There are many ways to increase your chances of crop loss. Here are nine.
How to cause nine cropping disasters
Soil tests may not tell the whole story of phosphorus
Research shows “legacy” phosphorus might support crops long after you’ve stopped making applications
Reading Time: 5 minutes Do soil tests accurately reflect how much phosphorus is actually available to plants? A long-term study at the Semiarid Prairie Agricultural Research Centre in Swift Current, Sask., suggests they don’t. Research scientist Barbara Cade-Menun is leading a study on continuous wheat plots established in 1967. Until 1995, the plots received both nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer;[...]
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Eight things to look for in your soil test report
When you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc.[...]
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The dirt on soil tests
With soil nutrient levels dropping, how do you need to change your soil-testing program and fertility rates?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fewer farmers are sampling their soils. In Ontario, the numbers say fewer than 30 per cent of farmers test every three years, even though this trend is leading to a data gap at a time when everything else seems to be changing too, such as the rapid climb in yield potentials, and elite corn hybrids[...]
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Minogue: Rebalance your fields’ phosphorus bank accounts
Reading Time: 3 minutes While your crop rotations and your seeding practices have evolved into something your grandfather might not recognize, recommended phosphorous guidelines for Manitoba farmers haven’t changed in more than 20 years. Over the past year, Manitoba soil fertility experts came together to fill this gap. John Heard (Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Development), Cindy Grant (Agriculture[...]
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A message from April Stewart, Country Guide's Associate Editor
