Reading Time: 4 minutes Is that cow cockle or cocklebur? It’s easy to tell when it’s grown so much that it’s already cost you yield, but not so easy when it’s first popping out of the ground. And once you know for sure, what are your control options? Insect control is even trickier. Is that critter eating my crop, […] Read more
Step one: Identify your weed enemy
Step two: Identify the best means to combat it. Here are some ways to help determine the treatments for weeds, insects and diseases
Who’s to blame?
Variable-rate technology is getting adopted, but not nearly as quickly as many farmers would like. Finally, this may soon change.
Reading Time: 9 minutes When variable-rate technology first came onto our radars roughly 20 years ago, it was supposed to revolutionize agriculture. We’re still waiting. But maybe not for much longer. In fact, maybe we don’t have to wait any longer at all. The advanced equipment systems needed for variable-rate technology have started to become available in the past […] Read more
Improving nature
Corn and the environment can work hand-in-hand, and thanks to our farmers, in many cases, they already do
Reading Time: 6 minutes Every harvest season, word spreads quickly about yield. And happily, that trend line is up, with growers taking off phenomenal yields whenever the weather is halfway co-operative. But can today’s yields co-exist with a healthy environment? It’s a question that is getting asked more and more. And for the most part, it seems, the answer […] Read more
When you need great crop advice
Some tips on choosing the right person to help navigate the maze of new crop varieties and technologies
Reading Time: 5 minutes There was a time when growing crops was fairly straightforward. You planted in spring, sprayed in summer and harvested in fall. There weren’t all that many varieties to choose from. Chemical inputs were limited. The provincial guides to field crop protection were only a few pages long. Today, there are scores of registered varieties and […] Read more
Manage down-force
New monitors and individual-unit controls give growers a better shot at top yields
Reading Time: 8 minutes It was in March 2012 that Dr. Fred Below of the University of Illinois first published his list of the seven wonders of high-yield corn production, revolutionizing how North America’s farmers and agronomists think about corn management. Is it time to shake up that list? Even keeping in mind the differences between growing conditions south […] Read more
Is strip tillage a residue solution?
We don’t want to see a step backward in reduced-tillage practices. So how can canola growers improve seed survival and crop uniformity in challenging residue situations?
Reading Time: 5 minutes The fall objectives: Make sure the chopper can spread the width of the cut. Have a chaff spreader to avoid the thick harrow-immoveable mat of chaff right behind the combine. Cut higher so more of the residue is standing stubble. If necessary, harrow the crop on a hot windy day. This is the no-till approach […] Read more
Dry weather weed control in IP soybeans
Weed control in IP soybeans is always a challenge. This year, it was nearly impossible… but not on all farms
Reading Time: 5 minutes Good weed control in Eastern Canada’s identity-preserved soybean fields this year appears to be just as patchy as the spring and summer rains, particularly in southern Ontario and parts of Quebec. Even Roundup Ready beans were slow to canopy in between rescue rains and required more in-season attention than usual. Then, as crops headed toward […] Read more
Pest Patrol: Farmers are reducing weed seed return after cereal harvest
#PestPatrol with Mike Cowbrough, OMAFRA
Reading Time: 3 minutes I was driving down a long country road and noticed two large fields where winter wheat had been harvested almost eight weeks earlier. Each had a beautiful thick canopy of oats. Figure 1 (at top). An oat cover crop planted almost eight weeks ago following winter wheat harvest. That same day, when I came across […] Read more
Get your soybeans planted early
If done right, planting soybeans early can boost yields
Reading Time: 5 minutes When farmers first began growing soybeans north of the border, the general recommendation was to wait until the May long weekend to plant. The advice was always to plant soybeans in your best field on the best day, and even then to cross your fingers. Since then research has consistently shown a yield benefit for […] Read more
Wheat’s turn to shine
Despite shrinking government support in recent years, there have been remarkable research payoffs, and new investments promise even more
Reading Time: 5 minutes High prices have made some of the advances in canola yields look pretty good in recent years, masking the fact that average Prairie wheat yield increases have been even higher. But with new private and public research investments and recognition that it’s not just a necessary part of the rotation, wheat is starting to grab […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
