The "Off the Beaten Path" demonstration tour presented by BMO at the Ag in Motion farm show July 16-18, highlighted the multi-year research underway by several companies at the 610-acre site, with the improved moisture levels in 2024 helping provide new data for the ongoing projects.
Off the ‘slightly muddier’ beaten path at Discovery Farm
Prairie soil scientist and author Les Henry, 83
Henry's outreach to farmers spanned more than half a century
Glacier FarmMedia — Saskatchewan soil scientist Les Henry, well known for his work on improving Prairie farmland and his outreach to Prairie farmers in the pages of Grainews, has died. Ending a long fight with congestive heart failure, Henry died Friday in Saskatoon at age 83, having continued to write until very shortly before his […] Read more
Soil should be a strategic national asset: Senate committee
The two-year study of Canada’s soils is now complete and recognizes that while conservation efforts over recent decades have been tremendous there is still more to be done
The Critical Ground: Why Soil is Essential to Canada’s Economic, Environmental, Human and Social Health report said Canada requires an overarching strategy to collect better data. It says a national soils institute database that shares information with provinces, academics and producers should be established.
Organic farmers invited to soil health benchmarking study
Organic farmers across the country are invited to measure the benefits of soil management practices on their farms as part of a study led by Prairie organic organizations.
Making potatoes friendly to soil health
Soil health tactics are not out of reach for the spud sector
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Potatoes are a high-value crop and one of the world’s most important dietary staples. But when it comes to sustainability, they’ve got a hurdle to clear because there’s no escaping some level of soil disturbance when growing and harvesting. That doesn’t mean the relationship between soil health and the potato sector can’t […] Read more
Know your soil, right down to the DNA
New soil tool called a ‘game changer’ for agronomic decisions
Reading Time: 4 minutes If this was a police procedural, DNA taken from the scene of a crime would help lock away the bad guy. Here, the scene is a field, the farmer is the hero, and the bad guy might be a hidden crop disease that the farmer can arrest because DNA samples warned him it was there. […] Read more
The benefits of multiple soil tests
Selecting test sites for the least common denominator could waste opportunities
Reading Time: 4 minutes Most farms don’t do even one yearly soil nutrient test per field, but maybe they should be doing three. Three tests would enhance farmer understanding of in-field variability in a way that one test cannot. Soil tests that demonstrate the variability of field conditions might prompt producers to adopt a three-test approach. According to Fertilizer […] Read more
Soil biodiversity deserves protection
Reading Time: 3 minutes Soil is the most biodiverse habitat on the planet. According to recent research, it’s home to 59 per cent of all life on Earth, from an insect feeding on the soil surface to a tiny microbe nestled in a soil pore. The same paper estimates that around two million species of arthropod (think insects and […] Read more
Assessing strength, building on foundation key to soil health
Crop advisor says soil health options will vary by farm and by economics
Reading Time: 4 minutes Lee Briese’s soil health principles build upon five pillars: soil armour, minimizing disturbance, diversity, continuous living roots, and livestock integration. “I don’t find these to be laws, commandments or requirements for soil health management,” the North Dakota crop advisor said. “These are nice guidelines to help guide some of the practices,” Briese said. “I’ve learned […] Read more
Keep balance in research funding
Declining federal government funding means others must fill in to fill the gap
Reading Time: 3 minutes Many ingredients went into the mix that resulted in the extraordinary success of agriculture in feeding a growing population. There’s the ability of farmers to constantly learn and increase their management skills. There are also vast improvements in technology – mechanical, digital and biological – that have come from researchers in both private companies and […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
