Ever had a soil test come back with some surprising nitrogen levels? While it's typically lower than expected (don't we all wish N didn't just disappear?), every now and then a crop may have left some behind due to any number of factors, like water availability, timing of mineralization or some other something that maybe... Read More
Category: Soil
Does bare, black earth harvest the sun? Nope. Unless there is a plant to intercept the sunlight, that beam of energy doesn't really do a thing for the soil and that needs to change, says Peter Johnson, cereal specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food. Johnson, and many others at OMAF, are on... Read More
By Rob Wallbridge, Songberry Farm, Bristol, QC. The story of how I came to be touring Monsanto starts back in late April and a blog post where I questioned the current tenor of the GMO debate. It caught the attention of Janice Person, a Social Media Director for Monsanto, who commented, “if you ever want... Read More
As corn and soybeans move west and north through the prairies, the interest in equipment that departs from the typical drill grows substantially. As western Canadian farmers are learning, it's not just the planter that makes a big difference to corn yields; seed bed prep and fertilizer placement can be much different versus these same... Read More
The ability to measure, track and vary inputs and other agronomic data far exceeds most people's comfort level with data analysis. And if you're all, whoa, what the heck is she talking about? You've made my point. Any new(ish) equipment comes with the fantastic built-in capability to track what its doing, and as farmers add... Read More
Micronutrients may be needed in tiny amounts, but that doesn't mean they're unimportant. When needed, a micronutrient is just as necessary as nitrogen or phosphorus, albeit in much smaller volumes. That difference in volume creates a few logistical issues, as spreading only three to five pounds of any given product over an acre means the... Read More
While it may not be the go-to piece of equipment every year, the moldboard plow can still accomplish what other implements cannot in certain circumstances. The plow's reputation has taken a few knocks, but with careful planning and judicious use, farmers can minimize the risk of plow pan and organic matter losses and put this... Read More
In the last week, RealAgriculture.com became a totally big deal. Yes, we rolled out a podcast, the first of a few in fact, and these audio-only features will become a regular part of RealAgriculture.com's agronomy coverage. The podcast format is neat in a few ways: one, it's a bit longer, so we can explore topics... Read More
Fall and early winter are a great time for testing soil and seed and analyzing those results, to begin planning for the next growing season. Often, we do all of this planning but then never take the time during the year to check and see if we could be doing better or if the plan... Read More
If you've spent any amount of time with me, you'll likely catch on to two things: One, I really, really like coffee, and, two, I'm a total agronomy nut. In university, I originally intended to pursue some sort of livestock-based arc of study. I took one crop production class and was hooked. Plants fascinate me... Read More