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GrowPro

Western Canada’s magazine for agronomists and agrologists.

esn fertilizer
GrowPro

The role of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in nitrogen fertilization 

Crop Nutrition: Maximum crop production cannot be achieved with fertilizers and amendments alone

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When trying to enhance crop production with fertilizer, we first need to answer the following questions: What crop yields are possible and what fertility and moisture are required to get there?   Crops exhibit different water use efficiency in every part of the Prairies. Water use efficiency is also weather dependent and when combined with best […] Read more
Stony soil surface of an eroded knoll.
GrowPro

Ground Level: Mapping and managing eroded knolls

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How do we identify an eroded knoll? Eroded knolls lose soil organic matter due to years of tillage, wind and water erosion, which results in surface soil lacking good granular structure and thin to non-existent topsoil. When erosion occurs, it has different physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Some physical characteristics of an eroded soil can […] Read more
Ground Level: The power of seeing and the crutch of complexity
GrowPro

Ground Level: The power of seeing and the crutch of complexity

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“Seeing is believing” is a common cliché applicable to the adoption of technology in agriculture. Adoption rates of autosteer, sectional control and weigh cells in grain carts and air-seeder tanks are incredible. Auto guidance adoption, for example, was well above 50 per cent in the U.S. as of 2019 (McFadden et al., 2023). Nowadays, it […] Read more
Agronomy and the Law: Be careful what you recommend
GrowPro

Agronomy and the Law: Be careful what you recommend

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Recommending various herbicides, fungicides and pesticides to farmer and ag-retail clients is an important aspect of an agronomist’s role. These recommendations must be tailored to each grower’s fields in an economically viable manner and, in the case of pesticides, recommendations and the usage and storage thereof, must be within the law. In fulfilling your duty […] Read more
Only experts can spot the differences with the naked eye. However, huge differences can be identified using molecular genetics.
GrowPro

Science Brief: Plants adapt genes to farming methods

Farming practices can trigger genetic adaptions in plants, according to research at the University of Bonn. The 23-year project started in the late 1990s, when a research group led by Jens Léon started an experiment into how farming conditions affect plant genetic material. Researchers first increased genetic variation by crossing high-yield barley with a wild […] Read more
solubility test
GrowPro

Field Notes: So what about solubility?

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While conducting my PhD studies over the past three years, I have been fortunate to do a deep study on phosphorus (P). It is a fascinating nutrient often characterized by a series of seemingly contrasting truths. For example, while it is considered a nutrient essential for all life, it can also act as a pollutant […] Read more
laying tile
GrowPro

Understanding tile drainage

Tiling can be a good solution for fixing multiple problems, but it can also be complex to install, and costs vary widely depending on the farm. Make purchasing decisions easier by doing your homework first.

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Removing excess water is the big payoff for tile drainage. Submerged fields and saturated soils can slash yields, cause salinity problems and even spell the loss of the entire crop, if it’s bad enough. However, it is not an inexpensive fix, nor is it a simple solution, and it won’t work for every farm. That’s […] Read more
At left is a wheat crop seeded on shorter or more conventional stubble height, which trapped less snow over winter. At right is a more robust crop growing in taller stubble that was able to capture more snow.
GrowPro

Research confirms value of taller crop stubble

Technology is available to help set up, measure and monitor on-farm research projects

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Leaving taller crop stubble in the fall can improve the odds of higher crop yield in the following year, says Saskatchewan crop consultant Mike Palmier. His field observations in the 2021 growing season, followed by on-farm research trials through 2022 and 2023, produced data to support a recommendation to leave taller crop stubble. Even a […] Read more
A drone lifts off at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show at Woodstock, Ont., this September. There are no agricultural pesticides currently approved for application with drones, so agronomists must exercise caution when asked for advice on the practice.
GrowPro

Be wary when asked about spraying with drones

Farmers may ask for advice, but answering may get you in hot water

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It could happen anytime. As drone fever sweeps across Western Canada, a farmer is eventually going to ask an agrologist or crop advisor to teach them how to spray pesticides with drones. What do you do? Igor de Albuquerque advises extreme caution. “If the product in question does not include drone usage on its label, […] Read more
Elliott Hildebrand
GrowPro

Agronomist looks to give back to industry

Elliott Hildebrand sees a future for more intercropping and plant root simulator probes

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Like many kids who grow up on the farm, Elliott Hildebrand fell in love with agriculture when he was a child. When there wasn’t an opportunity to work on the farm as an adult, he pursued the next best thing — agronomy. Now he has his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in agronomy from the […] Read more

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