I'm not a big markets person. I know, I know, it's agriculture, how could I not be into markets? I have a basic understanding of charts and outlooks, of course, but by my heart is in the soil, plants and animals — the futures market is rather Greek to me. Still, it's difficult to attend... Read More
Category: Soil
A soil test is an excellent starting point for any fertility plan, but interpreting the results can leave some people scratching their heads. There are several strategies to soil sampling itself — analysis and recommendation strategies vary as well. One Saskatchewan company takes a somewhat different approach to testing and recommendations, using made-in-Saskatchewan technology. In... Read More
It's easy to see what's going on with your corn crop above ground. You can see things like changes in colour, difference in height, physical damage. When it comes to a diagnosis however, in most cases it pays to start looking underground. Root analysis can keep you from throwing good money after bad. Adding nutrients... Read More
If nitrogen is the instant gratification nutrient, phosphorus (P) is the golden nest egg of retirement. Unlike a pension, it won't take 35 years to see a benefit to using P fertilizer, but it does require constant investment to keep the soil bank account full. The beauty of P fertilizer is that it won't be... Read More
There are several ways to measure the costs and benefits of crop rotations. Weed population changes, soil organic matter building or depleting, yield bumps or total energy used are all different ways of gauging the relative advantages of different rotations. Dr. Perry Miller, professor at the University of Montana, has done extensive work into crop... Read More
Reports of yellowed and even purple-tipped winter wheat are rolling in from across southern Ontario. Farmers are, understandably, concerned about what's going on with the crop and how this may impact next year's yield. Never fear, as Peter Johnson, OMAFRA wheat specialist, took the time to sit down with RealAgriculture.com and explain exactly what's happening... Read More
Do you know how many pounds per bushel of phosphorus and potassium corn pulls out of the soil? Nitrogen gets all the attention in crop production, but these two nutrients are also very important to corn production, and, in years of decent yields, the total pounds per acre of P and K drawn out of... Read More
Graze it. Use it as a cover crop. Use it instead of iron to break up hard pan. It would seem no matter what your cropping system, farmers in Western Canada could find a use for Tillage Radish. Nature's own plow, the massive tap root that the crop grows in a very short amount of... Read More
Soil is a magnificent thing. It's the medium that makes crop production possible. It's also rather mysterious. Even now, scientists are just beginning to scratch the surface of naming all the microbes that live in soil and understanding their functions and interactions. There's also much we do know and understand about soil and its ability... Read More
Clubroot has been a major discussion in Alberta the past few years. With best management practices developed and breeders trying to solve the issue through genetics, clubroot is receiving research dollars and attention from the industry and farmers. Check Out the Canola School Alberta Agriculture has released an updated clubroot map for the province which... Read More