soil Archives - Page 20 of 27

Most common fertility questions

Rigas Karamonos answers the fertilizer questions he’s hearing from farmers

By Leeann Minogue April 7, 2017

At CropConnect in Manitoba in February, Dr. Rigas Karamanos gave his 868th presentation to farmers. He’s been counting. And, he said, it’s the 35th time he’s been asked to give a talk on “contemporary fertility issues.” He used his time on the CropConnect agenda to talk about the issues he hears farmers raising. Fertilizing for […] Read more

McGrath and helpers dig some soil pits along transect lines on native prairie
pasture that is part of Round Rock Ranching to establish some baselines through nutrient and biological soil testing.

Cattleman’s Corner, Crops

Are you a (soil) health nut?

Any treatments applied above ground will eventually affect what happens below your feet

By Sean McGrath April 6, 2017

I was eternally blessed to enter the University of Saskatchewan while Les Henry was still teaching at a time when we were “forced” to take at least an introductory soil science course. I learned a lot in that introductory course; mostly about how much I didn’t know (and how much Dr. Henry did). But more […] Read more

In affected spots in the wheat field, the plants had white heads and dried-up flag leaves. Something was causing the wheat to turn white, but what?

Cereals, Crops

Crop Advisor’s Casebook: Crop trouble follows a pattern

A Crop Advisor's Solution from the April 28, 2015 issue of Grainews

By Rachelle Farrell March 30, 2017

It was back at harvest time the previous year when I received my first SOS about a particular field problem from Joe, who grows canola, wheat and barley on his farm at Morinville, Alta. The performance of his barley crop just wasn’t up to snuff — yield was way down as a result of numerous […] Read more

Kevin Elmy of Saltcoats, Sask., uses a wide variety of plant species in his cover crop mix.

Columns, Crops

Planning fertilizer for forage crops

Some food for thought on fertilization to establish forage crops in your fields

By Les Henry March 9, 2017

Forage crops are sometimes treated as the neglected child. Once it is established, come along with a haybine if there is enough rain to make a crop. If it continues to rain after the bales are off maybe even come in to get a small second cut. Grass hay crops are often left to wither […] Read more

Crops, Weather

Manitoba storm may cause more than travel delays

By GFM Network News March 7, 2017

CNS Canada –– Road closures across most of western Manitoba due to a late-winter storm are likely only the start of the headaches to come, as flooding and/or late seeding may be a reality in many areas this spring. Meteorologist Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. in Kansas City said he was optimistic on moisture […] Read more

Moisture and a reduced stocking rate helped pastures to get back into a productive state above and below ground.

Cattleman’s Corner, Livestock, Pasture

Keeping soil biology ticking

Pasture Management: Grazing setbacks happen, but find opportunities to get back on track

By Kim Nielsen March 1, 2017

Normal weather” at 4 Clover Ranch near Rocky Mountain House, Alta. has been illusive for a couple of years at least and it has created some grazing challenges at the expense of pasture performance. Our planned grazing system, where we look at the health of the grass on an ongoing basis, has responded well over […] Read more

Crops, Features

Expert concerned about low phos levels

Stu Brandt is concerned about low phosphorus levels in Saskatchewan soils

By Lisa Guenther February 23, 2017

Stu Brandt is concerned about Saskatchewan phosphorus levels. Growers have been mining phosphorus since breaking the land, and it’s still happening today, he says. “That’s no longer the most appropriate strategy to be using,” Brandt told delegates at CropSphere in Saskatoon. Brandt is research manager at Northeast Agriculture Research Foundation. Although there’s typically plenty of phosphorus […] Read more

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 Ross H. McKenzie February 22, 2017

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

Columns, Crops, Weather

Les Henry’s prairie stubble soil moisture map

In the map of November 2016 soil moisture, there are no “very dry” areas

By Les Henry February 17, 2017

As usual, this map gives only a very general indication of the soil moisture situation on the Canadian Prairies as we went into freeze up November 2016. It can be summed up in a word WET. To make a soil moisture map it is essential that a good database of rain records from many stations […] 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 Kevin Elmy February 15, 2017

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

Daily Network News

Chinese pig farmers test fermented feeds as Beijing weans sector off U.S. soy

Deere settles U.S. right-to-repair lawsuit with $99 million fund, repair commitments

Klassen: Negative margins weigh on Western feeder cattle market

Tag Archives soil