Reading Time: 8 minutes When looking into how soybeans get traded around the world, the important thing is to keep it all in perspective. In fact, nothing is more important. But that’s not to say it’s easy. On the U.S. side, there are plenty of challenges, thanks mostly to the political upheaval of the last couple of years and […] Read more
The export perspective on soybeans
The window is open for producers and the trade alike, but be forewarned. As our experts tell us, not all markets provide the same opportunities for IP growers
White mould in soybeans hits back
Vigilance is needed for a disease that’s still on the rise in many parts of Canada
Reading Time: 6 minutes Ask any grower about their soybean crop and the discussion might lean in a number of directions. It might turn to managing tough or resistant weed species in Eastern Canada, or the growing opportunities for the crop in Western Canada. If and when talk turns to diseases and pests, it’s more likely to concentrate on […] Read more
Better herbicide tolerance
Better technologies are coming, but we’ll need patience and shrewd management until they arrive
Reading Time: 4 minutes Count off the many challenges facing a farmer in any growing season and outside of weather conditions, the biggest impediment has to be weed management, particularly as it relates to herbicide tolerance. In spite of the importance of varietal or hybrid selection and fertility, and the potential for yield losses from insect pests and diseases, […] Read more
The next corn battle
The boom in corn acres is great news for the West. But how much will it hurt growers in the East?
Reading Time: 6 minutes For years, there’s been one great truth in Canadian agriculture. East is East, and West is West. So it’s little surprise there’s a sense of worry about the growth of “eastern” crops, especially corn and soybeans, in the West, and the way that markets and processors may adapt to the new geography of those crops. […] Read more
Sulphur gets hot
The nutrient’s use is definitely trending up, and there’s still more room for growth
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s a question that’s asked of a lot of nutrients in soils across Eastern Canada: Is there enough in my soil, or isn’t there? Discussions surrounding deficiencies and field levels typically target macronutrients like potash and phosphorus, or even other nutrients like nitrogen, or the micronutrients magnesium, manganese, boron, zinc or copper. But sulphur sits […] Read more
Simplifying data management
Now into its second year, FieldView is helping users learn more, and do more for themselves
Reading Time: 5 minutes Precision ag is such a patchwork today. It seems to offer the potential to achieve so many great things on the farm, yet it can create almost as much bother and anxiety for the grower, i.e. the very individual it was created to help. With the number of systems, designs and platforms that can collect […] Read more
Farm the north country
Just ask Lee Laframboise. Ontario’s Near North can be a great place to farm
Reading Time: 5 minutes Spend a few minutes talking to Lee Laframboise about where he farms and it quickly becomes apparent that he’s right where he wants to be. That’s not rare among farmers. Most have a passion not just for farming but for their particular chunk of the planet, the surrounding landscape and the people who make up […] Read more
Higher corn yields on the way
Plant growth regulators are opening the door to unheard of yields
Reading Time: 5 minutes Plant science and breeding technologies have been at the forefront of the last century’s new yield plateaus, particularly in corn. First was the development of hybrid seed production along with research that led to an understanding of fertilizer and then weed control. Most recently, biotech innovations have provided enhanced pest and weed management opportunities. Amidst […] Read more
20 years of Bt corn hybrids
Growers are armed with more powerful, more precise tools than ever in history — but the war on corn pests is far from over
Reading Time: 7 minutes In any discussion of agricultural biotechnology, Bt corn hybrids shine as a huge success. Launched in 1996 in the U.S. and Canada, their 20-plus years in eastern Canadian production are worth celebrating for their unparalleled control of European corn borer (ECB). The technology has performed precisely as designed — without the development of the resistance […] Read more
New from old
Adapting old machines to precision ag is possible after all
Reading Time: 5 minutes When it comes to reusing, recycling or refashioning, farmers have always been the best. But mention “precision ag” and the feeling is that everything has to be expensive and brand shining new. Seldom does it seem possible to take something that’s already on the farm and rework it into something to use today. What if […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
