Stripe rust was back in Ontario wheat fields again in 2017. This year the presence of the disease was first confirmed in Essex County by AGRIS Co-operative. This marks the second consecutive year the disease has devastated farm fields in the province. But help is on the way. In this edition of RealAgriculture Wheat School,…Read More
Category: Crop Production
When crops reach record high acreages on both sides of the border the market should respond negatively to higher supply levels. Increased supply has to be supported with increased demand and that has been definitely the story in soybeans. Even though the November soybean futures contract (can be seen below) is off earlier highs farmers... Read More
Beneficial insects provide free labour in the field, preying on insect pests, but what is that labour worth? Because we don't know the economic value of most of these insects, they don't necessarily get factored into the decision to go ahead with spraying an insecticide. Finding economic values for the work these beneficial bugs are…Read More
"15 to 20 years ago it made me nervous to drive past a canola field waiting to be straight cut. But now...our genetics have improved, our ability to handle that crop, and the size of our combines and ability to handle that crop and harvest it in a timely fashion has gotten much better." This…Read More
Farmers invest a lot to produce a crop, from before the seed hits the ground through to the harvest. With all the investment and technology that goes into producing a crop, why stop short when the grain hits the bin? Some of the most successful farmers are using technology to ensure they have the information…Read More
In this week's episode of Wheat Pete's Word, RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson is still floored by the amount of insects he is seeing this year. He offers some quick updates on alfalfa, some important tips on fertility, and since he apparently didn't get a chance to talk about it last week, he gives some updates... Read More
As a farmer, you take care of our crops all year, pouring thousands of dollars into making sure the final product is up to the standards you expected. So why would you let all that time and money spent go down the drain when you lose a good portion of your crop to harvest loss?... Read More
As harvest begins, the goal is always to get the crop off in the condition that maximizes its value to buyers. In the case of malt barley, there's a list of specs that maltsters are looking at, starting with protein level and kernel plumpness, explains Kevin Sich, supply chain director for Rahr Malting at Alix,... Read More
Farmers across Western Canada celebrated on Tuesday as it was the fifth anniversary of farmers gaining marketing freedom for wheat and barley, formerly known as 'board grains'. On August 1, 2012 farmers were given control of marketing their own farm production. Wheat and barley no longer had to be sold through the Canadian Wheat Board's... Read More
I thought goodbyes were supposed to be hard, and that they usually bring tears, hugs, and long waves of sorrow. Not always. Glen Murray's resignation as Ontario's Minister of Environment and Climate Change has left many farmers across the province smiling, even though the wake of his non-science-based decision-making will be felt long after he... Read More