Machinery manufacturer and farmer Michael Horsch has adopted controlled traffic farming on the land he farms with his brother. 


Machinery manufacturer adopts CTF

More than 130 farmers, consultants and industry professionals visited Horsch’s 3,200 hectares Agrovation farm in the Czech Republic, as part of the second International CTF Conference, organized by CTF Europe and supported by Horsch, Trimble and Claas. Machinery manufacturer and farmer Michael Horsch has been an advocate of controlled traffic farming (CTF) for several years and so […] 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!

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

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


Applying your nitrogen in the fall

Applying your nitrogen in the fall

Agronomy Management: Fall application can be more convenient, but effectiveness varies, depending on conditions

Applying nitrogen fertilizer at the time of planting in spring is usually the best option for most Prairie farmers. But that means applying a lot of product, which can really slow down the seeding process. Getting the seed in the ground at the optimum time is important, and delays can reduce crop yield potential. Some […] Read more

Euan Evans, plant pathologist points out the value of providing a crop the whole nutrient package to optimize yields.

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

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


Nodules on a soybean plant.

Why nodulation fails

When nodules don’t form, yield will suffer. 
These recommendations could stop fixation failures

Nodulation failure can be disastrous to crop yields. In some cases, yield may be salvaged. In other cases, it will be too late. Two experts offer recommendations to avoid nitrogen fixation failures. Pre-farm failure Nitrogen fixation failures can occur at three points, says Garry Hnatowich, research director at the Irrigation Crop Diversification Corporation at Outlook, […] Read more

Deep brown colored wheat straw like this can have as much as one
per cent nitrogen and a total of 25 to 50 pounds of nitrogen per acre.

The value of wheat straw

It can be tempting to burn wheat straw, but that nitrogen is valuable

With five irrigation years in a row and with current adequate nitrogen and other fertilizer nutrients we have grown some big wheat crops with big straw left over. In 2014 some folks had problems with proper canola seed placement through the straw load on the surface. We might even hear the odd whisper about looking […] Read more


The CTF system makes it easier to do inter-row seeding.

What you need to know about controlled traffic farming

CTF enthusiasts are drawing lots of interest, and starting to collect 
long-term data. For some, the benefits will outweigh the costs


When you think about compaction, you might think an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. Controlled traffic farming is a system that may be both cure and prevention. Controlled traffic farming separates crop from traffic zones. “Wheel tracks are confined to specific lanes or tramlines,” Peter Gamache told delegates at Crop […] Read more

photo: lisa guenther

Carbon in your soil

Carbon levels vary across the Prairies. The ideal amount 
depends on yield expectations and the local climate

Great civilizations, including the Mayans and Mesopotamians, have been built on productive agricultural systems, underpinned by fertile soil. And as soil quality eroded, so did these civilizations. But when it comes to soil organic matter, it seems Western Canadian farmers have learned from the past. People have known for centuries that dark soil is generally more […] Read more


swede midge in different stages of development

Swede midge life cycle

Understanding the swede midge’s life cycle is the first 
step on the way to controlling this new pest

Swede midge adults emerge from mid-May to mid-June from pupae that have overwintered in the soil in cocoons. At least, this is the experience in Ontario — a great deal of research is still required to understand the insect and its life cycle nuances in Saskatchewan. The adult is a very small, delicate, light- brown/grey […] Read more

Three ways to lose nitrogen

Nitrogen is essential, expensive and easy to lose. New nitrogen efficiency 
products are built to offset these causes of nitrogen loss

Nitrogen is essential and expensive. But a good portion of the nitrogen farmers apply to the soil doesn’t get where it’s intended to go. Before the product can get to the plant in a form the plant can use, valuable nitrogen is lost through volatilization (released from the soil into the atmosphere as a gas), […] Read more