Category: Crop Production

Responding to rapidly climbing demand from consumers and food companies, a Saskatoon-based company is quadrupling its contracted acres of quinoa production this spring. Northern Quinoa owns the lone Canadian-developed variety of quinoa and is one of only a few buyers of the pseudocereal crop in the country. The company has been growing and producing a... Read More

When farmers search for ways to better manage cover crops, seed treatments such as neonicotinoids don't readily come to mind. But that could change if research results from University of Guelph weed scientist Dr. Clarence Swanton are proven in field tests. In this episode of Corn School, Real Agriculture resident agronomist Peter Johnson sits down... Read More

The message to canola growers from the Canola Council of Canada and grain companies over the last few months has been straightforward: Don't apply quinclorac herbicide to canola this year because it could jeopardize exports. Farmers will have to sign a declaration saying their canola has not been treated with quinclorac for it to be... Read More

The cool, wet spring weather in Ontario will likely continue through the planting season, although conditions will be more moderate, says Drew Lerner, ag meteorologist with World Weather Inc. "We're going to be a little slow getting moving because there is going to be an ongoing tendency for cooler-biased conditions to prevail," he says. "It's... Read More

80 percent of planter setup should be done before the unit leaves the yard. That's the work that can be completed before the weather and soil are ready for putting seed in the ground. But not everything can be calibrated before heading out to the field. In this Corn School episode, Shaun Dilliott of Kearney... Read More

Soils in much of Alberta and parts of western Saskatchewan are very dry and needing rain as early seeding activity is getting underway. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be widespread relief on the way in the next few weeks. "We are going to be looking for a balance across the majority of the prairies, and... Read More

Many soybeans growers will throw away the calendar and plant as early as possible this spring. That strategy works for agronomist Deb Campbell just as long as farmers pay close attention to soil conditions and the forecast. “These days, if we’re able to plant corn we can plant soybeans – ground conditions are very similar... Read More

Parts per million versus pounds per acre. Olsen versus Bray. Nitrogen versus nitrate... Some of the numbers and technical terms on the paper or email you get from the soil test lab are relevant for understanding nutrient availability for your crop and others don't actually mean much for growing crops Western Canada. So which numbers... Read More

If you haven’t tested your soil for soybean cyst nematode (SCN) lately, it may be time to take a closer look. The yield-robbing pest is quietly expanding its traditional southwestern Ontario footprint to more northern areas of Huron County and as far east as Quebec. In this episode of Real Agriculture’s Soybean School, Syngenta agronomist... Read More

If you've ever heard RealAg agronomist Peter Johnson speak, chances are you know what he thinks about hoe drills. "Hoe drills are junk. Buy a real drill. Drive on," said Johnson, while he was still the cereal specialist for OMAFRA, in this video at FarmTech a few years ago. So what does Wheat Pete have... Read More