The need for better record keeping

Reporter's Notebook: It’s not one of agronomy’s most exciting issues, but it’s a need that’s not going away

At CanolaLAB in Vermilion in February, record-keeping kept popping up during the agronomy sessions. Murray Hartman of Alberta Agriculture and the Canola Council’s Dan Orchard facilitated an interesting session on plant stand establishment. Target plant stand recommendations have dropped a little, but before farmers cut seeding rates, they need to know how many plants are […] Read more

Guarding Wealth: Long-term investing is a sure thing

There are short-term risks, but inflation and survivor bias make long-term bets winners

Let’s have a heart to heart talk about the fundamentals of investing on the farm and off the farm and, for that matter, investing in education for a career or a used car. Every investment has character, whether it’s a tech stock and you have to bet on a new trend or product on the […] Read more


Simplifying phosphorus

Simplifying phosphorus

Experts’ opinion on P fertilizer have changed over time, and are still changing now

In the early days of fertilizer use on the Canadian Prairies phosphorus was the only game in town- mostly 11-48-0. “If in doubt use 11-48,” was the chant. Much work was done to find the amounts to use for various crops and soils and the best way to put it on. We thought we knew […] Read more

Fertilizing for optimum economic yield requires less fertilizer than fertilizing for maximum yield.

Maximum versus optimum economic yield

Agronomy Management: Often, aiming for maximum yield doesn’t give you the maximum bottom line profit

Is your farm most profitable when you achieve maximum yield or optimum economic yield? There can be substantial differences in the amount of inputs needed for maximum crop yield compared to the economic optimum yield. Applying a higher level of inputs may give you maximum yield but often won’t provide the greatest profit per acre. […] Read more


Plan in advance to harvest good trial data

Agronomy tips... from the field

When a rep approaches you to be involved in a company trial, it’s typically because they see you as having good practices that will help provide strong trial data at the end of the season. Company trials can be a great opportunity for you to “test drive” pre-commercial varieties or products, and get a clean […] Read more

Bubble in the finance world

Guarding Wealth: When will the stock market bubble pop?

Stock markets are soaring in spite of increasing risks. If this is a bubble, will it last?

When is a bubble a bubble? The Oxford English Dictionary defines a bubble as “a significant, usually rapid, increase in asset prices that is soon followed by a collapse in prices… typically arises from speculation or enthusiasm rather than intrinsic increases in value.” The question is vital right now, for one of the best guides […] Read more


A ripe canola swath hampered by poor weather sits idle in Saskatchewan. (Oct. 2016)

The value of spring-threshed canola

Will it be worth salvaging and selling the canola left out in your field this winter?

Many growers across the Prairies are facing the reality of canola that’s been left out in fields over winter. Over the past few weeks, I’ve been talking to players in the canola buying and processing industry to find out who will buy spring-threshed canola, and to learn about some of their concerns. Major grain companies […] Read more

Selling your spring-threshed grain

Selling your spring-threshed grain

Brian Wittal has talked to potential buyers of those cereal crops still out in the field

Another warm spell has some producers who face the unenviable task of spring combining calling to ask what they’ll be able to do with the grain they harvest in the spring. Farmers are wondering where they can sell it and what it will be worth. Some are wondering if they should even bother trying to […] Read more


How good or bad is that unharvested crop?

How good or bad is that unharvested crop?

Hart Attacks: Farmers and processors won’t really know until quality is tested

I am sensing a muffled drum roll in parts of Western Canada right now as a few thousand farmers across central and northern B.C., Alberta and Saskatchewan are waiting to see what this unharvested crop looks like, when they do have a chance to get it combined. There were several thousand acres — about 10 […] Read more