Ontario farmers are facing a lot of uncertainty, but that’s nothing new, and they can learn lessons from taking a historical perspective.
History rhymes but doesn’t repeat
Can you take a historical view to understand today’s risks to your farm?
Number of confirmed wild boar drops in 2023-2024
Most wild pig sightings were domestic or pot-belly pigs
Eurasian wild boar numbers in Ontario have decreased due to removal efforts. Continued monitoring is essential to prevent population establishment.
Moving past climate polarization
Climate change has become such a politicized subject, genuine discussion and engagement on other environmental issues is frequently impossible
Carbon and greenhouse gases are certainly important, and should be an element of the conversation. But focusing on landscape improvement might be a more effective — if indirect — means of accomplishing a significant portion of what we’ve thus far failed to achieve.
Why herbicide effectiveness varies
Peter Sikkema discusses how to hedge your bets when controlling weeds
Herbicides are incredible weed control tools, but their effectiveness can be significantly degraded by a variety of environmental, human and other factors.
Have weed control recommendations been too simplistic?
How weeds develop resistance to chemical controls is complex – so complex that veteran weed scientist Peter Sikkema wonders whether the herbicide advice he has provided to growers throughout his career has been too general.
Sprayer modifications that work
How applicators find solutions to in-field and efficiency challenges
From cheap plastic pails to aftermarket tech, sprayer operators find a variety of ways to improve how they and their machines accomplish application jobs.
More opportunity for double crop soybeans
July planted soybeans can work for some, especially as summers get warmer
Double crop soybeans have more potential as heat units increase in Ontario growing areas.
Diverse crop rotations bring savings in poor growing conditions
D.R.I.V.E.S. project quantifies benefits, addresses addresses rotation challenges
Analysis of 36,000 yield observations from 22 long-term cropping experiments shows that greater rotational diversity reduces productivity risks posed by adverse weather.
How sprayer operators find unique approaches to common challenges
Application technology specialist Jason Deveau details it in his Drive-along Diaries
In the spring and summer of 2024, Jason Deveau, OMAFA’s application technology specialist, embarked on a series of in-cab visits with sprayer operators to see how they find a balance between what’s technically correct and what’s practical in the field.
Irish Lumper potato a catalyst to history
I undertook growing some of this infamous spud and learned its history
Next year marks the 180th anniversary of Ireland’s Great Famine, an event that saw the death of about one million people, emigration of another million, and had profound impacts on the settlement and development of Canada.