Reading Time: 3 minutes The federal government is investing $5,733,852 million in funding to advance soybean, corn and oat research and promote diverse crop rotations across Canada.
Feds invest in research to promote more diverse crop rotations
Crop rotations and the bottom line
Prairie researchers examine how different crop rotations affect net economic returns
Reading Time: 7 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – When it comes to on-farm decision making, the bottom line for most farmers is often, well, the bottom line. A 2019 survey of Manitoba farmers bore that out. The survey, conducted on behalf of the Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers, asked farmers which factors were important to them when planning their crop […] Read more
Soybean grower varies seed options to reduce risk
A variety blend can produce a complementary package for different field conditions
Reading Time: 4 minutes Variability is nothing new to growers, aside from posing a constant challenge. They tend to have a firm grasp of those parts of their fields that are the most variable, whether due to soil type or topography. But other than by investing in precision planting equipment or a variable-rate application system, dealing with those challenges […] Read more
Longer crop rotations can pay
The past season illustrated the benefits of building resilience through diversity
Reading Time: 5 minutes While there may be short-term costs of improving soil health through longer rotations, the past growing season in Ontario has demonstrated that they can be a good investment. “It’s one of those messages — especially in a year like 2022 — where there are growing seasons that bring it to the fore,” says Jake Munroe, […] Read more
Stay calm and spray on
A field guide to fungicide resistance management
Reading Time: 6 minutes Do you have questions about fungicide resistance? Have you ever wondered if that fungicide you used before is still working as it should? Are you worried about losing fungicide tools? Well, you’re not alone. “There have been a lot more questions about fungicide resistance in the last two years than in the last 10,” says […] Read more
Putting a value on crop diversity
Economists and agronomists are getting together to compare the benefits of short and long rotations
Reading Time: 3 minutes Have you ever stared at your crop plan and wished that it didn’t rely so heavily on canola? Or wheat? Or peas? Or any crop that is too often called on for cash flow at the expense of proper rotation? Agronomists have been beating the drum of crop diversity for years and farmers understand that […] Read more
Finding the value of cover crops for Western Canada
Cover crops are now standard practice farther south in the U.S., but do they have the same results on the shorter-season Prairies?
Reading Time: 3 minutes When Yvonne Lawley wrote her research proposal for a study of cover crops, she was specific about the wording of the title: Testing the cover crop hypothesis across Prairie Canada. It’s the word “hypothesis” that grabs you. What could be theoretical about cover crops? Some farmers have been using them for decades to help build […] Read more
Taking a long-term look at agronomy for canola
Researchers say canola’s environmental footprint has improved but a new agronomic struggle is on the horizon
Reading Time: 4 minutes Canola-based rotation systems can improve long-term sustainability by using less energy and storing carbon below the ground, but keeping them going on top is proving to be a challenge. A study by Saskatchewan Research Council’s Susan MacWilliam, along with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada research scientist Reynald Lemke and others, compared the impact of changing management […] Read more
Zone-by-zone nitrogen application may not pay
A three-year study finds surprisingly little response to extra nitrogen in both high- and low-producing areas
Reading Time: 3 minutes A new Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada study suggests producers should take soil test nitrogen prescriptions by management zone with a grain of salt. They don’t necessarily reflect what researcher Alan Moulin calls the “supplying power” of the soil, and since fields vary, there’s no one-size-fits-all prescription to meet crop nutrient demands. This doesn’t mean producers […] Read more
A sure-fire piece of crop advice
While there’s no ideal rotation for Western Canada, long-term studies show that over time, diversification will pay off
Reading Time: 3 minutes There are no silver bullets in agriculture — agro-ecosystems are too complex for any one tool to guarantee outcomes. All the same, some tools seem to have an outsized benefit. This holds true for pulses, according to a suite of research studies led by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research scientist Yantai Gan, whose focus […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
