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Soil health

Along with native grass pastures, the Baergs are trying different combinations of seeded grass and legume species to 
provide both annual and perennial forage stands.
Cattleman’s Corner

Crop diversity intended to beef up the soil

Proper rotation is part of developing sustainable farming operation

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“If you take care of the grass, it will take care of you.” These are the words of wisdom Alberta cattle producer Jerry Baerg received from one of his mentors, and which he has followed as he and his family set about building a sustainable beef operation near Linden in south-central Alberta. Over the past […] Read more
Tips to interpret soil test results
Crops

Tips to interpret soil test results

Q & A with an expert

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Q: What factors should I consider when using soil test results for fertilizer recommendations? A: Using the three-legged stool analogy, the three legs of a good soil test are a good collection of the sample, the choice of an appropriate lab and the final interpretation of results.  There is risk to variance and error in […] Read more
Deere just introduced its ExactShot technology for planters. It applies liquid starter fertilizer only where seeds are planted, reducing the amount of fertilizer required.
Equipment, Machinery

John Deere introduces ExactShot for planters

Technology applies starter fertilizer precisely where seeds are planted

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In January, John Deere was back as a key exhibitor in the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Nev. While the company’s exhibits have turned heads during the previous couple of CES events, this year the brand had an even larger presence. Its CEO, John May, was the keynote speaker at the show’s opening. And […] Read more
Good soils or loamy soils are ones that contain equal parts of sand, silt and clay. Unfortunately, this ideal mix is not that common on the Prairies.
Columns, Crops

What is soil?

Let’s explore the properties of your cropland’s soil

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In everyday conversation involving agriculture, we hear about poor soils, clay soils, good soils, ruined soils, eroded soils, degraded soils, sandy soils, silty soils and so on. These names or descriptions are, for the most part, meaningless and very subjective. Soil is, in reality, a storehouse of water, mineral compounds of multiple complexities and plant-essential […] Read more
Ag tech: Look before you leap
Equipment, News

Ag tech: Look before you leap

Consider these factors before you put your money into the latest ag innovation

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Although it’s easy to be smitten with the latest precision agricultural technology, one expert in the field advises people to look before they leap when it comes to adopting the technological innovations on offer. “Do your homework and know that the return on investment or the value of a technology on one farm is not […] Read more
Wind erosion can have devastating consequences on soil health, as seen in this photo.
Crops, Features

How to build healthier soil

Farmers discuss what works for them at Alberta Pulse Growers seminar

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Ask a dozen people for a definition of soil health and odds are you will get 12 different answers in response. John Kolk is managing partner of Kolk Farms Conrich, located near Picture Butte, Alta., and is chair of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute. He was also one of the speakers on a soil health […] Read more
Bill Meneley (wearing sunglasses) checks out a flowing well on the farm of Gerry Wiens of Beechy, Sask.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Why do wells flow?

How to plug them and how not to plug them

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I will dedicate this piece to the memory of Bill Meneley (1933-2000), a hydrogeologist of much renown and our special consultant for the soil salinity work of the 1980s and ’90s. Those of you long enough in the tooth might remember the famous Red Adair, who was called in whenever a problem oil gusher was […] Read more
Western Canada’s Brown soil zone stretches north from the Canada-U.S. border through south-central Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan.
Canola, Crops, Features

More canola in the Brown soil zone?

While it may not be an ideal fit for this oilseed crop, farms in the area known as Palliser’s Triangle could see a big boost in canola acreage. Here’s why

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Palliser’s Triangle is considered one of the most arid sections of the Canadian Prairies and led the man for whom it is named to once remark the area wasn’t fit for man nor beast due to its sandy soil and unpredictable rainfall. Although that may have been true when Capt. John Palliser mapped the area […] Read more
The percentage of canola growers using variable-rate fertilizer on all of their fields in 2021 was down slightly from the previous year.
Columns, Crops

Why are farmers slow to adopt variable-rate fertilizer technology?

Reasons for the slow adoption rate plus tips to get you started

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Variable-rate fertilizer (VRF) application has caught the interest of a lot of farmers over the past 15 years. However, the level of adoption of VRF has been slower than expected. A Fertilizer Canada survey of canola farmers in Western Canada in the fall of 2021 found only 10.2 per cent of growers used VRF application […] Read more
Rebate roundup 2023
Features, News

Rebate roundup 2023

Make your crop input dollars go further this year with cash-back rebates and reward programs

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With the high price of fertilizer and other crop inputs these days, it’s more important than ever to be mindful of cash-back rebates and other grower reward programs as you prepare for the 2023 growing season. With this in mind, here’s our annual roundup (in alphabetical order) of rebates available to farmers in Western Canada […] Read more

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AGCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for Sept. 5, 2025

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