Excess water after heavy rains in parts of Western Canada is not only impairing plant growth through oxygen deficiency, but it's also causing significant nitrogen losses. As John Heard, soil fertility specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, explains in this video, N losses depend on soil type, with rain causing leaching in sandier soils and more denitrification... Read More
Category: Podcasts
Rain, rain and more rain. Crops are flooded in parts of the Prairies. Ontario farm country has also received some glorious rain, as early wheat harvest yields look amazing. There've been a development in the Bayer-Monsanto situation, a new grain company with roots in Australia and Japan is building its first elevator in Western Canada,... Read More
Rain...finally! And some unbelievable wheat yields being reported — Wheat Pete is fired up (even more than normal!) for this week's update. After discussing rainfall amounts and early wheat results, Peter gets into the tight timeline for double-cropping soybeans, the impact this rain could have on corn, and much more. Listen or download below! Have... Read More
Growers topdressing melted urea to boost wheat protein should be asking their supplier whether it contains a contaminant that's toxic to wheat, suggests a soil scientist at the University of Manitoba. With the introduction of higher yielding wheat varieties, there's been new interest in applying post-anthesis nitrogen to wheat to boost protein content in Western... Read More
Are spider mites poised to infest your soybean fields? With drought conditions persisting across Ontario, Huron Commodities agronomist Wayne Wheeler says “it’s not a case of whether spider mites will show up, but when.” In this episode of Real Agriculture Soybean School, Wheeler explains that one of the major attractions for spider mites are well-groomed... Read More
Changes to wheat classes in Western Canada are just around the corner. Two classes will be created, while three others will be dropped, on August 1, 2016. Murdoch MacKay, commissioner with the Canadian Grain Commission, joins us for this episode of the Wheat School to discuss the changes and why they're being made. As he... Read More
When you see two tillers growing out of a corn root you may suspect the wannabe plants are stealing nutrients from the main stalk, along with yield potential. But that’s not the case, explains Pride Seeds’ market agronomist Aaron Stevanus on this episode of Real Agriculture Corn School. “Tillers are actually a good thing. It... Read More
The word "biosecurity" can conjure up some interesting images, not limited to an overabundance of showers, hard-drives of paperwork and hazmat suits. But, ensuring good levels of on-farm biosecurity doesn't have to be overwhelming. "There's been so much focus on biosecurity as a word," says Franklyn Garry, professor at Colorado State University, "that it does,... Read More
If the world of soil biology had its own version of Facebook, crops like peas, lentils, corn and flax would be listed as "in a symbiotic relationship" with mycorrhizal fungi. The microscopic organisms help these crops access phosphorus in the soil. Wheat would probably be friends with mycorrhiza, as cereals see some benefit from having... Read More
It's a diagnosis no cattle producer wants to hear, and it's likely much more prevalent than we realize. Caused by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), Johne's causes chronic enteritis (inflammation of the intestine), diarrhea and progressive weight loss in cattle. Despite the seemingly obvious symptoms in infected animals, the disease has characteristics that can make... Read More