Reading Time: 6 minutes In the past 12 months, there have been plenty of discussions, presentations and stories in the farm media about fertilizer use. The topics have covered its many forms, its costs and volatility, sources and reserves, even perspectives on preparing to manage your fields with less. In the middle of the winter meeting season last year, […] Read more
20 questions for your N program
Start the discussion now, before heading to the field this spring
The right corn hybrid for your soil?
Pat Lynch says there are other ways to maximize production — and they’re more realistic
Reading Time: 5 minutes It’s always high on any list of recommendations. No matter which researcher or agronomist you talk to, choosing the “right” hybrid for your field is always near their top of their Top 10 list for growing a more productive crop of corn. With precision ag systems, however, is it possible to determine which hybrids perform […] Read more
Maximum residue levels an issue that’s coming to a head
New trade agreements should be good for horticultural product exports, but fuzzy rules around MRLs could become non-tariff barriers
Reading Time: 5 minutes Mention maximum residue levels (MRLs) to a grower or a chemical company representative, and you’re likely to receive a frustrated response. In spite of trade deals between continental jurisdictions, the MRL issue continues to be a stick in the cogs of the smooth operation of trade agreements. The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) or the Comprehensive Economic […] Read more
All that confusion on seed treatments
Some implications of Ontario’s new neonic regulations are stunning
Reading Time: 6 minutes As the calendar has turned to a new year, the news from seed and chemical companies is that there is considerable confusion about seed-applied treatments. Growers, they’re finding, have been left with a mixed bag of information about the options available to them, much of which is flat out wrong. Some growers believed they had […] Read more
Change pays off today
For Tyler Vollmershausen, a high-tech focus on soil health is producing benefits that boost this year’s crops
Reading Time: 5 minutes Change may be inevitable, but that doesn’t mean it’s always welcome. On the farm, in fact, there are times when change can be greeted with suspicion, reluctance and sometimes even with disdain. Then there’s Tyler Vollmershausen, a sixth-generation farmer who works with his father Larry, his uncle Brian and his grandparents Doug and Connie on […] Read more
New in spring cereal crop varieties
Developments in the public breeding sector are generating excitement in spring cereals
Reading Time: 2 minutes The world of spring cereals may never be the same in Eastern Canada, especially in the next few years. In the past 12 months, two new positions have been filled within the public breeding sector, with new breaders at the University of Guelph and at Agriculture and Agri-Food’s Eastern Cereal and Oilseed Research Centre (AAFC-ECORC) […] Read more
The case for long-term weed programs
With Enlist soybeans and Roundup Ready Xtend coming, the time to start stretching your weed control horizon is right now
Reading Time: 5 minutes As a concept, a long-term weed management plan may be nothing new. Even so, however, the reasons to adopt it are looking stronger than ever thanks to a combination of new technologies and a weed-resistance threat that keeps intensifying. The concept certainly has merit, says Dr. Peter Sikkema, professor of weed science with the University […] Read more
Leap into 2016 with these agricultural meetings and conferences
There are great learning opportunities in the meetings, conferences and information sessions early in the new year, so here’s help to maximize your take-homes
Reading Time: 6 minutes It’s no secret that margins, timing and opportunity are all pretty tight these days. Quite simply, there’s more riding on your performance, both in the office and in the field. That’s why the winter season, with its multitude of offerings for meeting, networking and learning has become so important. It’s also why Country Guide is […] Read more
A big step for small grains
New market opportunities will come with research and advocacy
Reading Time: 5 minutes For several years now, there have been questions about adding crops to the Grain Farmers of Ontario (GFO). Beyond the charter commodities of corn, wheat and soybeans, for instance, there have been murmurs about bringing in edible beans. But early this past July, it was farmers who grow oats and barley who became the latest […] Read more
New in food-grade and edible beans
Market potential and the new Canadian health claim may boost interest and production
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canada’s reputation for excellence in the production and quality of identity-preserved (IP) food-grade soybeans and edible beans is a well-known advantage to those growers who contract to grow these crops on a regular basis. High proteins, high sugars, and unblemished seed coats are among the marks of excellence that attract buyers from around the world. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
