In the January 9, 2012, issue this column did a piece about combining canola and the need to adjust speed to the crop conditions and combine separation capacity. To recap, we said that in a 70 bushel canola crop in fall 2011 at Annaheim, Sask., it was necessary to go 1.5 m.p.h. to capture all […] Read more
Still needed: canola combine
There is still a case for more research on combining speed, so we don’t lose valuable product
Soil: Test the right pound of ground
If you don’t measure what you have, you can’t know what to add. Know the basics of taking soil tests
First, some general tips around soil testing. The first thing to note about soil testing is that it is an index — it is not like a dipstick in a crankcase. A soil test (index) rates a soil as very low to excessive and is one piece of information to guide fertilizer use. But, use […] Read more
Irrigation: Past, present and future
During the past few wet years, irrigation projects have lost their urgency. Now is the time to refocus
This column has dealt with irrigation many times over the past decades, but this instalment deals mainly with the situation in Saskatchewan. Alberta is the big irrigation province where irrigation has been going for the longest but it has pretty well maxed out the acres that have water available. Manitoba irrigation deals mainly with potatoes […] Read more
Technology brings the world to your office
With Google Earth, visit the whole planet from the comfort of your home
In my youth we pounded a lot of pavement both summer and winter. Winter was for short courses and other extension events and summer was for research — soil fertility and drilling holes all over for soil salinity work. It is my great pleasure to have driven every mile of every Saskatchewan highway in the […] Read more
Bigger farms, bigger farmers, but who owns the land?
There have been big farms since people started farming. But they aren’t immune to market forces. Ownership rules can have an impact too
The recent demise of big farms like One Earth and Broadacre has been much in the news lately. This column predicted just that when the trend started several years ago. Big corporate farms with decisions made in the corner office of the 51st floor in Toronto or Calgary are destined for failure. The three-piece suit crowd […] Read more
Proper nitrogen application for your crop
Researchers and farmers have worried about the 4Rs of fertilizer for decades. The answers are not the same for everyone
In recent years there has been a great deal of hype about the 4Rs when planning fertilizer use: right source, right rate, right time and right placement. The first Grainews column I penned was in October 1976: “Nitrogen — when, what kind and how much to apply.” Back then, phosphorus was seed placed and nitrogen […] Read more
“Spending” phosphorus fertilizer from the soil
We’ve greatly increased the spending from our capital accounts of phosphorus
In my previous column, we established that phosphorus fertilization comes down to simple arithmetic: If we haul more phosphorus off to the elevator than we put on in fertilizer or manure, the phosphorus (P) soil test will go down and with it the crop yield potential. If we add more P than we haul away, over […] Read more
New wrinkles to adding phosphorous
If you own the land, adding phosphorus fertilizer will pay off in the long run
On February 8, 2010, my column looked at the economics of large single applications of phosphorus fertilizer. The economics are good, but the practice is still rare. Most graphs showing fertilizer use in Western Canada start in 1960. Before that, fertilizer use was sporadic and included only a few acres with a modest application of […] Read more
The value of wheat straw
It can be tempting to burn wheat straw, but that nitrogen is valuable
With five irrigation years in a row and with current adequate nitrogen and other fertilizer nutrients we have grown some big wheat crops with big straw left over. In 2014 some folks had problems with proper canola seed placement through the straw load on the surface. We might even hear the odd whisper about looking […] Read more
Stubble soil moisture map
Les Henry’s annual stubble soil moisture map shows, for the most part, an overall rise in the water table across the Prairie region
The situation as of freezeup 2014, brought a few changes. My red pencil was not used even in Alberta and “super wet” is back as it was in 2010 and 2012. “Super wet” is for areas that had significant rains on top of that needed to bring the entire soil profile to “field capacity.” The […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
