The past few wet years have left some folks wondering if this is the new normal. What with Global Warming and all, perhaps we will have to live with these wet extremes. What we fail to recognize is that our experiences — even old fossils like me — are but a very brief flash in […] Read more
Extreme weather events: Part 3 of a three-part series
In the third part of a three-part series on water, Les Henry takes a look at the long term
Water quality: Part 2 of a three-part series
There is a lot of talk about water quality issues, but not all of the commonly-cited information is accurate
Note to readers: Before you read this article, I suggest you check back to page 14 of the April 15, 2013 issue of “Grainews.” The headline was “The Truth About Lake Winnipeg.” There will be some overlap with this piece. Water quality There are many aspects to water quality. For irrigation use, salt content is […] Read more
Excess water and farm drainage: Part 1 of 3
In the first part of the a three-part series, Les Henry tackles the dreaded “D-word” that can get folks’ dander up. That’s right. Drainage
This is Part 1 of a three-part series on drainage. Part 2 will deal with water quality and Part 3 with wet cycles and extreme weather. The past few years have been “back to the 1950s” for rain. Excess water has been the result. The 1950s spawned the Conservation and Development Branch (C&D) of Saskatchewan […] Read more
Thinking ahead: the next drought
After five wet years, its hard to remember that things will likely change in the future. But they will
Caution: before reading this piece please know that it is just thinking on paper. The objective is to plant the seed of an idea in the head of folks who are capable of making the equipment to make it all happen. Reality forces us to think in the moment. The natural human tendency is to […] Read more
Fababeans: our next Cinderella crop
A nitrogen-fixing legume that doesn’t have us competing with U.S. farmers could be an opportunity
Before you start — the headline is a bit of a stretch at this point but hopefully you will read on to learn more. The first department head of the newly constituted Soil Science Department, University of Saskatchewan (1919) was Roy Hanson, a soil microbiologist. His first observation was “we need to grow legume crops […] Read more
Tillage: not always a dirty word
Moisture cycles change over time. It’s not a crime for soil management practices to change too
When soil-incorporated herbicides were all the rage, tillage was the main operation on many farms. For some granular soil-applied herbicides, the recommendation was to cultivate several inches deep at high speed and to go over it twice at right angles. In the best black soils it was not uncommon to hear farmers say they had […] Read more
Sold the farm. Now what?
After an auction sale, farmers will have a lot of cash on hand. Les Henry offers some investment tips
I took a run at this topic a couple of years ago but think it is worth another run. This past year I have seen ads for many auction sales of former students, colleagues and friends. They have all recognized a once in a lifetime opportunity. Anyone long enough in the tooth has seen the […] Read more
Diary of a wheat crop
After a successful 2014 grain harvest at his Dundurn farm, Les Henry is grateful
This is the story of my 2014 wheat crop at my farm near Dundurn. August 25, 2013 Combined a 55 bushel per acre pea crop. No rain for over a month, so soil dry. September 24, 25, 2013 Mother Nature declares. There was 2.25 inches of nice gentle rain, all soaked in. Soil is now moist […] Read more
2014 was a bad year for fusarium
Farmers need better data to make good decisions around spraying for fusarium
Nothing sharpens focus on a production problem like a little skin in the game. My crop rotation on my tiny Blackstrap farm has been wheat, peas, wheat, canola since 1998. It is too much wheat, and for a very scary reason: fusarium head blight (FHB). FHB was a Manitoba problem, so no big worry for […] Read more
Henry: A word about micronutrients
With lower commodity prices, it’s back to “buyer beware” in the micronutrient market
Depending on the textbook you read and the plant you are growing it takes from 16 to 20 chemical elements to grow a crop. And, a nutrient required in even the most minute quantity can put the lid on yield just as much as a nitrogen deficiency. In Henry’s Handbook of Soils and Crops I […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
