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Maintaining and improving soil organic matter is vital to crop production and soil health. I consider the soil micro-organisms much like a feedlot — I have to think about feeding the soil biology.” – Tim Nerbas.
Crops

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

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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
Economic and ecological benefits of annual forages
Crops, Forages, Wheat & Chaff

Economic and ecological benefits of annual forages

Q & A with an expert

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Q: What can I do with my unseeded acres now the weather is more favourable?  A: Flooding and drought at seeding time are common situations that may lead to acres being unseeded to previously planned high-value crops. While crop insurance can provide varying levels of compensation for acres unseeded to long-season cash crops, sometimes opportunities […] Read more
Close-up file photo of an alfalfa plant in a Canadian field. (Jennifer Seeman/iStock/Getty Images)
Crops, Forages, Potatoes

P.E.I. seed potato producers backed for ‘soil-building’

Province puts up $3 million for BMP program

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In an attempt to support its potato farmers following trade suspensions with the U.S. over potato wart, the government of Prince Edward Island plans to put up $3 million in new funding for a program that will help farmers shift to “soil-building crops.” “In our meetings with industry and the P.E.I. Potato Board, the need […] Read more
Examples of field overlap include riparian zones, irregular field shapes and obstacles such as hydro towers.
Crops, Features

The problem with field overlap

Excess nutrient applications in these areas waste fertilizer dollars and can lead to crop losses and environmental damage

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There are lots of reasons why the traffic patterns of farm equipment can overlap in a field. The field could be an odd shape, there may be a stream cutting across it, or large obstacles like hydro towers have to be driven around. If this happens while you’re applying fertilizer, nutrients can build up in […] Read more
Some fungal diseases of crops are more prevalent in acidic soils. A good example is clubroot in canola in central Alberta.
Columns, Crops

Acid soil management in your fields

How to prevent, manage and remediate acid soils

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Soil acidity is determined by measuring soil pH. The “H” refers to hydrogen and the “p” refers to hydrogen concentration on a negative logarithm scale (soil pH is -log [H+]). A soil pH of 7.0 is neutral, meaning the hydrogen (H+) ion concentration in soil equals the hydroxyl (OH-) ion concentration. A soil pH less […] Read more
It is a great thrill for this old fossil to see soil moisture being used as a major factor in agronomic decisions.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Opportunities to learn in wintertime

What I discovered at the 2021 Crop Intelligence Annual Summit

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Winter is the time for catching up with reading not done in the busy farming season and going to agricultural shows and information meetings. For me, one of the highlights has been the Western Canadian Crop Production Show held in Saskatoon in early January. It was held this year, but I declined because of the […] Read more
Tips to conserve soil moisture and manage weeds this spring
Crops, Features

Tips to conserve soil moisture and manage weeds this spring

Plus, where tillage fits in and how and when it could be used

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Although it has only been on most farmers’ radars for the last couple of decades, no-till production has become a modern-day success story, with well over half of Canadian farmland now being farmed under its practices. However, no till relies heavily on herbicides to manage weeds and retain soil moisture. And with key herbicides like […] Read more
Drought-stressed peas in a fertility response trial in south-central Saskatchewan in 2021.
Crops, Features, Pulses

How to manage fertility for pulses after a dry year

Soil test and understand how nitrogen fixation can be affected

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When it comes to fertility planning for pulse crops, western Canadian farmers might want to consider soil testing this spring. That’s because there’ll likely be higher amounts of residual nitrogen left over and greater variability in nutrient levels due to last year’s drought, which curtailed crop uptake and nutrient utilization in many fields. “It’s important, […] Read more
Most Prairie farmers are well aware of the potential advantages of soil testing but lack confidence in the interpretation.
Columns, Crops

Soil analysis reports: get what you need

Seek out trained agronomists, reputable labs and wise interpretation of soil test results

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In the early 1980s, we used a commonly seen bumper sticker in southern Alberta that stated, “Don’t Guess — Soil Test!” to promote the importance of soil testing. However, 40 years later, less than 20 per cent of Prairie farmers soil test their fields on a regular basis. Why is this? For many farmers it […] Read more

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