Ontario crop yields have exploded over the last 35 years. Corn yields have increased by 80% during this time and soybeans are not that far behind at 65%. Those big yield gains create a much greater draw on soil nutrients. In the case of corn, for example, the average corn crop now removes 63 lbs... Read More
Category: Soil
On this week’s Word, Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture and host of this weekly podcast, gets into the hows and whys of reducing phosphorus losses, managing this year's wheat crop, and tillage on manure. Have a question for Wheat Pete? Call 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at peter.johnson@bell.net. Highlights: Ag... Read More
More than 280 Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) jammed into a London, Ontario hotel last week to talk agronomy, information and regulation. It was the largest turnout ever for the Ontario Certified Crop Advisors Association annual meeting since the event began 13 years ago. The province currently has 545 active CCAs and the number is expected... Read More
Real Agriculture’s resident agronomist Peter Johnson has found yet another reason to grow wheat. In this episode of Wheat School, our intrepid WheatPete turns reporter as he interviews Dr. Tom Bruulsema, the International Plant Nutrition Institute’s Phosphorus Program Director, on how farmers can better manage phosphorus application by including wheat in the rotation. Bruulsema notes... Read More
Soybean Cyst nematode (SCN) was first identified in Ontario in 1998. Since then the pest has slowly and methodically trekked across the province and can now be found in most parts of Ontario. In this episode of Soybean School, Syngenta agronomist Shawn Brenneman and field biologist Marijke Van Andel discuss findings from a research survey... Read More
It’s been quite a year for Ontario corn growers. Of course there are always exceptions and not everybody is the benefactor of timely rains and optimal growing conditions, but for the most part 2015 produced an incredible corn crop that averaged better than 170 bushels per acre. In this episode of Corn School, Pride Seeds... Read More
The Salford Group is expanding again. This time the Ontario-based tillage, seeding and fertilizer application company has purchased AerWay, well known to farmers for its soil aeration products. Salford Chief Executive Officer Geof Gray says the AerWay acquisition from SAF-HOLLAND Canada Ltd allows the company to “expand our niche tillage product line-up to offer more... Read More
There's been plenty of discussion about split nitrogen applications in corn — what's the best way to maximize yield potential? In this week’s Word with Peter Johnson, resident agronomist for RealAgriculture and host of this weekly podcast, he delves into the research looking at nitrogen application timing, method, formulation and more. It's a surprisingly corn-focused... Read More
Next August, Ontario Certified Crop Advisors (CCAs) will have an opportunity to write an exam that will grant them a new 4R Nutrient Management Certification. The new certification will be based on the 4R nutrient best management practice philosophy – Right Source, Right Rate, Right Time, Right Place – and is designed to enhance CCAs’... Read More
The Great Lakes Agricultural Stewardship Initiative (GLASI) has new application rules, deadlines and funding levels to better help farmers take advantage of the program. GLASI is targeted to farmers in the Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair watersheds, and Lake Huron’s southeast shores watershed, to help implement Better Management Practices (BMPs) that reduce phosphorus loading... Read More