Reading Time: 2 minutes Producers should be wary of unproven claims about fertilizer performance, says a provincial crop specialist. “In agriculture, there’s no shortage of products that guarantee tremendous response for relatively low cost,” said Harry Brook. “Often, these products overpromise and underdeliver. A few years ago, the federal government changed requirements for fertilizer registration so that they only […] Read more
Be skeptical about claims about ‘miracle’ fertilizers
Fertilizers no longer have to be proven effective in order to be registered
Agrium to buy Cargill’s U.S. ag retail business
Chicago | Reuters –– U.S. grain trader Cargill has agreed to sell its ag retail business in the United States to crop input seller and distributor Agrium, the companies said Wednesday. Calgary-based Agrium, North America’s largest retail seller of crop inputs such as seed, fertilizer and pesticides, will acquire 18 ag retail locations in Nebraska, […] Read more
Cargill to stop selling seed, inputs in Black Sea region
Chicago | Reuters –– Cargill will stop selling seeds, fertilizer and crop chemicals to farmers in the Black Sea region, as the global trader continues to cut back operations in the face of sliding commodity prices. The 150-year old company, one of the world’s largest privately held corporations, is in the middle of a restructuring […] Read more
Looking to cut costs and increase profits? Try the five per cent rule
Increasing yields and your sale price by five per cent while cutting costs by the same amount can double your profit
Reading Time: 3 minutes In the sport of baseball, the difference between superstar Derek Jeter and a squad player is simply hitting one more ball every 20 times at bat — a five per cent improvement done “over and over and over again.” Well, that’s fine for baseball, but what does five per cent look like in farming? “If […] Read more
Richardson to build in S. Alta. inputs market
Prairie grain handler Richardson International is moving to shore up its presence in southern Alberta’s crop inputs market with a new dealership. The Winnipeg company announced Wednesday it will build a new crop inputs centre at Three Hills, about 65 km east of Olds, starting this fall to open and begin operating next spring. “The […] Read more
Get your timing right with PGRs
By increasing or decreasing hormone production, plant growth regulators can either promote or limit growth
Reading Time: 3 minutes Plant growth regulators may offer some benefits, but the timing and staging of their application is critical. “Plant growth regulators change the hormone relationships within plants and can increase or decrease hormone production,” Phil Bernardin, a technical rep with Engage Agro, said at Farming Smarter’s recent field day. In cereals, plant growth regulators act as […] Read more
Plant growth regulators aren’t for everyone, says researcher
Producers need to choose a responsive variety and get their staging right when using plant growth regulators on wheat
Reading Time: 3 minutes Do plant growth regulators offer a good bang for your buck? Sure — if the conditions are right. If not, you’re wasting your money. “Plant growth regulators aren’t to be used on every acre, like a herbicide or nitrogen fertilizer,” said Sheri Strydhorst, a research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “Producers need to […] Read more
Three online crop tools to stretch your fertilizer dollar
Soil testing is key but there are also two free online tools to better gauge your fertilizer requirements
Reading Time: 2 minutes An Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development specialist is recommending three tools he says can be a big help with controlling fertilizer costs. “Soil testing is one of three tools you can use to make your fertilizer dollar stretch further,” said Harry Brook, a crop specialist with ARD in Stettler. “The other two tools in the […] Read more
Cover crops come with a long list of benefits
Restoring tired soils isn’t a quick process, but cover crop proponents say it’s well worth the effort
Reading Time: 4 minutes Are you looking to improve soil nitrogen? Prevent soil erosion? Reduce soil compaction, improve water infiltration, and even suppress weeds? Cover crops have got you covered. And as understanding of their benefits spreads, interest is growing. “I think producers are realizing the cost of inputs is getting very, very high and the soil has become […] Read more
Skipping soil tests could cost you big time
You have to know how to interpret it, but not soil sampling and using 'the usual retail blends' can be a costly mistake
Reading Time: 5 minutes Not very many hands go up when Mark Cutts asks a room full of producers how many of them test their soil every year. “I don’t think the majority is doing soil testing,” said the crop specialist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development. “If a producer is happy with his yields and he’s not soil […] Read more
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