Larger discs sure do look menacing. They also require far more horsepower to pull, but they wear out more slowly than smaller-diameter discs. But there are two very important considerations when choosing planter disc size. The first is trash management (guess which one cuts through straw better? You may be surprised) and the second is... Read More
Category: Crops
Many of the typical downgrading threats at harvest were a non-issue this year. There were no early frosts and very little rain to stain and sprout kernels. As such, much of the 2012 crop is testing very well with high germination rates and low weathering. The news is not all good, however, as extremely hot... Read More
The feel-good message about how healthy pulses are for us isn't new, but those who struggle to eat beans, peas, lentils and chickpeas in their whole form may be able to include more of them in their diet without changing the foods they already eat. That's the scope of a four-year pulse flour milling and... Read More
Dormancy or hard seed counts in peas is not a new phenomenon, but, interestingly, pea germination samples last year and again this year have had higher than usual hard seed counts. Hard seed is seed that has an impermeable seed coat — the seed is impermeable to water or the exchange of gases that occur... Read More
It's no secret that Manitoba farmers have embraced soybeans — in just 10 years the crop has gone from an experiment to topping 800,000 acres in 2012. Once only suited to the rich soil and hot days of the Red River Valley, soybeans are now grown as far north as Arborg, east to Beausejour and... Read More
Do you remember the time before the world was saturated with information? Do you remember having to wait to get it? We have so many avenues to get our information by now that our biggest issue is where we get our information from. When we look at consumer attitudes toward agriculture, good or bad, we... Read More
Whatever your reason for planting a cover crop — for ground cover, for grazing or putting up feed or for N capture — there's a long list of options. Add in the choice of a second, third or more species and the combinations are endless. Planting two or more species may provide expanded options for... Read More
Ah, October — when farmers' thoughts turn to fall field work, turkey dinners and canola seed. 2012 was a tough year for the oilseed, there's no doubt, but a difficult growing season can really highlight the strengths and weaknesses in your canola seed genetics. While some will stick with the tried and true, others are... Read More
When we consider the effects of dry weather, we tend to think mostly about germination and seeding, but the effects of prolonged dry conditions reach into other areas we may not consider. One of those secondary areas includes fall fertilizer application, in particular, anhydrous ammonia. While the Thanksgiving weekend finally delivered some much needed moisture... Read More
I've spent quite a bit of time in harvested canola fields this fall. It might be because canola started coming off in late August or that there were so many acres this year that almost every second field is canola stubble, but whatever the reason, I've noticed most fields have a few things in common.... Read More