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Tag Archives crop rotation

Farmer holding soybean
Columns, Crops

Good stewardship vs. soil health

Will the temptations of higher profits push Toban Dyck into unhealthy rotations?

By
I’m going be insufferable. If you can handle that, read on. I’m going to theorize about things that make me sound like I’m trying to be old and wise. I’m neither. I just hear things. And I’m a green enough farmer that many things are new to me and they stick. The last of my […] Read more
Crop diversity, rotational diversity and, if possible, getting animals on the land, are the ways to start building soil health.
Crops, Features

Cover crops for better soil health

Cover crops can help build the “livestock” that lives in the soil and improves productivity

By
It appears that the idea of farmers improving the soil is starting to take hold. The Western Canadian Soil Health Conference was held in Edmonton, Alberta, the first part of December 2015. Nora Paulovich and Tom Fromme, co-chairs on the organizing committee, did a wonderful job pulling speakers together and organizing it. It started at […] Read more
Native grass prairies and sunset
Crops, Features, Forages

Forages and grasses for marginal land

Permanent cover crops can increase fertility in "problem soils" over time

By
Jeff Schoenau has a word for agricultural areas currently in annual production that fail to deliver a return on expensive inputs: “heartache land.” It’s better known as “marginal” land, and it can be defined as land with soil that has limitations including poor water-holding capacity and water availability to roots due to sandy texture or […] Read more
Building up the soil in your fields
Crops, Features

Building up the soil in your fields

Changing your crop rotation and management can change the content of our soil

By
New research is showing that it is possible to make new, nutrient rich, productive soil on your farm without waiting for eons, simply by changing your crop rotation and management. The research, led by Dr. Stuart Grandy at the University of New Hampshire, is revising our conventional understanding of how soil organic matter (SOM) is […] Read more
Cover crops can help increase production by keeping soil cool, retaining moisture, and feeding the microbes and earthworms that build a healthy soil.
Crops, Features

How to plan your first cover crop

Before you choose a cover crop mix, make sure you know what you want it to do

By
Cover crops are becoming more popular. But how do you plan your first cover crop? The first part of the planning process is setting goals, says Kevin Elmy, owner of Friendly Acres Seed Farm at Saltcoats, Saskatchewan. Elmy has been growing cover crops for seven years and now grows and sells cover crop mixes. “With […] Read more
Is rotating your herbicides enough?
Crops, Features

Is rotating your herbicides enough?

Integrated weed management can slow herbicide resistance, but rotation is just one piece

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Integrated weed management (IWM) is not rotating herbicides or modes of action. IWM is combining one of more different weed management techniques, such as chemical, cultural, physical or biological weed control. Some IWM methods are easy to implement, such as making sure you select good, certified seed that will grow vigorously and out-compete weeds. Seeding […] Read more
Deep tillage can be beneficial under specific soil conditions, but use can also have serious negative effects on soil quality.
Columns, Crops

Understanding soil compaction

Agronomy Management: How to manage each of the three main types of compaction in your fields

By
In the last issue of Grainews I wrote about the effects of compaction on soil. Now, I’ll discuss the specific types of soil compaction and the ways each type can be managed. 1. Surface soil crusting This type of compaction is caused by a combination of soil tillage and raindrop impact. Causes: Tillage can bury much of […] Read more
AAFC's Dr. Abdelali Hannoufa says identifying a genetic regulator in alfalfa could lead to more drought-tolerant varieties.
Cattleman’s Corner

Drought-tolerant alfalfa studied

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Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researchers have discovered a gene in alfalfa that could help to make the crop more drought resistant. A team of researchers, led by Dr. Abdelali Hannoufa at AAFC’s London Research and Development Centre in Ontario, working in collaboration with industry partner, Forage Genetics International in the United States, discovered the […] Read more
Managing mustard on the Prairies
Columns, Crops

Managing mustard on the Prairies

In Part 1 of a 4-Part series on growing mustard, Ross McKenzie looks at basic agronomy

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Mustard is one of my favourite crops to grow on dry land in the drier regions of the Prairies. It is a great oilseed crop to include in a diverse crop rotation, which helps to disrupt pest cycles, increase moisture use efficiency and increase farm income. Canada is a world leader in condiment mustard seed […] Read more
Soil background
Columns, Crops

The making of a healthy soil

“Soil health” is a popular topic, but Les Henry says the fine points are mostly spin

By
We hear a lot about soil soil health these days so thought I should brush up on the literature. To give the punch line first: in my opinion it is mostly spin. Any introductory course or soils textbook starts by picking a hypothetical pound of ground and revealing the basics. Soil is half solids and […] Read more

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