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Tag Archives Soils and Crops

Les Henry: Nitrogen fertilizer. Where from here?
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Nitrogen fertilizer. Where from here?

A look at emissions

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Nitrogen fertilizer is much in the news this winter with the feds talking about seriously reducing its use to save the planet. This piece appears here at this time because I have just read Kevin Hursh’s March 1, 2022, column in The Western Producer with headline, “Have your say on reducing fertilizer emissions.” He makes […] Read more
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Columns, Crops

PHOTOS: Les Henry: Saltlander grass for salty ground

This tale has a happy ending

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Saline soils flush up to the max with a dry spell after many wet years. The wet years bring up the water table and the dry years provide the evaporation to concentrate the salt. There is often an underlying cause (literally). And that underlying cause is artesian pressure from an aquifer. On my Dundurn farm […] Read more
The Bell Farm. Oil on canvas painted in 1985 by Fran Henry (1942-1988).
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Big farms are not a new idea

There have been winners and losers over the years

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There has been much ink spilled this winter talking about big farms and the problem of too few medium-sized farms to pick up the equipment trade-ins from big farms. Part of the problem is the electronic bells and whistles that dust out when the mechanical parts have much useful service left. Bells start ringing and […] Read more
This photo, from the July 2021 issue of Grainews, was taken on March 19 but the soil moisture data is from April 1. Spring snowmelt was early with little to no runoff. By that time, it was known the depth of snow and resulting depth of moist soil was highly variable over the quarter section. Soil temperature at three to four inches was 5 C or higher long before May 1.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Snow job 2022

Plus, seven tricks to try this spring

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This year, in the February 8 issue of Grainews on precipitation cycles, I wrote, “The long-term cycles are the climate, but farmers must manage what the weather throws at us in any given year. As the winter rolls on, I have a few tips I will offer about managing around Mother Nature by using all […] 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
Les Henry: A look at soil nitrate-nitrogen
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: A look at soil nitrate-nitrogen

Is there enough residual nitrate-nitrogen in the soil to feed 2022 crops?

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The drought of 2021 and the poor crops as a result have left us wondering what residual nitrate-nitrogen might be present in the soil to feed the 2022 crops. Nitrate in the environment The first thing we must realize is nitrate in the environment is, for the most part, a function of human activity in […] Read more
A highly saturated area in a canola field in Manitoba’s Interlake in 2016, and a good visual of what happens when water comes in faster than it can dissipate.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Some facts on precipitation cycles

What goes around comes around

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This piece deals with long-term water table records as a basis for tracing long-ago annual precipitation. I am dedicating this to the memory of Bill Meneley (1933-2000), who was responsible for establishing the observation wells, which are the basis of what I have to say. He started that work while with the Saskatchewan Research Council. […] Read more
In the foreground is the new variety with no manganese — and no crop. In the background is the new variety with manganese — a good crop. On the left is Dwayne Ericksmoen of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and on the right is Guido Myovella of Tanzania Agriculture.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Integrated, three-province, field research program for micronutrients needed

Some mechanism to assemble and publish case studies would be an asset

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In Henry’s Handbook we had this to say about micronutrients: “I do not suffer under any illusion that we have discovered all the micronutrient deficiencies that exist in Western Canada. It is best to maintain an open mind when the question of a new deficiency comes up. Micronutrient research is expensive and often not exciting […] Read more
Les Henry: Soil moisture map for 2022
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Soil moisture map for 2022

The soil reserve we’ve become accustomed to over the past decade is just not there

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It is no surprise to readers that this year’s freeze-up soil moisture map required a lot of red ink to print. In the Allan Hills, where my Dundurn farm is located, folks can drive combines with a full tank of grain through sloughs that needed a canoe to cross a few years ago. You do […] Read more
To make a soil moisture map, one must understand soil moisture.
Columns, Crops

Les Henry: Soil moisture maps. How it all happened

The adventure began more than 40 years ago

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The feature “Catalogue houses: Eaton’s and others and how it all happened” in the November 2021 issue of Grainews, gave a blow-by-blow account of how my book on the topic came about. The response has been tremendous, and many thanks to readers. Your letters, emails and book orders are very much appreciated. In this piece, […] Read more

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