After weeks of talking about drought, much of Ontario is celebrating. Peter Johnson, resident agronomist at RealAgriculture, and host of the Word, discusses the recent rains, and what management shifts producers will have to consider, plus: spider mites, the pros and cons of tillage, and strip-tilling fertilizer. Listen or download below! And of course, if... Read More
Category: Crop Production
With two-thirds of Canada's irrigated land located in Alberta, Lethbridge College is boosting its capacity for irrigation research. Willemijn Appels has joined the school as its first Mueller Applied Research Chair in Irrigation Science — a position made possible with a $3.1 million gift from Lloyd and Dorothy Mueller announced in 2014. "Producers, businesses, irrigation... Read More
Leaf disease can strike anywhere on a corn plant, but where does it take the biggest bite out of corn yield? In this Real Agriculture Corn School episode, OMAFRA plant pathologist Albert Tenuta explains that diseases such as northern corn leaf blight (NCLB) and grey leaf spot typically take root in field residue where pathogens…Read More
One of the pillars of Canada's National Beef Strategy — a strategic plan released in early January, 2015 — is connectivity. Saskatchewan's Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence fits nicely with this goal, by "bringing together every link of the livestock production chain." Plans for the Centre were announced in July of 2015, when it... Read More
Many farms have purchased entry level drones over the last few years with the aim of using them to make more informed crop management decisions (okay, and maybe also to take some nice farm yard photos and epic Facebook videos of machinery in action). But as Brunel Sabourin of Antara Agronomy explains in this video,... Read More
Many Ontario growers are witnessing the punishing affect that hot, dry conditions are having on corn crops, but soybeans are better able to weather the stress. In this episode of Real Agriculture Soybean School, Ridgetown College, University of Guelph field crop agronomist Dave Hooker takes a look at the components of soybean yield and explains…Read More
Cobless corn, 35 bu/ac oats, rising hay prices — the drought of 2016 continues to take its toll. Peter Johnson, resident agronomist at RealAgriculture, and host of the Word, discusses the impact the dryness is having on corn, spring cereal yields and the implications for applying manure, among other agronomic challenges facing Ontario growers. Listen... Read More
Cover crops have long been touted for their ability to help maintain soil health, control erosion, reduce nutrient loss and improve soil fertility. But could they put grain and oilseed crops at risk by playing host to disease and pests? That’s a question OMAFRA field pathologist Albert Tenuta is trying to answer. In this video,... Read More
How much corn yield could Ontario’s hot, dry summer cost growers? In this episode of the Corn School, Ridgetown College, University of Guelph field crop agronomist Dave Hooker explains that drought stress can have a tremendous impact on yield, especially during the two-week period that “brackets” silking. Hooker says that the number of rows on…Read More
Winter wheat acres in Western Canada have fallen by half over the last five years. According to Statistics Canada, just over 1.3 million acres of winter wheat were seeded in the fall of 2011, while only 635 thousand acres were planted in the fall of 2015 (see the chart below). Canola harvest timing and weather…Read More