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Tag Archives Agricultural soil science

Pat Pfiffner, a farmer and senior technologist with Alberta Agriculture holing a soil penetrometer.
Columns, Crops

Rutted fields and soil compaction

What are the best ways to alleviate damaged fields in the spring?

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Persistent rains with cold, damp conditions in September and October made harvest last fall even more stressful that usual for many farmers. Trucks, grain carts and combines in wet fields have left moderate to severe ruts in fields across the Prairie. Ruts must be fixed before spring planting. Many farmers are also worried about soil […] Read more
This tillage radish is in the early stages of getting to work.
Crops, Features

The economic value of growing cover crops

Not all of the economic benefits of cover crops can be measured easily, but it’s worth a try

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The first question that comes up when cover crops are discussed is “Do they pay?” Net returns from cover crops will be determined by what goals were set, what species were grown and other intrinsic benefits from the cover crop. In any business, net profit is the difference between costs and revenue. The two ways […] Read more
Adding a pulse crop to your rotation will put N back into your soil, some even require less water to produce.
Columns, Crops, Weather

Get your farm ready for global warming

Agronomy management: How can you adapt your Prairie farm to changing climate conditions in the years to come?


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Many Prairie farmers have gradually come to accept that global warming is real. Over the past 60 years, our Prairie climate has been gradually changing. In most regions of the Prairies the length of the growing season has increased, the amount of heat (growing degree days and crop heat units) has increased and the number […] Read more
Getting the most from soil test reports
Columns, Crops

Getting the most from soil test reports

Ratings vary depending on crop type, yield goal and soil zone

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When you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc. […] Read more
Start planning spring crop rotations
Columns, Crops

Start planning spring crop rotations

Strong crop rotations can bring along a wealth of long-term agronomic benefits

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Crop rotations can be used to take advantage of differences in how each crop in a rotation contributes to increased soil organic matter, aids in pest management, manages soil nutrients and controls soil erosion. Rotating different crops in the same field can effectively promote sustainable crop production. If you haven’t already started planning your crops […] Read more
Dean Glenney found an abundance of earthworm holes in the non-trafficked areas of his field.
Crops, Features

CTF benefits soil over time

Fencerow farming system increases corn yield and changes farmers’ soil biology

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Fifteen years ago, when the bin-full alarm went off on Dean Glenney’s combine as he harvested his corn crop near Dunnville, Ontario, he had no idea what was going on, and he certainly didn’t expect the record yield of 236 bushels per acre he pulled off the field that season. Since then his yields have […] Read more
After he harvested winter triticale in 2015, Garry Richards was able to graze cattle in the re-growing cover crop vegetation. This picture was taken on November 2.
Crops, Features

Holistic farming in practice

This Saskatchewan farmer has changed his rotations to work with nature

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When Garry Richards left his job as a pharmacist and brought his wife home to his family farm near Bangor, Sask., in the late ’90s, he had one main goal. “We wanted to make the farm work, so that we didn’t have to subsidize it from off-farm jobs in the long term.” He didn’t expect it […] Read more
Crops, Features, Livestock

What is holistic management?

Are cover crops on the rise?

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Holistic management is a framework for making decisions by looking at your entire environment, including your soil and the living organisms in it, how you’re capturing rainfall and energy from the sun and the diversity of the entire biological community. It also includes taking into account the environmental, economic and social consequences of the decisions […] Read more
Tillage recruited to deal with moisture issues
Crops, Features

Tillage recruited to deal with moisture issues

Farmers still want to be zero tillers, but high residue, excess moisture and weeds are putting tillage tools back in the field

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Necessity is the mother of invention, but weather appears to be the mother of necessity, these days. That seems to fit as producers talk about the need for tillage in this October Farmer Panel. Zero-till and direct seeding are still foremost on producers’ minds when they look at overall cropping practices, but with several or […] Read more
Can tillage fit into a no-till system?
Crops, Features

Can tillage fit into a no-till system?

Some zero-tillers are now looking to tillage to manage disease and weed issues

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A large majority of farmers in Western Canada have adopted zero-till systems — with the exception of those in the Red River Valley who are dealing with heavy, wet clay soils where tillage is just a fact of life. Most farmers understand the many benefits of zero till, such as prevention of soil erosion, better […] Read more

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