Reading Time: 3 minutes It pays to think ahead when planting a shelterbelt. The first step is site selection, said Jeff Renton of the Agroforestry and Woodlot Extension Society, a joint venture of government, industry, and conservation agencies that promotes stewardship and offers extension services. The site needs proper setbacks from homes, roads, crops, and utilities. “Know where the […] Read more
Want to plant a shelterbelt? Here are some tips
A windbreak designed for your farm site is well worth the investment, but mistakes can cause years of headaches
Keep score when it comes to your soil health
The Visual Soil Assessment scorecard can help producers identify whether their soils are degrading
Reading Time: 2 minutes An upcoming Foothills Forage and Grazing workshop on June 24 will feature a soil health expert from Down Under talking about what’s going on down underground. “The workshop is an introduction to the role of soil health and microbiology in building forage quality and pasture quality,” said Nicole Masters, director of Integrity Soils in New Zealand. […] Read more
Five Q and As on soil testing
Here’s what you need to know to make sure your plants have all the right nutrients
Soil testing will help you give your crop the best possible start. Dr. Jeff Schoenau, soil fertility expert at the University of Saskatchewan, delivered a free webinar on soil earlier this winter. Schoenau had answers to five common questions about soil testing and fertility.
Finding the right fertilizer balance
Reading Time: < 1 minute Here is a three-part way to help control fertilizer costs. “Soil testing is one of three tools you can use to make your fertilizer dollar stretch further,” said provincial crop specialist Harry Brook. “The other two tools in the box are the Nutrient Use Calculator and the AFFIRM fertilizer program, both available free from AF.”[...]
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Wet-dry cycle drives up salinity and cuts yields
Invisible soil salinity affects 22 million acres on the Prairies, cutting yields by a quarter
Reading Time: 3 minutes Another dry spring could leave producers feeling salty over increased salinity in their soil. “This year and part of last year, we’ve started to see more salinity showing up,” said Jack Payne, western Prairies regional agronomist with Farmers Edge. “Saline seeps tend to form more readily after we’ve had a series of wet years followed[...]
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Good grazing management can get you through a drought
Having diverse life in and on the soil will help get your cattle through a drought year
Reading Time: 3 minutes When drought hits, you can blame Mother Nature — but management practices also come into play. “I don’t want to say that it doesn’t matter what happens with rain and that all drought is man made because of bad management,” said Vermont grazier Abe Collins. “That’s a very extreme position. Sometimes it doesn’t rain, and[...]
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Controlled traffic farming system can improve soil moisture levels
Once it’s in, a controlled traffic farming system can save time and money, improve yields, and reduce soil compaction
Reading Time: 2 minutes In dry years, every little bit of water in the soil helps — and that’s tough to find in heavily compacted soils. That’s where controlled traffic farming comes in. “The idea was to address the detrimental effects of compaction. We know our equipment keeps getting heavier and heavier, and we know we cover a fair[...]
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Stick to deep banding — not shallow banding — when applying nitrogen
In order to reduce nitrogen losses, producers need to deep band their fertilizer, use enhanced-efficiency products, and follow the 4R nutrient stewardship principles
Reading Time: 3 minutes When it comes to getting maximum yields, nitrogen is still king. “Nitrogen is the most important nutrient when it comes to providing yield responses,” said agronomist Rigas Karamanos. In a study conducted in 2000 that looked at how barley yields responded to various nutrients, nitrogen increased yields by almost 60 bushels per acre — over[...]
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Be bold and dream big, says legendary plant scientist
The father of farmers’ biggest money-maker says crop scientists are just getting started
Reading Time: 4 minutes Wilf Keller isn’t a household name, even in farm circles, but his work has helped pay a lot of mortgages across the Prairies. The Saskatchewan native was the key player in the development of the first genetically modified, herbicide-resistant canola — the most profitable crop Canadian farmers have ever grown. Since 2012, Keller has been[...]
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The road to better soil health comes from a change in attitude
Spend lots of time digging holes and looking at soil in your fields, says Quebec researcher
Reading Time: 3 minutes Improve your soil health and increased yields and other benefits will follow. But first you need to change your priorities. “How much time do you spend in a year taking care of your tractor?” agricultural engineer Odette Menard asked attendees at last month’s Western Canada Conference on Soil Health. “We spend more time taking care[...]
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Cyber-Savvy Farmer
