In Western Canada, we have few acre battles that get much attention, but one that intrigues our editorial staff every year is the battle of the canola herbicide tolerance trait race. It really is a three-way cage match that has swings in advantage every year. All three systems have unique characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses. So... Read More
Category: Crop Production
When you look to purchase a new piece of seeding equipment what are your priorities? Is it size, colour, or what is the newest flashiest tech in the marketplace? Do you shop new and used or only one or the other? There are many things to consider. Kickin' Tires co-hosts Jim Hale and Shaun Haney... Read More
Here's a fun fact: not all weevils are pests. Unfortunately, as fun as that fact may be, the reality is several weevil species are damaging pests, and their range is expanding in Alberta. Alfalfa weevil, pea leaf weevil, and cabbage seedpod weevil have all shown an expanded range in the province, and, as Scott Meers,... Read More
How easily could your farm business absorb an added $120,000 bill? That's approximately what Jan Vanderhout, co-owner of Beverly Greenhouses, says the new Ontario carbon tax will cost him this year, or just over $6,000 per acre of greenhouse space. Vanderhout, a third-generation greenhouse grower and the chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers'... Read More
After a week away, Peter Johnson is back for this edition of Wheat Pete's Word. Maybe it's the now-on-sale chocolate talking, but this week's edition is just a little wild, tackling everything from crazy strips, to peduncles, to robot sprayers, to shedding buckwheat, and much more. Learn why you've just got to stop seeding wheat... Read More
Developing a new crop trait requires capital, time, and most of all a vision. All great new traits start with an idea or vision of trying to make a difference in the marketplace for farmers or end users. Dr. Bart Lambert and his colleagues had a vision, a canola seed trait that allows for producers... Read More
The seed growing season doesn't really end at harvest. Once a seed crop is harvested the grower needs to condition and clean the seed to get the lot sample up to a certified grade. Seed cleaning plants have many shapes and sizes, but the overall process is the same — taking the harvested crop and... Read More
Year-round cover crops growing in a three-crop rotation — sounds like a great idea that could create healthier, more productive soils, but can Ontario growers make it work? That’s a question the Thames Valley Soil and Crop Improvement Association and the Heartland Region are trying to determine with its Roots Not Iron project. In this... Read More
AGCO Corporation is bringing to market White Planters 9800VE series planters equipped with SpeedTube seed tubes from Precision Planting. With SpeedTube on White Planters 9800VE Series planters, farmers can now achieve precise seed placement of corn at speeds nearly double traditional operating speeds, says AGCO. In field tests, the 9800VE Series planter with SpeedTube produced... Read More
How healthy is your soil? If you want to know all you have to do is bury your underwear, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) soil management specialist Adam Hayes. Last summer, Hayes helped members of the Renfrew County Soil and Crop Improvement Association bury underwear in their fields to determine... Read More