Soil health Archives - Page 21 of 24

Resilient rotations

Researchers focus on precipitation use efficiency as a way to assess crop rotations

By Jim Timlick January 17, 2023

While extreme heat and drought made life miserable for farmers in many parts of the Prairies the past few summers, those conditions proved to be something of a silver lining for a group of researchers leading a project called Resilient Rotations. A key area of the study, which aims to develop a new approach to […] Read more

Using a nitrogen stabilizing product such as ESN allows farmers to place more nitrogen in or near the seed row without damage to the seedling.

Crops, News

ESN fertilizer: it’s all about the blend

Recommendations will vary with soil conditions but a 50 per cent blend with urea is described as the “sweet spot”

By Lee Hart January 16, 2023

Saskatchewan agronomist Shannon Winny says many of her customers find a combination of ESN and urea provides a valuable return on investment in most years and under variable growing conditions. ESN or Environmentally Smart Nitrogen is a controlled-release nitrogen fertilizer product first introduced by Agrium (now Nutrien) about 20 years ago. ESN is 44 per […] Read more

A view of a crop rotation treatment tested in Melfort, Sask., in July 2022 as part of the Resilient Rotations crop rotations project. Melfort is part of the project’s northern Prairies region.

Crops, Features

A new approach provides evidence to support the benefits of diversified rotations

A five-year study provides science-based, region-specific information on cropping systems

By Jim Timlick January 13, 2023

A new study being conducted in Western Canada could soon provide growers with valuable insights on how to achieve more productive, sustainable and resilient cropping systems. Resilient Rotations is a comprehensive research project that aims to develop a new approach to crop rotations. The five-year study is being managed as part of the Integrated Crop […] Read more

In drier Prairie regions, there is less benefit to using enhanced efficiency fertilizers such as ESN or Super-U.

Columns, Crops

Nitrogen fertilizer management to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, Part 2

Adopt 4R practices appropriate for your farm’s crops, soils, landscapes and agro-ecological areas

By Ross H. McKenzie January 11, 2023

In the last issue of Grainews (see ‘Nitrogen fertilizer management to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, Part 1’), I discussed the government of Canada’s target to reduce levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fertilizer application 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030. As stated in that feature, it is my opinion many western Canadian […] Read more

Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Five questions to ask your soil sampler

Q & A with an expert

By Stacie Yaremko January 10, 2023

Q: What should I ask my custom soil sampler?A. If you missed out on fall soil sampling, you might be looking at hiring a soil sampler this spring. Soil sampling may be offered by retailers, independent agronomists or dedicated soil sampling companies. The process seems straightforward — go to the field, collect soil in a […] Read more

A look at last year's map shows the red has mostly given way to yellow.

Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Soil moisture map for 2023

This year’s map won’t be a surprise for most farmers

By Les Henry January 9, 2023

Before we talk about the 2023 map, perhaps we should take readers back to the very first Stubble Soil Moisture Map, which was for the province of Saskatchewan only. It appears on page 109 of Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water if anyone wants to check it out. As far as I know, it was […] Read more

Figure 1. Nitrous oxide emissions from nitrogen fertilizer in 2018 from the agricultural areas of Canada.

Columns

Nitrogen fertilizer management to reduce nitrous oxide emissions, Part 1

4R nutrient stewardship practices could be the only answer needed to reduce emissions

By Ross H. McKenzie January 3, 2023

In December 2020, the government of Canada announced a national target to reduce absolute levels of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from fertilizer application by 30 per cent below 2020 levels by 2030. What does this mean for western Canadian farmers? It does not mean a 30 per cent reduction in nitrogen fertilizer use! But it […] Read more

Launch Pad is an easy-to-use precision ag app.

Features

Take the guesswork out of field operations

Launch Pad is an interactive software tool that optimizes equipment movement

By Mark Halsall December 29, 2022

Harvest is a hectic time on any farm, but for operations requiring large amounts of machinery and manpower to bring in the crops before killing frosts, the logistics can be particularly daunting. For Garrett Johner, who farms 35,000 acres of canola, durum and green peas near Macoun, Sask., the solution was a precision ag app […] Read more

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock

How does your farm stack up?

Canfax research project provides the industry with benchmark figures

By Lee Hart December 21, 2022

Larger beef operations running smaller-framed mature cows tend to be the most profitable combination, according to cost of production (COP) information collected by Canfax Research Services. That’s not an absolute statement. COP information from producers across the country over the past couple of years shows that some smaller operators with various-sized animals can be profitable […] Read more

Some of the key symptoms of a crop infected with sclerotinia include premature ripening and pale-grey or white lesions on stems, branches and pods.

Crops, Features, Hart Attacks

Sclerotinia control in canola

Growing hybrid varieties with improved disease resistance and other agronomic benefits can help protect your yields

By Lee Hart December 19, 2022

Reducing and/or preventing yield losses caused by sclerotinia in canola takes a multi-pronged approach, says a research scientist with Corteva Agriscience. Scott McClinchey, a canola breeder based in Guelph, Ont., says farmers can’t change the weather but they do have other measures within their control to help minimize the effect of the disease on their […] Read more

U.S. grains: Soybean futures edge up as Argentina ends export tax waiver

U.S. livestock: Hog futures hit contract high, herd falls short of estimates

Eastern wheat to be included in Cereals Canada’s harvest assessment

GFM Network News