There is many a cowboy who likely wouldn't dream of kicking the cows off his land and running sheep or goats. We get that. But if you haven't thought about the benefits of using sheep and goats on pasture, you may be missing out on a very efficient means of getting more out your existing... Read More
Category: Soil
June is a great time to assess patterns in a field and get to the root cause of any problems you see. Patchy areas, differences in maturity, height or colour could be any number of things — insect damage, disease, a nutrient deficiency or, and it's often overlooked, a soil structure problem. In this video,... Read More
Many soybean fields have taken a beating this year, unlike last year's straightforward early season. A late May frost, then really hot temps have stressed plants, plus crusting in some areas has entombed the poor beans under ground. In this RealAg Crop Update Ontario, Dan Foster with PRIDE Seeds, gives an update on not only... Read More
Top-dressing nitrogen (N) is on the rise across Western Canada for a number of reasons. Farmers are constantly trying to attain higher yields, and applying N after the crop has emerged allows a farmer to put down what he couldn’t with his seeder and manipulate yield or protein (in cereals) accordingly. It is also used... Read More
Editor's note: Welcome to a new series from RealAgriculture.com — In the Dirt with Salford Machinery. This 10-part series will look at crop production from the ground up, focusing on soil management and the role tillage plays in managing this resource. Many farmers have their favorite tools in their crop scouting kit, but how many... Read More
Whether you're using commercial blends or manure, shortly after first cut is a great time to fertilize forage fields. But, wait, aren't perennial crops low-input? Top notch hay producers will tell you that fertility is paramount to getting top production out of a hay corp and to ensure maximum persistence of that stand. In this... Read More
I'm likely the only mum of two young kids that you'll see taking pictures of weed seedlings on the way to the park. I do it for a few reasons. One, I work in farm media, you never know when you're going to need a really great shot of a lamb's quarters seedling (trust me,... Read More
There are two things you're always going to have with livestock — deadstock and manure. Both byproducts, if you will, present their own type of challenges. And then there are rules and regulations to contend with. Unlike some other byproducts of beef production, however, manure is a truly valuable resource if handled, stored and used... Read More
There are times, in my wanderings on the Internet, that I really do wonder — how did I miss this? Earlier this week, Dr. Tom Wolf, former Ag Canada researcher and current nozzle/spraying expert extraordinaire, alerted me to a certain three minute video featuring his colleague Steve Shirtliffe. Shirtliffe is a professor with the University... Read More
Early season field scouting serves many purposes. Not only is early scouting a powerful tool in keeping ahead of weed, disease and insect pests, but early season growth of the crop tells the story of planting. Sometimes that story isn't necessarily a happy tale, as crusting, variable emergence or thin stands can all be traced... Read More