergence and growth due to cool temperatures, combined with wind damage in some areas, makes tiny plants a sitting target for flea beetles.... Read More