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Tag Archives agronomy

Iuean Evans, A.K.A. “Dr. Copper”.
Crops, Features

Earlier seeding has advantages

Seed according to conditions to optimize moisture, 
root development and nutrients

By
It is difficult to have a conversation with plant pathologist and soil fertility specialist Dr. Iuean Evans without hearing the word “copper” and the important role it can play in development of a healthy, high yielding crop. But he also has recently noted that early-bird agronomic practices are important for optimizing soil available nutrients and […] Read more
Getting the dirt on 4R nutrient stewardship
Crops, Features

Getting the dirt on 4R nutrient stewardship

Fertilizer Canada’s 4R nutrient stewardship research tour delivers valuable information

By
In the ever-changing world of farming, information is a more valuable commodity than the finest canola crop. Consequently, the recently launched webinar series “Across Canada Tour of 4R Nutrient Stewardship Research” sponsored by Fertilizer Canada is must-see viewing. The tour began last month in Alberta, where co-presenter Dr. Miles Dyck offered an overview of 4R […] Read more
Blooming rapeseed field at sunset
Canola, Crops, Features

Back to the agronomy basics in canola

Experts advise growers to focus on quality seed and nitrogen before less conventional inputs

By
Canola growers have been asking agronomists questions about promoted products. Do they work? And if so, are they worth the additional cost? Two researchers, Murray Hartman, oilseed specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, and Neil Harker, research scientist, weed ecology and crop management, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, conducted a study to test the inputs that […] Read more
Replace that pencil with an online calculator
Crops, Features

Replace that pencil with an online calculator

Take your homework from page to screen. Online calculators can help you add up production costs and estimate profits

By
If you need help planning for the upcoming crop year, there are plenty of online tools on provincial government websites to help. Some of them are in downloadable, customizable Excel spreadsheet format; and others are downloadable software that can producers can save to their computer and customize. With different soil and climate conditions, each Prairie […] Read more
Rigorous research should be conducted in Western Canada to test products or practices before promotion to Prairie farmers.
Columns, Crops

Yield boosting production information

Agronomy Management: Just because someone tells you something doesn’t mean it’s true. Base your choices on good sources

By
At this time of year, the popular press is loaded with promotional information in the form of advertising and news articles, touting the benefits of all kinds of crop yield boosting products. These may include: soil conditioners; nonconventional or speciality fertilizers; wetting agents and surfactants; biological inoculants and activators; and plant stimulants and growth regulators. […] Read more
grain bins and barley field
Crops, Features

Would your farm pass the stress test?

When you pencil out 
your farm budgets, 
calculate some “what if” 
scenarios as well

By
New provincial guidelines for estimating 2017 crop production costs are being released across the Prairies. These guidelines can help producers predict their operating costs, breakeven yields and profitability. Producers should also be doing a “stress test” to see how much deviation from those predictions the farm can actually bear without losing money, is the advice […] Read more
Once you suspect resistance, sending the seed for testing can confirm or allay your fears.
Crops, Features

Are there resistant weeds in your fields?

The answer to this question is probably yes. Testing can give you a definite answer

By
Every season more farmers face the challenge of herbicide-resistant weeds. “Herbicide resistance is the genetic capacity of a weed population to survive a herbicide treatment that, under normal use conditions, would effectively control that weed population,” said Dr. Jeanette Gaultier, weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. It’s sometimes described as evolution happening at an accelerated pace […] Read more
Garden Peas
Crops, Features, Pulses

94 is out there — don’t settle for average

Agronomics, fertility and overall nutrition can raise field pea yields as high as 94 bushels per acre

By
It was only a plot, and it wasn’t necessarily a realistic crop nutrient program most producers would consider following, but an ATP Nutrition demonstration at a Saskatchewan farm show last summer, showed Prairie farmers it is possible to produce an 94 bushel field pea crop. That 94 bushel yield, on plots at the Ag In […] Read more
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?

By
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
Getting better at what you do is the first step.
Columns, Crops, Markets

Staying competitive in a new world

Production is up in the Former Soviet Union and South America. Are you ready?

By
Up until about the last decade the advantage North American farmers had over those in Russia, Ukraine and South America was the use of machinery, technology, genetics and agronomics to produce higher yields. This kept per acre costs low enough to generate profits. Over the last 10 years farming in these other regions has caught […] Read more

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AGCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for Sept. 5, 2025

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