agronomy Archives - Page 2 of 17

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.

Be wary when asked about spraying with drones

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

By Jeff Melchior November 9, 2024

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

GrowPro

Agronomist looks to give back to industry

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

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan November 9, 2024

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

Microsclerotia growing on the skin of the outer stem, which is peeling back.

GrowPro

A crash course on verticillium stripe

It’s important to know how to identify this newcomer to western Canadian canola crops and distinguish it from other diseases

By Jay Whetter November 5, 2024

Verticillium stripe of canola is causing yield loss in Manitoba and probably other areas of the Prairies. And it’s getting worse. The disease, caused by the Verticillium longisporum pathogen, was first reported in Manitoba in 2014. In 2015, Canadian Food Inspection Agency surveyors found the pathogen in six provinces, including all three Prairie provinces. The […] Read more

Crops, GrowPro

Digging into the cause of poor yields

Did drought, fertility issues or something else lead to that poor crop? We look at the possibilities

By Rigas Karamanos October 31, 2024

Your client’s crop yielded poorly, and they assume it was due to drought. But you suspect it may be a fertility issue. How can you accurately diagnose the problem? Let us first examine what dry and drought mean. A dry year means reduced crop growth and reduced nutrient uptake, since biological, chemical and physical processes […] Read more

TAP program participants at a recent event at Enderlin, N.D., west of Fargo, check out a Montag fertilizer application unit, designed for use in reduced-tillage and cover cropping systems.

Crops

Soil health training served on TAP for Prairie agronomists

North Dakota's Trusted Advisor Partnership (TAP) program coming north to Manitoba, Saskatchewan

By Jim Timlick October 22, 2024

A program designed to provide agronomists with practical soil health knowledge — and a peer sharing network on the subject — will soon be establishing roots in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Canadian Prairies Trusted Advisor Partnership (TAP) plans to launch its first cohort of about 15 agronomists in January 2025. It will serve as a […] Read more

Crops, Equipment, Machinery

CNH’s app, web portal upgrades based on farmer input

FieldOps replaces previous Case IH, New Holland brand-specific telematics

By Scott Garvey October 14, 2024

As many farms’ management practices go digital, growers increasingly ask for machine telematics and agronomic field data to be combined into one online interface — and it should be intuitive, streamlined, and maybe most importantly, fully mobile, according to Jacob Maurer, global product manager for CNH. When the company decided to redesign its web portal […] Read more

Initial symptoms of tar spot are brownish lesions on leaves of affected corn plants. Black spore-producing spots appear later. (Kiersten Wise photo courtesy Purdue University Botany and Plant Pathology)

Crops

Agronomists give predictions at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show 2024

By Kristy Nudds September 10, 2024

Tar spot is present is nearly every Ontario corn field this season due to a wetter spring.

News

MNP to launch agronomy practice

Company to consolidate six agronomy firms under MNP umbrella

By Geralyn Wichers July 15, 2024

MNP will consolidate six Prairie agronomy firms into its own practice, the accounting and professional services company announced today.

Columns, Crops

Soil testing and fertilizer recommendations on the Prairies

Are you getting the best 4R recommendations for your farm?

By Ross H. McKenzie February 7, 2024

I have been retired for almost 10 years, but farmers still contact me occasionally with questions about their soil test reports and for assistance with interpretation. I am a big fan of soil testing but soil sampling, soil analyses and interpretation all must be done correctly. If not, results can be very misleading and costly […] Read more

Here is a soil core laid out for sampling. Soil samples collected for soil nutrient analyses should be placed in breathable bags. In this picture, soil moisture samples were being collected and placed in stainless steel containers to precisely determine soil moisture content.

Columns, Crops

The importance of soil testing after a season of drought

Develop sound, economical fertilizer plans for each crop and field

By Ross H. McKenzie October 17, 2023

In my last article, I discussed concerns of herbicide residue carry-over after a season of drought. In this article, I will discuss the importance of soil testing for plant-available nutrients after a drier-than-normal growing season. Many farmers in the southern Prairies had below normal growing season rainfall, while some had almost no rain. The result […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. livestock: Cattle rebound on technical buying

U.S. grains: Soybeans fall as rapid harvest overshadows China trade hopes

Good weather pushes Alberta harvest along

Tag Archives agronomy