GFM Network News

More News →

Tag Archives soil testing

Pea root rot.
Crops, Pulses

Researching root rot control in peas

Evaluating the benefits of seed treatments, soil amendments and soil tests

By
There’s still a lot to learn when it comes to managing root rot, especially aphanomyces. When are seed treatments most effective? Do soil amendments help? And can soil testing help farmers pick the best pea fields? Fortunately, research is underway to answer those very questions. Dr. Syama Chatterton, an Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) researcher […] Read more
This photo and the one further down are of the canola on my “breaking” land — recently broken land (this is only the second time its been under a seed drill). The pictures were taken on July 27, 2015. In fall 2014 the soil test N in this field was only 20 lbs./acre to one foot but the zero to six inch level organic matter was 6.5 per cent. The “normal” areas in this field got 94 lbs. N/acre as anhydrous. This area got only the 20 lbs. N/acre as broadcast 21-0-0-24. Obviously, mineralization is providing much of the N. My zone fertilization plan involves telling the custom applicator to leave out the breaking and salty ground. It works!
Canola, Columns

Soil: Test the right pound of ground

If you don’t measure what you have, you can’t know what to add. Know the basics of taking soil tests

By
First, some general tips around soil testing. The first thing to note about soil testing is that it is an index — it is not like a dipstick in a crankcase. A soil test (index) rates a soil as very low to excessive and is one piece of information to guide fertilizer use. But, use […] Read more
Euan Evans, plant pathologist points out the value of providing a crop the whole nutrient package to optimize yields.
Crops

Soil testing more relevant than ever

If you don’t know what nutrients are in the soil it’s hard to meet your crop’s needs

By
To optimize crop yields, Ieuan Evans, a well-known western Canadian plant pathologist, urges farmers to get back to the basics — do a soil test and follow the recommendations. Evans, speaking to farmers at the Ag In Motion farm show near Saskatoon in July says farmers have been advised since the beginning of modern agriculture […] Read more
Wayne’s canola plants were purpling and dying. There was uneven and stunted growth throughout the crop.
Crops

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: A canola conundrum confounds

A Crop Advisor’s Solution from the September 2, 2014 issue of Grainews

By
In early June I received a call from Wayne, a canola grower in Westlock, Alta. He told me a field of his canola was suffering from very poor plant establishment and vigour. The plants were purpling and dying. “Only a few plants have come up,” Wayne said. “The ones that did are stunted and have […] Read more
ESN nitrogen on a field
Columns, Crops

Proper nitrogen application for your crop

Researchers and farmers have worried about the 4Rs of fertilizer for decades. The answers are not the same for everyone

By
In recent years there has been a great deal of hype about the 4Rs when planning fertilizer use: right source, right rate, right time and right placement. The first Grainews column I penned was in October 1976: “Nitrogen — when, what kind and how much to apply.” Back then, phosphorus was seed placed and nitrogen […] Read more
phosphate fertilizer spilling out from a hand
Cereals, Crops

New wrinkles to adding phosphorous

If you own the land, adding phosphorus fertilizer will pay off in the long run


By
On February 8, 2010, my column looked at the economics of large single applications of phosphorus fertilizer. The economics are good, but the practice is still rare. Most graphs showing fertilizer use in Western Canada start in 1960. Before that, fertilizer use was sporadic and included only a few acres with a modest application of […] Read more
extracting a soil sample from a field
Canola, Features

Fertilizer needs in canola

Without enough nutrients, canola yields suffer. Try these tips for nutrition

By
Canola production relies heavily on access to adequate plant nutrients, including nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and potassium. Since the nutritional level of an individual plant will affect its response to stress factors (including adverse weather and disease pressure), poor nutrition could mean the difference between profit and loss. It’s not just about profit, though. A good […] Read more
extracting a soil sample from a field
Features

Add soil sampling to the fall “to do” list

Testing soil in the fall gives you time over the winter to plan your spring nutrient needs

By
As if there wasn’t already enough on the fall “to do NOW” list, experts advise adding soil sampling to the fall work load, if it’s not already part of the farm management plan. “The reality of the situation is if you don’t know what you have to start with, you won’t know how much or […] Read more
Crops, Features

Soil testing with the PRS probe

Western Ag Labs’ Plant Root Simulator Probe offers farmers 
a unique way to look at crop nutrient needs

By
Every soil testing lab has its own methodology for testing soil and making nutrient recommendations. Since the 1990s, Western Ag Labs Ltd. of Saskatoon has been using its own unique tool — the Plant Root Simulator — to analyze soil and make recommendations for its clients. There are two steps to Western Ag Labs’ process. […] Read more

AgCanadaTV

AGCanadaTV: In case you missed it; your national ag news recap for Sept. 5, 2025

Sponsored By:
More Videos →

Cyber-Savvy Farmer

Glacier Farmmedia Podcast

Latest Market News

More Market News →