A University of Manitoba soil scientist is using AI and satellite data to explore how Prairie landscapes respond to long-term stress — and how they bounce back.
Tag Archives land management
Catching a landscape before it crashes
Using simulations to study landscape resilience
Sask. farmer’s soil health approach results in ‘soil armour’
Farmer Tim Nerbas protects his soil with a layer of organic material he calls “soil armour.” He says that and other conservation farming practices to improve soil health on his farm may take time — but it’s worth the wait
Northwest Saskatchewan farmer Tim Nerbas knows if he does the best job of managing crop production above ground, it is probably providing the most benefit to all activity going on below ground. He doesn’t test to measure the amount of organic matter in the soil on his 4,000-acre grain, oilseed and pulse crop operation near […] Read more
New land roller from Brandt
High-efficiency land roller series available this season
For those producers growing crops that require a very even field finish, like peas, lentils or soybeans, a land roller is a key piece of equipment. In February, Regina-based Brandt Agricultural Products announced they are adding yet another new product to their expanding line of tillage equipment with the high-efficiency land roller series. Available in […] Read more
Roll, roll, roll your fields
The next line might not be gently down the stream, but more along the lines of sooner rather than later
If you are a barley grower who likes to roll fields to make them level before harvest, don’t do it the day before your agronomist arrives to do field scouting. It makes it difficult for them to find the weeds. That may be one important reason to roll fields earlier in the spring as opposed […] Read more
A dry year is a good time to talk drainage
Tile drainage systems need to be properly planned, but farmers say they are well worth the effort
Western Canadian farmers like their tile drainage projects. They are not particularly cheap improvements. Costs vary widely depending on size and complexity of the project but, on average, figure on about $1,000 per acre to get pipe in the ground. But the benefits, according to this October’s farmer panel members, are many: A tile drainage […] Read more
The value and benefits of tile drainage
Here’s how this practice can make your farm more profitable
Installing drainage tile on farmland comes with a hefty price tag, costing anywhere from $900 an acre up to $1,400 an acre or more by some estimates. Like for any large capital expense, producers need to weigh the decision carefully before moving ahead with this kind of project. Ultimately it comes down to dollars and […] Read more
Move soil to where it’s needed most
Landscape restoration can restore productivity on eroded knolls and hilltops
You could say it’s an old idea that’s new again. The idea is taking topsoil from where it has accumulated in low areas and putting it on badly eroded knolls or hilltops to increase the productivity of a field. University of Manitoba soil scientist David Lobb maintains that’s something farmers in hilly regions of China […] Read more
When is tile drainage a good fit?
If your farmland has a high water table, floods frequently and suffers from salinity issues, odds are it can benefit, if there’s somewhere the water can go
After a two-day downpour drowned out 50 acres of canola last year, Dustin Williams decided it was finally time to do something about a field that had been plagued with paltry crops. “It just rotted out,” says Williams, who also grows wheat, oats, soybeans and edible beans on his farm near Souris, Man. It was […] Read more
Les Henry: A snow job, Part 2
Watch out for crop variability in 2021
Drought is now the operative word in major areas of Prairie farming for 2021. The drought in this area started on July 8, 2020, and has been interrupted by only two significant events — the big snow and blow of November 7 and 8 last year and the welcome May 2021 long weekend rain of […] Read more
Farm-built subsoiler combats compaction
Alberta farmer finds a low-cost solution by modifying old Rome Plow
Robert Snider, who farms near New Norway, Alta., found he had a problem with soil compaction in some parts of his fields and the result was poor drainage. “In the low spots, it gets so hard the moisture does’t seem to soak in,” he told Grainews. Snider came up with a low-cost solution to solve […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
