Category: Crop Production

What limits yield on your farm? Too much water? Not enough? Low soil nutrient levels? Not enough heat? At least one scientist will tell you it's none of the above — the most limiting factor for crop production in North America is actually soil carbon. "Our soils are starved for carbon," says Kristine Nichols, a... Read More

Farmers from a wide swath of Saskatchewan and Manitoba are slogging through washed out roads, flooded homes and submerged fields after a weekend of rain that dumped from three to over seven inches of water over the southeast and west portions, respectively, of those provinces. For many crops, the water is simply too much —... Read More

The importance of good spray coverage is emphasized in all kinds of agricultural publications, including product labels. But, according to Tom Wolf, spray application specialist with AgriMetrix Research and Training in this episode of Spray Tips, "the labels are remarkably silent on what good coverage actually is and how you can actually measure it." Wolf... Read More

An ever-increasing global population is putting stress and strain on our existing farm land and food resources — that much we know. But what do we do about it? Launched last fall, the Good Growth Plan is Syngenta’s answer, at least in part, to that question. A global initiative with six commitments, the plan is... Read More

Good forage makes money, but poor forage is money lost. Tom Kilcer, of Advanced Ag Systems in Kinderhook, NY, has spent years researching forage production, forage quality, and livestock performance. Here’s what he’s learned. Contrary to common assumptions, forage does not dry by the same mechanisms from start to finish. They are, in fact, three... Read More

This week, Winnipeg, Man., hosted the World Congress on Conservation Agriculture — a three day event that brought together research and extension staff with farmers and industry to discuss the state of conservation agriculture all over the world. Conservation agriculture, a combination of zero-tillage, cover crops, extensive crop rotation and more, looks very different from... Read More

The disease pressure landscape changes as the season progresses and from year to year, but there are always the endemic threats that farmers have to manage for. Part of the disease scouting process includes knowing what to look for, including some new or rare pests that could be making their way into your growing region.... Read More