Reading Time: 5 minutes New research shows that tightening up row spacing when seeding canola with precision planters can make a big yield difference — up to 15 per cent more, in fact — compared to conventional air drills. That’s a key finding from a four-year small-plot study by Farming Smarter researchers after adjusting a precision vacuum planter to […] Read more
Precision planting produces results — but doesn’t come cheap
Small-plot study finds 15 per cent yield bump, but cost and fertilization are issues with precision planter
Lethbridge College and Farming Smarter form partnership
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farming Smarter and Lethbridge College have signed a 15-year memorandum of understanding that they say will “transform agriculture research in southern Alberta.” “Our two organizations have worked together in the past on innovative and important projects that support agricultural research, education and student success,” Lethbridge College president Paula Burns said in a news release. “We […] Read more
Willing to share a little dirt? Samples wanted
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farming Smarter needs 10 more farms in southern Alberta willing to share a little dirt for the Alberta Soil Health Benchmark Monitoring Project. The project will document soil health indicators at 200 locations in Alberta. Twenty fields were sampled in early summer and another 20 will be sampled this fall. The fields will be re-sampled […] Read more
Does deep banding work? New research aims to find out
The practice could make immobile nutrients more available for three major crops
Reading Time: 3 minutes The jury is still out on whether deep banding fertilizer is worth the time and money — but researchers across Alberta are hoping to settle the debate once and for all. “I don’t think there’s any proof yet that deep banding works,” said Ken Coles, general manager of Farming Smarter. “We want to have some […] Read more
The automated future has arrived, says robotic farming expert
British researcher showcases the ‘Hands-Free Hectare’ project at Farming Smarter conference
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farming using only robots may sound like something out of the year 2050 — but the producers of a barley crop in the United Kingdom argue it’s here now. Researchers at Harper Adams University in Shropshire, England, along with a U.K. precision ag company successfully grew a crop using only automated machines as their farmhands. […] Read more
Doing your own research? Then keep it simple
You can collect lots of data but much of it may be of no use — or worse, it might lead you down the wrong path
Reading Time: 4 minutes There’s a big world of information out there today, more so than ever before. When it comes to precision ag, universities, applied research institutions, governments, and companies all have their own research recommending everything from the best VRT settings to the right seed depth in specific soil profiles. And all those reams and reams of […] Read more
Grazing winter cereals can work
First-year results of study on grazing winter cereals found both grain and silage yields were affected
Reading Time: 2 minutes Mixed farmers looking to cut costs may be able to hit two birds with one stone — by grazing the fall growth of a winter cereal. “This is a practice that’s quite common in other parts of the world, but it’s one that we haven’t really delved into, likely because we’re a little bit light […] Read more
Farmers, hit that snooze button — spraying later is your best bet
For pre-seed burn-down and broadleaf weed control, it’s better to spray during the day rather than early morning or nighttime
Reading Time: 2 minutes A plant in the morning dew is a little like a man stepping out of a shower — wet and cold, and that much colder because it’s wet. “The phase change between a liquid and a gas sucks heat energy out of the plant. That practice will actually hurt the plant,” said Ken Coles, general […] Read more
Late is not great when it comes to seeding wheat
Wheat growers need to get their crop in the ground as early as possible if they want to maximize yields
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s time to start treating wheat like it’s a “real crop,” says Ontario agronomist ‘Wheat Pete’ Johnson. “Wheat is the most responsive crop to management we grow, and yet it’s the crop that we manage the least,” Peter Johnson said at the Farming Smarter conference last month. “You just put it in the ground and […] 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
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