The data Prairie farmers get from chemical analysis of soils are necessary to develop a field fertility program — but as an Alberta program shows, those data don’t tell the whole story needed to assess soil health.
Tag Archives Chemistry
Measuring the components of healthy soil in Alberta
Part 1 of 2: Soil health more than just its chemical properties, according to the Alberta Soil Health Benchmark Report
Next Bayer R&D chief leading digital charge
Mike Graham has been “spearheading the digital evolution”
Bayer Crop Science has set a leadership succession plan in motion for R&D, naming plant breeder Mike Graham to head that division.
Water chemistry: a Coles Notes version
Soils & Crops: Conductivity and hardness of water samples show what you can use it for
First of all: readers who have Henry’s Handbook of Soil and Water can check out pages 124-125 for a detailed discussion of water chemistry, complete with calculations. Water is considered to be the universal solvent because it is capable of dissolving more substances than any other liquid. Therefore, one of the first things we might […] Read more
The future of broadcasting nitrogen in the fall
The inefficient practice is on the rise; however limits may be on the way in Manitoba
Broadcasting in fall is the quickest and easiest way to apply nitrogen — and the least efficient. So why, anecdotally at least, does the practice seem to be on the increase? Bigger farms and a shortage of labour could be part of it. Moreover, nobody knows when poor weather will shut down field operations. And […] Read more
Developing resistance: Group 2 herbicides
Each herbicide group kills weeds differently. Weed resistance differs by herbicide group
When talking about herbicide resistance, Bryce Geisel likes to make sure people realize that spraying herbicides doesn’t cause resistance in a weed. Instead there are individual plants that, by chance, resist the herbicide. Those plants survive and pass on their resistance traits. “And with Group 2s in particular, it’s just altering the target site,” says […] Read more
Dry down before straight cutting canola
Agronomy tips... from the field
Straight-cutting your shatter-resistant canola variety this season? Timing is of the essence, and you need your field to be ready for harvest. That’s why you may want to consider using a true desiccant for more precise control over your harvest timing. However, if controlling perennial weeds is a big concern — or you have a […] Read more
Turn up the heat on aeration fans when drying canola
Some growers grappling with a late harvest and high-moisture crops in 2016 added supplemental heaters to their aeration fans. This grower’s experience may inspire an upgrade to aeration setups for 2017
Things were a little off with Harvest 2016 and Chad Bown was desperate. The farmer from Ranfurly, Alta., was combining 14 per cent moisture canola in late November after a month or more of snow delays. Delivery locations were full, so on-farm storage was his only option. But aeration fans blowing cool air could not […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
