Biologcials and biostimulants are gaining traction, but experts say Prairie grain growers still need to ask hard questions and look for data that backs up companies’ claims.
Tag Archives fungi
Biologicals, biostimulants make way into Prairie crop plans
But with more companies entering the biologicals and biostimulant space, Prairie growers are being urged to look past the hype and dig into the data
Herbicide researchers pick new fights
Different modes of action may overcome a lull in herbicide discovery
Herbicide development has slowed in recent years, but innovative research methods could soon drive significant progress in the field. For decades, the pace of discovery of new modes of action — that is, how a herbicide interferes with the plant’s normal functions — was robust. From the 1950s through the 1980s, an average of one […] Read more
Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Crop circles made by space invaders or salinity?
A Crop Advisor's Solution from the March 7, 2017 issue of Grainews
Jim, a Fairview-area producer, dropped into our office for coffee one morning in early October last year. When he spotted me, he called me over, eager to show me some photos he had taken of one of his canola fields. Jim said he’d finished swathing the day before, and he found something unusual in this […] Read more
Nurture fungus for good growth
Find out why your flax suffers following canola. It’s all about the fungus
There are a of things to consider when you’re planning long-term rotations: herbicide rotations, nitrogen needs, rainfall. How about adding fungus to that list? The relationship between fungi in your soil and plant roots has a big impact on your crop health. This relationship can cause flax to be stunted when it’s grown in rotation after canola. […] Read more
Putting life back into tired soil
Productive soils should translate into more productive livestock
Last fall we were able to disc 10 acres of our old hayfield that has been increasingly infested with water hemlock. Considering this has been a work in progress for about 10 years it felt magnificent to actually, finally, have the equipment, time, and weather all at once. After researching chemical control of water hemlock, cultivation […] Read more
Soil fungi key to grass production
The soil is a complex world working hard to complete natural cycling
We always enjoy the cattle on 4-Clover Ranch near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. It was our own animals back in the day and now someone else’s are on the farm for summer grazing. Fact is, we are really grass farmers and have chosen to harvest the grass with cattle rather than the haybine. We have […] Read more
Those critters are farming your soil
Soil Health: Healthy soil includes a healthy, complicated, diverse mix of bacteria and fungi
This was a clear message delivered by Mario Tenuta, Canada research chair in applied soil ecology and professor at the University of Manitoba, at a recent Manitoba Farm Writers and Broadcasters Association lunch. “What the heck is soil health?” asked Tenuta. “You hear a lot about it these days, especially this year, the 2015 International […] Read more
Crop rotations and soil science
Some see soil as mere dirt. Soil scientists see a complex ecosystem affected by everything from crop rotations to fertilizer
Using DNA technology, researchers are finding that microbial diversity in the sea is huge, said Dr. Marcia Monreal, soil microbiology scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. “But (their results) suggest the diversity in the soil is much larger.” Monreal explained that there is a food chain in the soil that includes bacteria plus other creatures […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
