esn fertilizer

The role of enhanced efficiency fertilizers in nitrogen fertilization 

Crop Nutrition: Maximum crop production cannot be achieved with fertilizers and amendments alone

When trying to enhance crop production with fertilizer, we first need to answer the following questions: What crop yields are possible and what fertility and moisture are required to get there?   Crops exhibit different water use efficiency in every part of the Prairies. Water use efficiency is also weather dependent and when combined with best […] Read more



a handful of granular fertilizer for crops

Rethinking nitrogen efficiency

Tracking nitrogen with stable isotopes offers surprising insights into fertilizer uptake, loss, and management strategies

Understanding how much nitrogen actually gets taken up by plants is key to improving efficiency—both for profitability and sustainability.



oats

Cutting N on oats can pay off, if it’s drier

Potential gain in net revenue must be weighed against opportunity cost

Glacier FarmMedia — It’s possible to make more money from oats by reducing fertilizer rates, according to research done at four sites in Saskatchewan. But like most things in farming, a lot depends on the weather. Less nitrogen equalled more profits in trials done in 2023 because it was a dry growing season. “When you […] Read more

Dutch says its UHS design has undergone field trials over the past two seasons on a number of different drills.

New Dutch Agriculture opener knife prevents seed burn

Wider fertilizer-to-seed spread reduces toxicity risk in dry conditions

With drier growing conditions over many areas of the Prairies in the last couple of seasons, some growers applying high rates of fertilizer have been experiencing incidents of toxicity with seed. That problem has led some to look for different opener knives for their air drills that provide more seed-to-fertilizer separation. “We had customers come […] Read more


Capacity to sit on this year’s crop waiting for a better price won’t be an option available to everyone.

Feeling the pinch

Uncertainty across commodity and input markets creates difficult choices for farmers

Farmers are facing a tight squeeze this fall. Commodity prices are low, and the lower input prices that they’re used to this time of year are not materializing. Keystone Agricultural Producers president Jill Verwey says it’s a tough time for growers. “Being able to make a profit this year is going to be pretty slim,” […] Read more

salford valmar ab640 at ag in motion

VIDEO: Salford introduces Valmar AB640 air boom applicator

New granular applicator gets a wider 90-foot air boom

Growers now have more choices than ever on how to apply a lot of fertilizer in a short amount of time. In July Salford introduced its newest and largest air boom applicator. With a 90-foot boom, the Valmar AB640 goes well past the brand’s previous flagship model, the 9620, which offers 72 feet of working […] Read more



Joseph McKee preps seeding equipment at Stirling, southeast of Lethbridge.

Feeding dry fields

Prairie farmers find more than one way to optimize fertilizer efficiency, whether in dry growing seasons or in any growing season

Farmers and crop consultants in Western Canada have slightly different approaches to manage weather-related fertilizer application risks. With variable moisture, do you apply the full amount at seeding and hope for rain — or find another way? Most producers contacted by Grainews opt for some version of split fertilizer application when facing dry growing conditions […] Read more