The boards of directors for Cereals Canada and the Canadian International Grains Institute (Cigi) have agreed to explore a possible "integration" of the two grain industry organizations. A working group, made up of directors from both boards, has been formed to examine how the two entities could work more closely together. The mandate of this... Read More
Category: Crop Production
When should you consider switching corn and plant a shorter-season hybrid? That's a question many growers in some southwestern regions of Ontario are wrestling with as the calendar pushes ever closer to June. Spring weather conditions in many areas of the province have been good and planting is proceeding at a strong pace. However, heavy... Read More
The average size of a new grain bin in Western Canada has grown dramatically in recent years. 1,650 bushel flat-bottom bins, while still needed in some cases, are turning into relics of the past. "Right now, the average bin going up is around 25,000 bushels," says Lorne Grieger of the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI),... Read More
It's an established fact that seeding depth and plant spacing are critical factors in maximizing yields and uniformity in some crops. That's why corn and soybeans are planted with planters designed to singulate each seed and place it at a precise depth. Wheat isn't generally seeded with a planter, but as part of this Wheat... Read More
Inocucor Corporation, a startup company that specializes in microbial products for crop and soil health, has announced it is changing its name to Concentric Ag Corporation. The company, which has facilities in Manitoba, Quebec and Colorado, says its new name means "having a common centre" and "symbolizes growth and vitality in nature like rings in... Read More
The European General Court issued a verdict on Thursday upholding the European Commission's decision in 2013 to restrict the use of neonicotinoid seed treatments (neonics). The ruling is seen as a win for the movement to restrict European farmers' access to the chemicals used to prevent pest damage to crops. Neonic manufacturers Bayer and Syngenta,... Read More
Spring is off to a roaring start in some areas — for some it's the roar of a hot, dry wind (hey, Prairies!) and for others it's the roar of nearly seven inches of rain that fell in two events over a week in southern Ontario. This mid-May edition of Wheat Pete's Word is a... Read More
By François Tardif Many master gardeners would tell you that to maximize your vegetable yields, rows need to be oriented in a north-south manner. This is supposed to maximize light interception by the crops, which in turn maximizes photosynthesis. In contrast, east-west rows have more shading and this negatively impacts yields. Is the same true... Read More
As the crop gets out of the ground, farmers across Canada look to hit the field and evaluate the start of the 2018 growing season. There are those who make great crop scouts, those who are a little more average, and some pretty poor crop scouts — what sets the great scouts apart? We asked... Read More
Not only do dry soil conditions hamper seed germination, they also raise the risk of fertilizer toxicity for seedlings after they germinate, especially in a sensitive crop like canola. That means rates of fertilizer placed at seeding last year or the year before might not be safe this year, explains Don Flaten, soil scientist at... Read More