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Tag Archives soil science

Pat Pfiffner, a farmer and senior technologist with Alberta Agriculture holing a soil penetrometer.
Columns, Crops

Rutted fields and soil compaction

What are the best ways to alleviate damaged fields in the spring?

By
Persistent rains with cold, damp conditions in September and October made harvest last fall even more stressful that usual for many farmers. Trucks, grain carts and combines in wet fields have left moderate to severe ruts in fields across the Prairie. Ruts must be fixed before spring planting. Many farmers are also worried about soil […] Read more
Crops

Faster breeding with the Scanalyzer

Is field-scale robotic phenotyping: the next generation of precision ag?

By
It’s the world’s largest ag robot, and it could be called Precision Agriculture: Next Gen. Technically, it’s called the LemnaTec Field Scanalyzer. It’s a field-scale machine that looks at individual plants and quickly assesses many agronomic traits including leaf area, plant height, biomass, tip burn and drought tolerance, entirely on its own. LemnaTec, a German […] Read more
This tillage radish is in the early stages of getting to work.
Crops, Features

The economic value of growing cover crops

Not all of the economic benefits of cover crops can be measured easily, but it’s worth a try

By
The first question that comes up when cover crops are discussed is “Do they pay?” Net returns from cover crops will be determined by what goals were set, what species were grown and other intrinsic benefits from the cover crop. In any business, net profit is the difference between costs and revenue. The two ways […] Read more
Soil nutrients are in deficit after 2016
Crops, Features

Soil nutrients are in deficit after 2016

Consider the toll 2016’s big crop took on NPKS when planning for 2017 fertility

By
Make sure you have a late fall or early spring soil test as a guide to plant your 2017 crop fertility program. After the 2016 growing season, this is even more important than usual, says Rigas Karamanos, a long-time soil specialists who is now a senior agronomist for Koch Fertilizer Canada. Karamanos says his message isn’t […] Read more
Adding a pulse crop to your rotation will put N back into your soil, some even require less water to produce.
Columns, Crops, Weather

Get your farm ready for global warming

Agronomy management: How can you adapt your Prairie farm to changing climate conditions in the years to come?


By
Many Prairie farmers have gradually come to accept that global warming is real. Over the past 60 years, our Prairie climate has been gradually changing. In most regions of the Prairies the length of the growing season has increased, the amount of heat (growing degree days and crop heat units) has increased and the number […] Read more
Getting the most from soil test reports
Columns, Crops

Getting the most from soil test reports

Ratings vary depending on crop type, yield goal and soil zone

By
When you understand your soil reports, you’re in a better position to develop fertilizer plans with your agronomist. All soil testing labs report the same basic information, but each lab has its own unique format. No matter what your report looks like, first, check the information at the top: your name, address, field name, etc. […] Read more
Start planning spring crop rotations
Columns, Crops

Start planning spring crop rotations

Strong crop rotations can bring along a wealth of long-term agronomic benefits

By
Crop rotations can be used to take advantage of differences in how each crop in a rotation contributes to increased soil organic matter, aids in pest management, manages soil nutrients and controls soil erosion. Rotating different crops in the same field can effectively promote sustainable crop production. If you haven’t already started planning your crops […] Read more
This picture of me in my office last month is a little more current, and the computer is a little more modern than in the photo below.
Columns, Crops

40 years of writing for Grainews

Les Henry reflects on his 40 year tenure in the pages of Grainews

By
It is hard to imagine that 40 years have slipped by since I scribbled my first piece for Grainews in 1976. It was “Nitrogen: When, what kind and how much to apply.” Today we would call it the 3 Rs: Right time, right source and right rate. The 4th R, right placement, was yet to […] Read more
Crops, Features, Livestock

What is holistic management?

Are cover crops on the rise?

By
Holistic management is a framework for making decisions by looking at your entire environment, including your soil and the living organisms in it, how you’re capturing rainfall and energy from the sun and the diversity of the entire biological community. It also includes taking into account the environmental, economic and social consequences of the decisions […] Read more
Tillage recruited to deal with moisture issues
Crops, Features

Tillage recruited to deal with moisture issues

Farmers still want to be zero tillers, but high residue, excess moisture and weeds are putting tillage tools back in the field

By
Necessity is the mother of invention, but weather appears to be the mother of necessity, these days. That seems to fit as producers talk about the need for tillage in this October Farmer Panel. Zero-till and direct seeding are still foremost on producers’ minds when they look at overall cropping practices, but with several or […] Read more

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