Category: Features

Every field tells a story, and not just through the yield monitor. From final plant stand figures, to disease pressures, to weed spectrums and control windows, harvest and post-harvest scouting can offer so much information about what to do next year or the next time a field sees this crop again. To dive in to... Read More

Farmers on the eastern coast of Canada have barely begun to clean up from post-tropical storm Fiona, even as a new hurricane, Ian, bears down on a huge swath of Florida and eventually the Carolinas. The devastation caused by these huge storms is taking a huge toll on livestock, still-standing crops, and fruit and vegetable... Read More

Using best management practices (BMPs) with fertilizer management is all about making sure the nutrient is available to the plant while minimizing movement out or off the field, via air, water, or soil movement. To tackle what a fall-focused BMP might look like for phosphorus and nitrogen, host of The Agronomists, Lyndsey Smith, is joined... Read More

Each year, corn hybrid selection is a balancing of growing conditions, field selection, and in-field management that can bring up some tough questions to navigate when chasing big yields. On this episode of The Sharp Edge, Maizex agronomist Greg Stewart tackles these questions with with help from Illinois-based Crop-Tech Consulting agronomist Ken Ferrie. Together, they... Read More

Fall weed control isn't just something to consider in the depths of the fall, it's something to consider now, in the final days of summer. The key takeaway is not one solution but a whole myriad of things, through integrated pest management (IPM). Joining host Lyndsey Smith to discuss the topic is Jason Voogt of... Read More

When talking soybean harvest losses, all the focus is on the header. But for canola, losses add up at the header and through the combine. Understanding how to manage those losses is a mix of agronomy, mechanical know-how, and patience. To break down the process, this episode of The Agronomists features Mike Staton, soybean expert... Read More

Spring planted canola is a dominant crop in Western Canada, but for Ontario farmers, the better option is winter canola. Still a minority crop, winter canola is gaining attention in the province, especially since the introduction of a new variety, Mercedes. What does it take to grow this brassica, starting in the fall? There are... Read More

Adding a winter cereal in the rotation can have beneficial impacts on everything from spring planting workloads, to harvest, to soil health and ground-nesting birds. But having success with winter cereals and winter wheat requires a little planning and some winter luck. To delve in to stubble choice, seeding timing, seeds per acre, fertility and... Read More

There are two main insect pests of wheat that keep breeders busy: the wheat stem sawfly and the wheat midge. There is resistance to each and effective predators of each, but the insects still manage to eat a significant amount of wheat yield each year. To unpack how these two pests cut yield, quality, or... Read More

The canola crop is marching towards harvest, and that means it's time to start the game day decision: is it ready to swath or do you let it stand? To tackle that question, we go to Doug Moisey with Corteva, and Shawn Senko of the Canola Council of Canada. From gauging seed colour change, to... Read More