Reading Time: 8 minutes Much of what is known about specific practices in agriculture has been constructed then modified and sometimes deconstructed altogether. It’s an ongoing process that applies to virtually every cropping practice, from the use of moldboard plows to no till and from planting depth to fertility rates. Cover crops have been studied extensively across many parts […] Read more
Re-setting the mind-set on cover crops
Research is shining new light on when — and why — to make cover crops part of your routine field management
Growing canola in Canada’s east
Can canola be a southern Ontario crop too? The answer seems stuck at ‘Yes, but ...’
Reading Time: 5 minutes When talk to turns to “alternative crops,” there are several familiar options that come up in the conversation: oats, barley, dry (edible) beans, flax or rye are frequent mentions. But canola is often dismissed except in Ontario’s Near North region or at the very least, the northern tier of southern Ontario — northern Wellington, Dufferin […] Read more
A new horizon for genome editing of crops
The goal is to enhance food security and environmental sustainability — everywhere
Reading Time: 5 minutes In the realm of food production, most people are unaware of just how far agriculture has come. Consider how many plants used for food thousands of years ago are still being used today, but are virtually unrecognizable. By the mid-1900s, selective breeding had become more scientific than ever, but it still required upwards of 15 […] Read more
The future for glyphosate
The herbicide’s outlook is in question, but its value is undeniable
Reading Time: 7 minutes Glyphosate is a world of contrasts. For growers, it’s the most widely used herbicide, certainly in North America and possibly the world. It is safe, effective, has been cost-efficient for more than 20 years and is known as “a one-in-100-year molecule” that has revolutionized modern agriculture. Glyphosate’s safety and long-term efficacy has been the subject […] Read more
Soybean cyst nematode isn’t getting better
The latest numbers confirm what we already feared
Reading Time: 4 minutes How much more can be said about soybean cyst nematode that hasn’t been discussed or debated already? It the worst yield-robbing disease in soybeans. Its key resistance gene, PI 88788, has broken down both in Canada and across the U.S. Midwest. Once it is in your soil, there is no means of removing it, so […] Read more
The latest on waterhemp
Incredibly, the weed is already resistant to four modes of action in Ontario, with more in danger
Reading Time: 6 minutes In U.S. farm media circles, it seems that every week there’s another report, another bulletin, another research paper about waterhemp. Often it’s a confirmation of another find in a midwest county or state. More recently, reports indicate the weed is resistant to seven different modes of action with the latest — Group 15 herbicides — […] Read more
Are crop trait technologies simplifying your life, or complicating it?
Deciding how to use the technologies can turn into more of a challenge than deciding which of them to use
Reading Time: 6 minutes The arrival of a new herbicide-resistant technology is often greeted as an opportunity for growers and the industry. That isn’t really new. Roughly 30 years ago, Group 2 herbicides solved the problem of atrazine resistance, then LibertyLink and Roundup Ready technologies enabled growers to push beyond Group 2 resistance. Now that Xtend and Enlist systems […] Read more
Are soybean diseases getting worse?
In spite of all the year-to-year variations, some worrying trends are developing
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ask a dozen farmers, advisors or industry reps to identify the worst soybean disease this year and it’s possible you’ll get a dozen different replies. Much of it depends on location, but there are concerns that some diseases are increasing in severity, if not frequency or geographic area. Some of the headline diseases of 15 […] Read more
Why farm innovation is faltering
Farmers are being left behind as they get squeezed between new regulations and consumer activism
Reading Time: 8 minutes The turn of the millennium was an amazing time to be involved in agriculture. Technologies like Roundup Ready, LibertyLink and Bt corn hybrids were in their infancy, with the promise of more to come from GMO labs. GPS yield monitors were new too, and the fledgling world of molecular “pharming” and “farmaceuticals” seemed to promise […] Read more
The growing body of science for corn growers
There’s nothing easy about producing new traits and hybrids in corn, or about how to get the most out of them
Reading Time: 6 minutes When your parents got their start, farming was relatively uncomplicated. The farm season was pretty much divided into plowing, planting, cultivation and harvest. Weed management meant getting on top of quackgrass, Canada thistle and mustard, and soil organic matter was out-of-sight, out-of-mind. And transgenics was a word no one had ever heard. Some things make […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
