The landscape surrounding Highway 77, north of Leamington, was largely open field not long ago. Within the last decade – less then seven or so years, really – virtually all of it is now under glass, plastic and steel. Yes, greenhouse developments exploded in my home area, bringing hundreds of millions, if not billions of […] Read more
Opinion: When investment comes to town
Leamington and Kingsville are playing catch-up when it comes to greenhouse development
How farmers modified planting equipment to match production goals
Farmers share how they adapted existing iron rather than buy new
Are high equipment prices keeping farmers from achieving production goals? Modifying equipment in the shop, rather than buying the right implement outright, could be a solution. Why it matters: Modifying and constructing equipment on the farm can alleviate the high costs of machinery. Through 2022, Colin Elgie and Andrew Barrie, soil fertility and environmental specialists […] Read more
Insecticide restriction pushes growers to older chemistries
PMRA limits use of lambda-cyhalothrin
The Pest Management Regulatory Agency has applied restrictions to insecticides containing the active ingredient lambda-cyhalothrin. Among other changes, it can no longer be applied on crops destined for use as animal feed. The restriction means growers who previously used products such as Matador, Warrior, Silencer, Labamba, Voliam Xpress and Endigo will have to find other […] Read more
Ontario land values rise by double digits – again
Grey, Essex, Elgin see rates climb well over 30 per cent
Southwestern Ontario farmland values continued to soar in 2022, with some of the most significant increases occurring in what were, at one time, historically undervalued counties. According to the latest farmland values report from Valco, a London-area real estate appraiser, farmland values across the 11 Southwestern counties increased by 25.65 per cent. This, said author […] Read more
Top strategies for managing tar spot
It’s all about tolerant hybrids, fungicides, and timing
Tar spot is now well-established in the province and experts from across North America encourage corn growers to think of it as a regional, not field specific disease. That would closely align with how white mould and fusarium head blight are considered. Proactive management is needed. The second day of the 2023 Ontario Agricultural Conference […] Read more
The peaks and troughs of agriculture technology
How to figure out what tools will work on your farm
New farming technologies can be expensive, and for many up-and-coming tools, useful results are not guaranteed. The fear of investing in lackluster tools is a barrier to the adoption of precision technologies. According to ag-tech researchers, however, understanding the development trajectory of new technologies can help farmers determine what might work best for them, and […] Read more
Will China be able to feed itself sustainably?
What the country’s food security strategy means for global hunger and stability
As the world’s largest net importer of food, China will play a very significant role in global food security. According to a new research report “Linking global food security with China’s food security” from the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI), how the country of 1.5 billion people pursues its own food security policy will have […] Read more
What’s next for precision spray application?
It’s AI technologies that incorporate a deeper learning, says Australian expert
Guy Coleman, precision weed control researcher at the University of Sydney, says incorporating deep-learning capabilities into sprayer artificial intelligence (AI) systems will allow for ever more efficient weed control while reducing inputs and resistance risk. “Australia has had a long battle with resistance. That’s why I guess some of this technology is being developed out […] Read more
Lowering emissions without sacrificing profits
Nitrogen strategies that meet grower and government needs
Nitrogen fertilizer is a cornerstone of crop production. It’s also become a hot political topic, with market volatility, emission reduction demands, geopolitics and a slew of other factors keeping it in the headlines. While nitrogen prices remain high, there are strategies growers can employ to reduce nitrogen use without sacrificing profits or yields. Several researchers […] Read more
Managing Ontario’s devious weed duo
Strategies offered on how to deal with herbicide-resistant fleabane and waterhemp
Are Canada fleabane or waterhemp consistent or growing problems on your farm? If so, it might be time to change the approach to chemical controls, according to field crop and weed expert Peter Sikkema. Even if the two species are not an immediate concern, adopting a longer-term, more multi-faceted approach to weed management could help […] Read more
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