Soil health Archives - Page 22 of 24

New soybean varieties for 2023

Varieties with high yields, strong standability, excellent disease resistance and more are on offer

By Mark Halsall December 13, 2022

Next year, there will be 20 new soybean options in the offing for producers in Western Canada. Here’s a look at what BrettYoung, Corteva, Dekalb, Maizex, Northstar Genetics, Proven Seed, Sevita International, Syngenta and Thunder Seed are rolling out for the coming growing season. Please note, this list only includes brand new soybean offerings for […] Read more

Columns

Les Henry: A note to readers

A health wake-up call, but soldiering on

By Les Henry December 12, 2022

On July 12, 2022, my world took a sharp downturn on the health front. It was a very hot July day. I worked too hard for too long in the heat at my Dundurn farm. The end result was a bad case of atrial fibrillation, AFib for short. For some, AFib means you get a […] Read more

Crops, Practical Tips

Keep on target

Strategies to minimize pesticide spray drift on your farm

By Jim Timlick December 1, 2022

Spray drift is defined as the off-target movement of pesticide dust or droplets through the air at the time of application or soon after. It can have serious implications for neighbouring farmers and other property owners. It’s an issue that has been around almost as long as pesticides have been used to protect crops against […] Read more

Crops, Wheat & Chaff

Surface contact pressure and axle load compaction

Q & A with an expert

By Nathan Trowell November 24, 2022

Q: How does compaction affect soil? A: Soil compaction is the removal of the pore spaces in soil. In our agricultural fields, soil compaction is categorized under two types — surface contact pressure and axle load. Surface contact pressure compaction occurs in the top 12 inches of the soil. It occurs whenever there is contact […] Read more

Five new, larger, seventh-generation 700 series Fendt tractors offer 203 to 303 peak engine horsepower.

Equipment, Machinery

New Fendt 700 series models

Seventh-generation models push the range to 303 horsepower

By Scott Garvey November 18, 2022

In late August, AGCO held an international press conference livestreamed from Germany, which focused on its Fendt brand. Attending that event (virtually) meant setting the alarm clock to be ready for its 3:30 a.m. Central Daylight Time start in Manitoba. Typical of press conferences held in Germany, it was loaded with a lot of detailed […] Read more

Gurpreet Lidder, along with family members, operates an 80-acre fruit farm
near the B.C. Southern Interior community of Keremeos, producing a wide
range of fruit through farm gate sales as well as to wholesale markets.

Features, Profiles

Another excellent crop of young farmer nominees

Horticulture, beef and dairy production, along with conventional and organic crops — a year of diversity

By Lee Hart November 14, 2022

A panel of judges will be faced with a difficult challenge in Saskatoon later this month as they look to select two national winners from a field of seven diverse, well-managed farming operations from across Canada. From tree fruit production to grass-fed beef, mixed farming to organic crop production, and dairy farming to potato production, […] Read more

A patch of annual red poppies creates a brilliant, striking effect in the garden.

Farm Life

Commemorative red poppies honour lives lost and look great in the garden

Plus, who was Skookum Jim?

By Ted Meseyton November 9, 2022

Thanks again to faithful readers for joining me on the Singing Gardener page and a golden hello and handshake to first-timers. Welcome to Ted’s world of words. At times my subject material can go beyond strictly gardening and may also include matters pertaining to health and wellness, recipes, music, folklore and even something historical. For […] Read more

Canola, Cereals, Features, Practical Tips

Take these steps to protect the quality of your stored cereal grains and canola

Don’t let malathion residue or OTA development put your stored crops at risk

By Leah Heppenstall October 28, 2022

As crops are coming off the fields and into the bin, Keep it Clean is reminding growers of best management practices to maintain crop quality and reduce storage risk. Two of the biggest risks to stored grain are contamination and spoilage. “Before storing canola, it’s absolutely essential that the bins are clean and malathion-free,” says […] Read more

With the dramatic rise in crush capacity slated for the Prairies, the onus will be on farmers to ensure there is adequate supply to keep up with rising demand for canola seed.

Canola, Crops

Priority No. 1 for canola growers: ‘produce more’

To take advantage of the biofuel boom and all of its benefits, farmers must increase canola productivity on each acre. Which agronomic tools can you lean into for the heavy lifting?

By Mark Halsall October 27, 2022

The biofuel market in North America is rapidly expanding, thanks in part to government regulations promoting clean fuels to drive down greenhouse gas emissions. This, in turn, is driving up demand for biofuel feedstocks like canola oil, which is why Chris Vervaet says grain companies are spending some $2 billion over the next few years […] Read more

A picture is better than 1,000 words. Here is a young canola crop neatly placed between the
12-inch-high wheat stubble from the Nerbas farm last year. The wheat stubble will have
caught snow to help provide better germination for the shallow-seeded canola and it
shelters the canola from wind.

Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Fuzzy thinking about soils and agricultural performance

What constitutes sustainable on a farm depends on soil climatic zone and what is feasible for the area

By Les Henry October 26, 2022

There seems to be a constant barrage of media comment about agriculture by folks who have little contact with real farms and little formal training in an agriculture faculty or school. Much of the discourse talks about sustainable agriculture, resiliency, regenerative agriculture and particularly soil health. There is not much detail about what the terms […] 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