Tag Archives soil

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Crops

Four ways to increase your organic matter

A question that I hear a lot is, “How do cover crops fit into a grain operation?” Lots of grain farmers have no desire to get into the livestock business and no interest in producing hay. But many have some soil issues that need to be addressed. This can be done by buying more iron[...]
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Photo: Thinkstock
Crops

Six factors to consider if your soil moisture level is low

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To date, all indications are pointing to a dry spring, given the below-average precipitation received in many areas of the Prairies this winter. There are exceptions to every rule of course, but a lot of farmers had relatively dry soils going into winter, so we asked some agronomists and provincial crop experts what factors could[...]
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Students work at seeding the lysimeters by hand at the Elora Research Station.
Crops, Soybeans

The crop rotation effect

At last, scientists hope to explain exactly why rotations are such a good practice

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Reading Time: 7 minutes It’s one thing to know the benefits of a practice, it’s another to understand the “why,” especially when it comes to biological functions where the road to understanding can be anything but simple. In cropping terms, science has known about the benefits of longer rotations for years, but not about the exact reasons why. This[...]
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Growers have been completely shocked by the soil tests they got back.” – Jim Hazlewood, Stratford Agri Analysis.
Cereals, Crops, Oilseeds

Empty soils

Today’s big-yield genetics really are draining the nutrient supply in our soils

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Reading Time: 6 minutes The power of today’s corn hybrids and soybean varieties to exceed farmers’ expectations is a testament to the science of plant breeding, and also to the value of selecting the best elite genetics. That farmers in Eastern Canada have been able to push corn yields to 200 bu./ac. and soybeans to 60 bu./ac., even in[...]
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Soybean is more tolerant and resilient when it comes to early weed interference, compared to corn.
Crops, Soybeans

The challenge of early weeds in soybeans

A two-pass weed control strategy makes a lot of economic sense

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Reading Time: 5 minutes In an ideal world, it might not matter when a field of soybeans is sprayed, or whether it’s a soil-applied or post-emergence herbicide that’s used. But this isn’t an ideal world and application timing can be very important. So is the crop. In Country Guide’s spring Corn Guide, Dr. Peter Sikkema discussed the impacts of[...]
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Growing quality oats
Crops, Oats

Growing quality oats

Recommendations for oat agronomy from the new POGA Oat Growers Manual and research across Western Canada

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Reading Time: 6 minutes Soil and rotation Oats grow best in black and grey wooded soil zones that have higher moisture, but can grow on sandy loam to heavy clay soils as long as they have good drainage. To reduce disease pressure and optimize yields, oats should not be grown after cereals. The best rotational crops include canola, hay,[...]
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Longer rotations, adopting cover crops and the use of manure or bio-amendments would help boost soil organic matter levels over time.
Crops

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

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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[...]
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(2nd from left) Derek & Tannis Axten of Axten Farms of Minton, Sask. and François Handfield & Véronique Bouchard of Ferme aux petits oignons at Mont-Tremblant, Que. Photo: Bruce Sargent
Crops

Winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2017 celebrated

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Reading Time: 2 minutes National winners for Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer for 2017 were awarded on Dec. 1 to Derek & Tannis Axten of Axten Farms in Minton, Sask., and Véronique Bouchard & François Handfield of Ferme aux petits oignons at Mont-Tremblant, Que. “Once again, the seven regional finalists exceeded our expectations as innovative, forward thinking, young agricultural leaders. [...]
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The Breton Classical Plots were established in 1930, just east of the town of Breton and 100 km southwest of Edmonton.
Cereals, Crops

Some old ways aren’t better, but…

Long-term rotation study underlines that summerfallow harms soil health, but the old mixed farming model looks pretty good

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Reading Time: 4 minutes You might think that a long-term crop test might mean five years. A decade would be remarkable. But what could plots tell you about soil health if they’ve been going on for 87 years? They would tell you that Prairie farmers were right to stop keeping fields in fallow as part of a rotation and[...]
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The cover crop plot with the most complex blend of different species, including planting dates, method and rates.
Crops

PHOTOS: Farm Show demo digs deep on value of soil health

Roots, worm casts and different cover blends show amazing effects

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Reading Time: < 1 minute Soil health has been a buzz phrase that’s gone from a whisper three to five years ago to a chorus that’s spreading across the agrifood industry. That goes to show the swinging of the pendulum away from plowing and aggressive tillage — and it seems to be gaining more advocates with each passing day. This[...]
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