soil health Archives - Page 4 of 12

Earthworm channels in soil tend to be enriched in organic matter, microbes and nutrients, which are of significant help in nutrient cycling.

One does not simply measure soil health

Agronomy Management: Just analyzing soil samples won’t give you the big picture

By Ross H. McKenzie January 29, 2025

Over the past 40 years, Prairie farmers have made extraordinary strides in improving soil quality. Two major reasons were the shift from using summerfallow to continuous cropping, and the shift from conventional cultivation to no-till or minimum-till farming. Farmer adoption of these improved practices was gradual. Most famers were cautious and wanted to be sure […] Read more

Bryan Prystupa speaking about AgExpert Sustainability at Manitoba AgDays on Wednesday, January 22. PHOTO: Don Norman

Machinery, News

New tool for carbon footprint tracking unveiled at Manitoba AgDays

FCC says the tool is a ‘non-judgemental’ way of getting a snap shot of soil carbon including sequestration

By Don Norman January 24, 2025

Soil carbon is an imporant thing to track, both emissions and sequestration. Bryan Prystupa, of Farm Credit Canada, spoke about a new tool that aims to give farmers insight into carbon on their farms.

Crops, News, Reuters

COMMENT: Fertile land for growing vegetables is at risk — but a scientific discovery could turn the tide

By The Conversation via Reuters Connect January 14, 2025

Research work at Quebec's Laval University's Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, carried out in partnership with 14 vegetable farms, offers hope for ensuring the sustainability of their soils.

Rick Bieber presents at the Western Canada Conference on Soil Health and Grazing on how to prioritize soil health through his many years in the industry. Photo: Melissa Jeffers-Bezan

Crops, Livestock

South Dakota farmer focuses on soil biology

Retired farmer Rick Bieber spoke at the Western Canada Conference on Grazing and Soil Health

By Melissa Jeffers-Bezan December 13, 2024

Rick Bieber, a farmer from South Dakota, spoke at Western Canada Conference on Soil Health about the many practices he has implemented to improve his soil on his operation.

News

World Soil Day celebrates critical resource

By Laura Rance-Unger December 5, 2024

December 5 marks World Soil Day, a day set aside by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to celebrate this critical resource and raise awareness of the challenges of protecting it. This year’s theme, “Caring for Soils: Measure, Monitor, Manage,” underscores the importance of accurate soil data and information in understanding soils characteristics and […] Read more

Crops, GrowPro

Digging into the cause of poor yields

Did drought, fertility issues or something else lead to that poor crop? We look at the possibilities

By Rigas Karamanos October 31, 2024

Your client’s crop yielded poorly, and they assume it was due to drought. But you suspect it may be a fertility issue. How can you accurately diagnose the problem? Let us first examine what dry and drought mean. A dry year means reduced crop growth and reduced nutrient uptake, since biological, chemical and physical processes […] Read more

TAP program participants at a recent event at Enderlin, N.D., west of Fargo, check out a Montag fertilizer application unit, designed for use in reduced-tillage and cover cropping systems.

Crops

Soil health training served on TAP for Prairie agronomists

North Dakota's Trusted Advisor Partnership (TAP) program coming north to Manitoba, Saskatchewan

By Jim Timlick October 22, 2024

A program designed to provide agronomists with practical soil health knowledge — and a peer sharing network on the subject — will soon be establishing roots in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Canadian Prairies Trusted Advisor Partnership (TAP) plans to launch its first cohort of about 15 agronomists in January 2025. It will serve as a […] Read more

A calf chows down on sorghum on John Griffin’s south-central Saskatchewan ranch.

Crops, Features, Forages

Sorghum sudangrass may help soil beat back diseases

The crop’s benefits for farmers are piling up, but be aware of some drawbacks, experts say

By Jeff Melchior October 18, 2024

Researchers have found potential in sorghum sudangrass — a hybrid of sorghum varieties — as a fungal disease-fighting, soil-enriching grass for cover crops. Although the research was conducted in Prince Edward Island, some say there may be applications for Western Canada as well — including potential as highly-nutritious cattle feed. Two Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada […] Read more

The “Off the Beaten Path” tour highlighted the multi-year research underway by several companies

News

Off the ‘slightly muddier’ beaten path at Discovery Farm

By Phil Franz-Warkentin July 16, 2024

The "Off the Beaten Path" demonstration tour presented by BMO at the Ag in Motion farm show July 16-18, highlighted the multi-year research underway by several companies at the 610-acre site, with the improved moisture levels in 2024 helping provide new data for the ongoing projects.

Columns, Editor's column

Editor’s Rant: Thanks, Les

By Dave Bedard July 9, 2024

We begin with sad news for readers who haven’t already heard: Les Henry, a soil scientist and university professor dedicated to the improvement of Prairie farmland, and a mainstay in these pages for almost 50 years, left us on June 14 at age 83, ending a long fight with congestive heart failure. We can defer […] Read more

GFM Network News

U.S. grains: Soybeans mixed on doubts over Chinese demand

Tyson Foods to close U.S. beef plant as cattle supplies dwindle

U.S. livestock: Cattle futures dip as Brazilian beef tariffs lifted

Tag Archives soil health