Did you till soybean stubble this fall? If you have, you’re driving Peter Johnson nuts! In this Soybean School episode, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist confesses that the only problem with the tremendous Ontario fall weather is it gives farmers too much time to till. Wheat Pete says farmers should be inspecting their soybeans fields to see... Read More
Category: Soil
Have you tried baling corn stalks? Agronomist Pat Lynch thinks you can't bale enough. At Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show last month, Lynch helped co-ordinate the Corn Stalk Baling Demonstration. Afterwards he joined the Corn School to share his thoughts on whether Ontario farmers should be jumping on the stalk baling bandwagon. Today’s corn hybrids are... Read More
The yield monitor is still the best barometer when it comes to assessing the value of crop inputs and agronomic strategies, but UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) are proving to be an important tool for in-season measurement and assessment of cropping strategies. Not Just Toys: Adding Value with UAVs Chad Colby’s Top Tips for Integrating UAV... Read More
In this episode of In The Dirt, Salford’s Jim Boak introduces us to AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan and the role agronomists play in helping farmers implement and achieve 4R nutrient stewardship. Boak recommends farmers pay particular attention to how Cowan uses an approach called MOM to meet 4R objectives. This includes using the right... Read More
"I am the greatest botanist on this planet," declares Matt Damon's character in 20th Century Fox's new blockbuster "The Martian." Astronaut Mark Watney (played by Damon) is stranded on Mars, able to survive by growing potatoes for food. Several Earth-bound scientists who are members of the Crop Science Society of America shared their thoughts on... Read More
We're into the thick of the corn growing season, where you finally get to start seeing the real result of all the hard work that's gone into this crop before now. The 2015 season has been a trying one for many Ontario growers as a great planting season gave way to too little, then too... Read More
Tile drainage in North America has traditionally been installed with a single-leg plow that rips a vertical groove in the soil as it lays the pipe in the ground. Depending on soil type and moisture conditions, the single-shank will disturb the soil and leave a rut or soft spot that can take years to settle.... Read More
Phosphorus deficiency is a common problem with corn planted into a rotation following canola. In its early stages, corn relies on mycorrhizae to help with the majority of phosphorus uptake. The trouble with corn following canola is that canola and other crucifer plants are not hosts for micorrhizae, so the beneficial fungi populations must be... Read More
Soybeans are serious consumers of phosphorus, so it seems logical that supplying P fertilizer would be important for maximizing soybean yields, right? That's wrong, at least in the short-term, according to research results in southern Manitoba. Researchers from the University of Manitoba and Manitoba Agriculture are comparing how soybeans respond to three rates of P2O5... Read More
Not all wheat varieties are created equally when it comes to the amount of phosphorus they remove from the soil. Some varieties are efficient, while others are phosphorus hogs, explains Jay Goos, soil scientist at North Dakota State University, in this instalment of the Wheat School. So why does this matter? "The reasons I'm concerned... Read More