What's the best way to manage crop residue? Most agronomists would answer this question with: “It depends.” But this week at Residue Smart — the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association’s deep dive meeting into residue management — the leading response from growers attending was no-till. The support for no-till as the top residue management... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Changes to U.S. biofuel tax credit guidance under section 45Z are being viewed as a positive development for Canadian canola, though key policy questions remain unresolved. Speaking with RealAgriculture this week, Chris Davison, president and CEO of the Canola Council of Canada, said an initial review of the updated bioful feedstock guidance suggests improved access... Read More
February is rolling and Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson is ready for more agronomic curveballs! This week’s Wheat Pete's Word podcast topics range from global grain logistics and soil biology to practical fertility math and a strong defence of tile drainage. Pete also digs into listener questions on sulphur, phosphorus, starter fertilizer, and lodging risk, while... Read More
Managing herbicide resistance on the Prairies increasingly comes down to production decisions made well before the sprayer hits the field, says Dr. Charles Geddes, research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, on this episode of RealAgriculture’s Canola School. Geddes says variable spring weather makes early-season weed control a challenge for many growers. Dry conditions can... Read More
Pulses are a valuable addition to crop rotations, offering agronomic benefits, improved soil health, and market diversification options. In this episode of RealAgriculture's Pulse School, Robyne Davidson, a research scientist with Lakeland College, joins Amber Bell to discuss where pulses fit best in rotation, how growers can choose among pulse types, and how consumer interest... Read More
Canadian farmers are entering the 2026 production year with heightened caution, according to the January results of the Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index. Shaun Haney and Justin Funk breakdown the latest results from the CFSI gathered from more than 570 producers, in this 16th iteration of the survey since launching in 2022. Three-quarters of respondents said... Read More
Strychnine will not be an approved tool for gopher control in 2026. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has denied a joint request from the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments seeking emergency use approval to manage Richardson's ground squirrel populations. Strychnine use for Richardson's ground squirrels — commonly referred to as gophers — has been... Read More
On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Joanna Follings, cereal specialist, and Christine O'Reilly, grazing and forage specialist, both of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness to talk about revving up forage stands, particularly winter triticale, for use as feed, a cash crop, cover crop, and even a... Read More
It's time to rethink how we fund plant breeding. While much of Canadian agriculture has evolved to meet today’s demands, the model for funding plant breeding is lagging—and risks falling behind entirely. That’s the concern raised by Jason Reinheimer, global head of cereals and pulse research at Limagrain Field Seeds, in this episode of the... Read More
The Alberta government has expressed concern following a federal announcement that could see several Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research stations shut down, including the Lacombe facility. Speaking at the Crossroads Crop Conference in Edmonton, Alta., Alberta’s assistant deputy minister of primary agriculture, John Conrad, says the province is still absorbing the news but is... Read More