There are two main insect pests of wheat that keep breeders busy: the wheat stem sawfly and the wheat midge. There is resistance to each and effective predators of each, but the insects still manage to eat a significant amount of wheat yield each year. To unpack how these two pests cut yield, quality, or... Read More
Category: Video
How can growers set themselves up for high yields when planting winter wheat this fall? Typically, the conversation revolves around planting early, phosphorus, weed control, and planting depth, but RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson says growers need to add a new management consideration to the conversation — heads per square foot. On this episode of the... Read More
Disease management can make or break any given crop year, and on this episode of the Pulse School we are taking a look at chickpeas and the most important disease to scout for, ascochyta blight. Dr. Michelle Hubbard is a research scientist in pulse pathology with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She says disease prevention starts... Read More
How much fertilizer do farmers lose when they apply nitrogen in season? Is volatilization a significant problem? Could 4R nutrient management and urease inhibitors help? On this episode of the RealAgriculture Corn School, University of Guelph researcher Josh Nasielski shares what he and his collaborators are learning about the best way to minimize in-season losses... Read More
Edible beans are usually viewed as one of the weaker performers among legume crops when it comes to fixing nitrogen, but new research shows they likely deserve more credit than they've been given. "We've really regarded them as non-legumes and standard practice in most areas has been to fertilize to their full nitrogen requirements," notes... Read More
Replacing the good ol' trusty calving book can be difficult, but there are systems out there that can help with that. Flokk Systems is one of them. The handheld device for data collection with a built in tag reader is important for traceability, says Jody Bell, of Flokk Systems. "It'll collect all your calving data,... Read More
Although livestock and crops have some similar concepts, one of the differences is that you don't have to keep your crops from escaping. The Razer Grazer, by Range Ward, is working to help keep your cattle in. Neil Thorsteinson, sales manager with Range Ward, was on hand at AgSmart at Olds, Alta., to show off... Read More
Extending the life of pastureland can be a main priority for cattle producers, especially in drought years, however, there are some tactics that can be employed to help carry operations through a tough season. Lorne Klein, a forage specialist who was with the Saskatchewan Ministry of Agriculture for the better part of three decades, says... Read More
Living in a world where everything from entertainment and fixes to problems are seemingly instantaneous, wheat breeding remains outside of these parameters, taking upwards of 10 years to have a concept come to fruition. This balance between what we know now and what may be needed in the future is what wheat breeders, like Richard... Read More
Fungicides are integral for preventing disease in many pulse crops, however, just like how weeds have become resistant to certain herbicides, diseases can become resistant to commonly-used fungicide chemistries. The majority of pulse fungicides on the market in Western Canada contain a Group 11 — the category of fungicide most likely to be overcome by... Read More