When cleaning visuals from talks of years gone by, I stumbled on one from 1978 — the year canola was born. It showed what it took to produce 65 bushels per acre of canola in garden patch agriculture (i.e., small plots). In 1978, the highest average RM yield of canola in Saskatchewan was 29 bushels […] Read more
Les Henry: A recipe for 65 bushels per acre of canola
Some lessons learned many years later
Les Henry: Fusarium head blight update: nine years of data
A look ahead at crop rotations
The last time we talked about Fusarium head blight (FHB) was March of 2017. Some parts of that piece will be repeated here. Please note, this is being penned with my farm hat on. I am no expert on crop diseases but when I first saw that ugly pink colour on my 2010 wheat crop, […] Read more
Les Henry: Acid soils. A wake-up call
At the farm level, soil test, soil test, soil test
This piece came about because of a technical session I attended at scientific meetings in Saskatoon in July 2019. Rick Engel of Montana State University presented a paper showing soils on the Highwood Bench near Fort Benton, Mont., that had become so acidic crops like lentils and sunflowers would barely grow. The soils were at […] Read more
Les Henry: Weather and climate – more actual data
Climate data questions current frenzy about global warming crisis
Regular readers will recall my earlier column that provided annual and monthly temperature for Swift Current, Sask., from a complete record back to 1886. The data was compliments of a long line of dedicated scientists at the Swift Current Federal Ag Research Station. In this piece, we will expand the data to two other sites […] Read more
Les Henry: Soil salinity and tile drainage
Can investing in tile drainage make your Prairie soil less saline and more profitable?
The idea for this subject came from a recent phone call from a farmer in west-central Saskatchewan. He was considering the purchase of a piece of land that was priced below recent sales but did have salinity problems. He was wondering about the feasibility of tile drainage to fix the problem and make the land […] Read more
Les Henry: Fertilizing for forage yields
For higher grass yields, fertilize it like a crop
We often hear “plant it down” when a field is not performing well for annual crops. That may mean simply planting some grass and accepting hay yields determined by the moisture in a given year. It is not uncommon for such stands to perform poorly and then be utilized as pasture. There are many situations […] Read more
Les Henry: The fifth fertilizer R: nutrient balance
As the fertilizer industry focuses on 4Rs, let’s not forget that balance is important
In the fertilizer business, the 4R concept has received much attention in recent years. The idea is to ensure that fertilizer use decisions are based on selecting the right fertilizer, supplying it at the right rate, at the right time and with the right placement of fertilizer. The first three Rs go back over 40 […] Read more
Les Henry: Finding a place for bees
Syngenta’s Operation Pollinator: a good fit for an awkward piece of land
Bees are an important part of crop production, particularly canola. In recent years, concern about bee populations has initiated work to learn more and do more to help maintain bee populations. Operation Pollinator is a program of Syngenta Canada Inc. with the objective of encouraging bee populations to assist with pollination of commercial crops. It […] Read more
Les Henry: Prairie soil moisture map for 2020
Soil moisture at freeze-up in 2019: a range of moisture across the Prairies
The 2019 crop year was a challenge for all involved in our industry. The erratic rainfall patterns also challenged the preparation of this soil moisture map. Let me first acknowledge the assistance of staff from Crop Intelligence by South Country Equipment. They have now had several years of experience installing weather stations accompanied by the […] Read more
Les Henry: Weather, climate and actual data
A look at changes in the 30-year average annual temperatures in Swift Current
In recent months there has been much press anxiety about the “Climate Crisis.” The general gist is that planet Earth is warming to the point where we will be scorching to death. Crops will be unable to survive the heat and drought. Climate Change (warming) is the top priority in the minds of many, but […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
