Now that the holiday season is behind us, we are full steam into meeting season. There's so much to learn out there — for you, and for the host of Wheat Pete's Word, Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson. Keep sending stuff Pete's way, and don't forget, if you see him out and about, please say hi!... Read More
Category: Soil
This month, representatives from nearly 200 countries, met in Montreal for the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity. The goal of this COP15 was to hammer out an agreement on conservation and biodiversity protection. Pierre Petelle, president of CropLife Canada, says that going in to the meeting,... Read More
More organic matter, fewer weed seeds and insect pests, and a nitrogen credit: that's what farmers get when they put forage in the rotation, says independent agronomist Pat Lynch. From better soil health to higher yields, the benefits of forage — especially alfalfa — is a story that Lynch promotes passionately. On this episode of... Read More
Harry Stoddart will take the helm of the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) on January 16, 2023. That's when Stoddart becomes the executive director of OSCIA, taking over from Andrew Graham who plans to retire in June 2023 after a six-month transitional period. Stoddart brings a unique combination of leadership experience in not-for-profit... Read More
Climate change is a hot topic of discussion to the chagrin of some industries and the excitement of innovators. Agriculture is an industry at the centre of much of the climate action talk, with an expectation to evolve and adapt. This year agriculture in Saskatchewan was on stage at COP27, the United Nations' climate change... Read More
A soil with excellent structure will allow healthy root development, have good water infiltration, and support equipment; but compaction and tillage can destroy structure and create root-zone challenges. Controlled traffic farming — where tire tracks of all implements are focused on the same route — is one way to decrease tillage and overall compaction. What... Read More
The way we farm is continuously changing, through knowledge-transfer, new technology, and innovation. How farmers take care of farms and the land required to raise livestock and produce grain is changing too — for the better. Soil health may have become a bit of a buzzword in recent years, but that's not to diminish its... Read More
Soil sensing is a precision agriculture method used to improve agronomy by identifying opportunities to manage variability. Dr. Athyna Cambouris is a soil scientist and researcher with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) at the Quebec Research and Development Centre, focused on precision agriculture and using soil sensing to improve agronomy. Cambouris says that grid soil... Read More
Effectively integrating a cereal rye cover crop into corn is not for the faint of heart. Cereal rye can deliver tremendous benefits for a corn production system but there are challenges. Many growers wrestle with how to get uniform establishment in the fall; determining the best nitrogen and tillage plans; and finding that sweet spot... Read More
The first green revolution of the mid-1900s included the discovery and advancement of fertilizer and crop protection that led to such incredible gains in food production that it spurred a population explosion and massive growth of cities. The next green revolution needs to be just as significant, but with a different end result: more food,... Read More