While there is increased interest in narrow row corn both north and south of the Canadian border, the harvest equipment required for 15" row corn isn't exactly the norm. Sure, the Geringhoff header may one day mean row width doesn't matter, but in the interim, 30" centres are the norm. In response to the interest... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Wild oat control is, like it or not, an increasingly costly issue in Western Canada. Not only is herbicide expensive (costing growers over $500 million annually), we are also seeing an increase in resistant wild oat populations. There are several fields with confirmed resistance to both Group 1 and Group 2 products. Farmers do and... Read More
Well-managed pastures can produce good yields for years, but will produce best if fertility of those pastures is planned for the long-term. Big producing pastures require big fertility numbers, though grazing helps to cycle these nutrients back to the soil. Over-grazing, too low or high stocking densities and time all can begin to mine pasture... Read More
Hedging is a big scary word to many farmers. And it's understandable — it's an account that can flucuate significantly, making it seem like you've lost money. But, unlike speculators that never grow or store crops, farmers are in a unique position to use hedging as a low-risk price management tool. Why? Because as your... Read More
How does your auger hopper look? Does it need a few more rolls of duct tape and a couple more square bales to keep it in service? If you think auger hoppers are in desperate need of a re-design you are not alone. Cue Hoffart Services, based at Odessa, Sask., who thought it was about... Read More
Good reasons exist to better understand what sustainability means on the farm – and a lot of them have to do with consumers. It’s vital for farmers themselves to know how to best care for the land, water and air in which they produce food. No smoke and mirrors. Unsustainable practices mean trouble in the... Read More
Have you ever walked around a farm show and thought, "If only I had the money." We put that question, and a few others, to a group of farmers we bribed with t-shirts asked to participate in the latest installment of Talking to Farmers. Watch the video below to hear about how often these farmers... Read More
When it comes to spraying, earlier in the day is always better, right? Well, no. And that's because of a often misunderstood or unknown atmospheric condition known as an inversion. Inversions happen in the absence of sunlight, and can cause disastrous spray drift issues if farmers are spraying in them. It's not a simple concept... Read More
In this RealAg Crop Update Ontario, Shawn Brenneman, agronomic sales manager for Eastern Canada with Syngenta, takes us on a virtual tour of a large swath of the eastern Canadian growing region to talk about corn and soybean crop development. While early season conditions weren't ideal for corn and soy, recent heat has corn moving... Read More
30 degree C days are great for the lake life, but not so great for crop yields. Many of the crops grown across Western Canada are known as “cool season” crops, even though this may seem misleading as 25 degrees C may not seem all that "cool." Most western Canadian crops really do prefer temperatures... Read More