Researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada at Saskatoon have developed a lab test for identifying blackleg disease races in canola that complements the new blackleg resistance-gene labels on canola seed. Knowing both factors — the blackleg races present in a field and the disease packages available in seed — will allow farmers to select varieties... Read More
Category: Crop Schools
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the crop's number one yield-robbing pest, and the problem is only going to get worse as the pest continues to breakdown the defence provided by SCN-resistant soybean varieties. It really is a case of the pest becoming "resistant to the resistance," says Iowa State nematologist Greg Tylka. About 95 percent... Read More
Your farm has a nutrient management plan, but does it include your neighbours? A larger-scale plan is a great idea for intense livestock neighbourhoods that struggle to use manure efficiently. It also ensures nutrients stay in the field and out of tiles and waterways, says Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs field crop... Read More
Even for seasoned soybean growers, harvest losses happen, and it's estimated 80 percent of harvest losses occur at the header with soybeans. At $11/bushel, getting a few extra bushels off each acre adds up quickly. Just how losses are affected by combine header design and harvest speed was the subject of a two-year study by... Read More
It's a question people grapple with daily — is it better to be a generalist, with a knowledge on a great number of topics, or a specialist, who can talk with gumption about a specific field? The Canola Council of Canada has found a way to get the best of both worlds, with a group... Read More
How important is the number of rows on a corn cob? When row numbers shrink from 20 to 18 you could be looking at a 20-bushel per acre yield loss, says Illinois-based BASF agronomist Jeremy Hogan. On this edition of RealAgriculture's Corn School, Hogan breaks down four components of yield – protecting row numbers, maximizing... Read More
You may notice some new information on canola seed bags this year — a label that lists what type of blackleg resistance the variety contains. We'll spare you all the quirky names and numbers for the actual genetic resistance, but Dilantha Fernando, with the University of Manitoba, says farmers can use the alphabetical designation of... Read More
Many Ontario corn fields have high levels of variability; soil profiles can change from sand to highly productive loam in a matter of footsteps. One way to tackle this variability is to identify management zones in the field and plant multiple hybrids at variable rates. In this episode of RealAgriculture Corn School, we catch up... Read More
Switch to longer rotations, reduce soil movement, grow resistant varieties — the list of keys to managing against clubroot disease has become familiar for many canola growers in Western Canada, but an Alberta farmer with years of experience farming with high clubroot concentrations has another piece of advice: don’t be afraid to talk about it.... Read More
The price of wheat is down, yes, but there are premiums for protein, and RealAgriculture agronomist Peter Johnson thinks there's an opportunity to cash in. In this episode of the Wheat School, Johnson looks at new nitrogen research from University of Manitoba researcher Amy Mangin. It provides evidence of how growers can pump up their... Read More