Taking representative soil samples, choosing the right depths, and analyzing key nutrients can improve fertilizer planning and crop performance on western Canadian farms.
Tag Archives organic matter
Soil sampling for Prairie farmers: How to test for nutrients and avoid common mistakes
Agronomy Management: Take representative soil samples, choose the right depths, analyze key nutrients
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
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.
Cover cropping requires intention
Science Brief: Keep your goals in mind
A recent study of cover cropping in Western Canada underlines the importance of setting goals before adopting the practice. Jodi Holzman, who graduated from Royal Roads University with a master’s of science in environment and management, surveyed 26 farmers from across Western Canada who grew cover crops. She then conducted in-depth interviews with six farmers […] Read more
Soil health benchmarking survey in Alberta
Researchers at the Chinook Applied Research Association’s Soil Health Lab have adapted a soil health assessment from Cornell University to evaluate Alberta soils
Every farmer wants “healthy soil.” But what does that mean, and how do they know if they have it? “The first question I ask when I’m speaking to farmers is, ‘How many of you have done soil testing?’” says Yamily Zavala, PhD, soil health lab manager and soil health and crop management specialist at the […] Read more
Ground Level: Mapping and managing eroded knolls
How do we identify an eroded knoll? Eroded knolls lose soil organic matter due to years of tillage, wind and water erosion, which results in surface soil lacking good granular structure and thin to non-existent topsoil. When erosion occurs, it has different physical, chemical and biological characteristics. Some physical characteristics of an eroded soil can […] Read more
Saskatchewan farm making compost pellets for added fertilizer
After years of trials, Kyle Heggie thinks his system is crop-ready
Kyle Heggie has been spreading a unique blend of compost on his crops for years, and has also used on-farm trials to test the practicality of mid-row banding compost “pellets” into the seed row next to the seed.
Soil organic matter and carbon sequestration
Changes in cropping practices over time have significantly improved soil quality
Prairie farmers have done an excellent job shifting to direct seeding, continuous cropping, using much more diverse crop rotations and fertilizing crops adequately, along with various other good agronomy practices. This has very positively improved soil organic matter levels and improved soil health across all the soil zones of the Prairies.
Prairie soils’ organic carbon climbing
Data from StatCan and AAFC highlight positive changes made in agriculture since the 1980s
Glacier FarmMedia — For much of the last five years, the federal government has been setting targets for Canadian farmers to reduce nitrous oxide emissions from fertilizer and methane emissions from cattle. The government has provided funding to help producers cut methane and nitrous oxide emissions from primary agriculture, while constantly beating the drumbeat of […] Read more
The biggest bang for your buck? Improve soil organic matter
Soil organic matter is vital for crop production and soil health — here’s what it does, why and how to improve it on hilltops and knolls
If you can tackle only one thing on your farm to enhance crop yields, let it be ways to improve soil organic matter. That may be somewhat of an oversimplification considering all of the factors that affect yield, but protecting and, where needed, improving soil organic matter levels may deliver the biggest bang for the […] Read more
What’s the relationship between soil organic matter and crop insurance?
Adjusting insurance premiums based on soil quality factors is an idea now being discussed
This is all just in the thinking stage right now, but the day may come when farms that can demonstrate production practices that maintain high levels of soil organic matter may qualify for reduced crop insurance premiums. It is a concept being pondered right now by Alberta’s crop insurance agency, the Agriculture Financial Services Corporation […] Read more
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