Reading Time: 4 minutes If soybean diseases had a contest, it’d be easy to think of third or fourth place as something of a win, especially with soybean cyst nematode (SCN) and sudden death syndrome (SDS) holding firmly on to first and second. Yet for growers in eastern Ontario and western Quebec, white mould’s less-than-prominent status is hardly a […] Read more
Managing white mould in soybeans
Most of the disease is in eastern Ontario, but there are pockets everywhere
Canada launches offset credits to help tackle emissions
Landfill gas protocols now launched; ag-related protocols soon to follow
Reading Time: 2 minutes Reuters — Canada on Wednesday launched a credit system for greenhouse gas offsets, a major part of its plan to cut carbon emissions, starting with a set of rules stipulating how projects can generate tradeable credits by capturing gas from landfills. The government said protocols for four other sectors including agriculture and forest management are […] Read more
No poop for you: Manure supplies run short as fertilizer prices soar
Ontario honeywagon maker all sold out
Reading Time: 5 minutes Chicago | Reuters — For nearly two decades, Abe Sandquist has used every marketing tool he can think of to sell the back end of a cow. Poop, after all, needs to go somewhere. The Midwestern entrepreneur has worked hard to woo farmers on its benefits for their crops. Now, facing a global shortage of […] Read more
Manitoba soil temperatures allow for spring fertilizer
Winter ban lifted, with cautions
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers across Manitoba are now cleared to apply spring fertilizers including livestock manure on their fields, thanks to sufficiently warm soil temperatures, the province said Tuesday. Though the winter nutrient ban has been lifted, the province cautioned producers to “assess current weather conditions and periodically check weather forecasts” if they’re applying anytime between now and […] Read more
Quebec ag co-op to power up on dairy cattle manure
Reading Time: 2 minutes About a dozen Quebec dairy farms will be getting their collective manure together next year for the province’s first-ever ag co-operative devoted to renewable natural gas. Coop Agri-Energie Warwick, launched Monday, plans to start construction this spring on a $12 million biomethanization plant which will take in slurry and manure from dairy cattle mixed with […] Read more
Florence shuts down U.S. slaughterhouses
Reading Time: 3 minutes Chicago/Los Angeles | Reuters — U.S. food companies kept slaughter plants shut on Monday in southeastern states swamped by Hurricane Florence as flash floods collapsed the walls of at least two hog manure pits, made roads undriveable and delayed rail shipments. Catastrophic flooding from Hurricane Florence, which has dumped up to 36 inches of rain […] Read more
Soil organic freefall
Comparisons that date back 40 years or more in some counties show just how much organic matter we’ve lost, and how hard it’s going to be to replace it
Reading Time: 7 minutes For much of the past decade, provincial extension personnel, certified crop advisors (CCAs) and retailers have talked about declining soil organic matter levels in soils across Ontario. The trends towards intensive farming, shorter rotations, a decline in livestock farming and general practices that focus more on yield are some of the factors cited, together with […] Read more
Spreading the good news
The list of companies with soil amendment products continues to grow — as does recognition of their value
Reading Time: 9 minutes For 10 years, the bumper stickers said “Farmers Feed Cities.” Today, by contrast, cities may expand their role in feeding farms. For those who are backing the trend, the drive to make the use of soil amendments standard and commonplace is reaching a tipping point. The numbers more than suggest there’s tremendous opportunity to use […] Read more
No till goes dairy farming
In many ways, it’s been an easy transition for this dairy family
Reading Time: 6 minutes The Loewiths don’t describe themselves as a crop innovators, but they’re certainly not hesitant to glean advice from others and, with some careful consideration, adapt a practice or an approach to the conditions on their farm. So, while the move to no till in a dairy operation might seem a little different to some, with […] Read more
Manitoba extends fertilizing deadline to Saturday
Reading Time: < 1 minute A warmer-than-usual November has allowed Manitoba’s conservation and water stewardship department to delay its winter fertilizing ban until Saturday (Nov. 14). With soil temperatures not yet at the freezing point, the province announced Monday it would extend its deadline for spreading of phosphorus and/or nitrogen, including synthetic fertilizers and/or manure, to Nov. 14 from Nov. […] Read more
A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
