Wheat in a crop rotation provides many benefits, including spreading weather risks that can impact yields and balancing workload more evenly between planting and harvest season. Wheat also provides the opportunity to revitalize the soil; to disrupt pest cycles; alleviate compaction and increase subsequent corn and soybean crop yields. Best of all, wheat in rotation […] Read more
Revitalizing soil with manure and cover crops after harvesting wheat
OMAFRA Field Crop Report for July 21
Farmers push back against Chatham clear-cut bylaw
Municipality says council intended to prevent aggressive cutting as wider environmental policy changes are discussed
A Chatham-Kent bylaw banning the clear-cutting of woodlots and woodlands has generated frustration and feelings of exclusion in policy development among some Chatham farmers. Passed by municipal council on April 26, the temporary, 120-day bylaw pertains to wooded landscapes more than half an acre in size, and a specified density of trees. It comes as […] Read more
Genome mapping changes wheat breeding
New technologies help unravel the mysteries of a large, complex organism
Genomic technologies are helping wheat breeders speed the process of finding solutions to longstanding production challenges. But while DNA sequencing and other approaches are a boon for understanding the large and complex wheat genome, in-field testing for yield stability remains a critical part of cultivar development. Why it matters: As the genomes of more wheat […] Read more
Fulvic acid produced from mushroom compost
Ontario company creates sustainable crop additive that boosts plant responses
As the focus on soil health and environmental sustainability grows, new products can help farmers improve their soil as well as boost crop nutrient and water use. BioLiNE Corp., located near Alvinston in southwestern Ontario, is producing biostimulants — products that when applied to crops, stimulate the plants’ natural processes. It was founded in 2016 […] Read more
How to plant into thick cover crops
Two farmers share their strategies for planting green
Accounting for corn stalks in the spring is one thing. Planting through thick green cover crops is another. Standard planter setups don’t quite cut it in such cases. For Blake Vince and Larry Dyck, who are both cover crop enthusiasts and experimenters, on-farm equipment customization has been the solution. Why it matters: Thick green cover […] Read more
Corteva at two
Company manages through pandemic while building old and new brands
The emergence of Corteva two years ago from the merger of Dow Agrosciences and DuPont put a new player on the agriculture stage — a company focused on agriculture that had to merge different cultures and product brands. Corteva recently turned two and Bryce Eger, president of Corteva Canada, talked with Farmtario about the evolution […] Read more
Letters: Prioritize prime farmland above gravel pits
Dear editor, Prime farmland. It comprises less than five per cent of Ontario’s land base and is mainly concentrated in southern Ontario. It is considered by many, including government, as the foundation of our economic prosperity. Why then are governments willing to put this finite, non-renewable resource in jeopardy to gravel pits? In Waterloo region, […] Read more
Researchers give yeast a boost to make biofuels from discarded plant matter
Science Notes: Corn stover seen as an underutilized fuel source
If corn stover could be efficiently fermented into ethanol the way corn kernels are, stover could be a large-scale, renewable source of fuel. “Stover is produced in huge amounts, on the scale of petroleum,” said Whitehead Institute Member and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) biology professor Gerald Fink. “But there are enormous technical challenges to […] Read more
Population medicine, technology could streamline livestock care
Mentoring and partnering with farm animal practices can increase vet student confidence
Dr. Rob Swackhammer rummages through the metal toolboxes nestled in a slide-out drawer on the back of his truck. As he searched for dehorning implements, Swackhammer said it can be intimidating for veterinary students to choose a large animal specialty unless they have a passion for it. “There are challenges attracting new vets to the […] Read more
Opinion: Robot farmers could improve jobs, help fight climate change — if they’re developed responsibly
Farming robots that can move autonomously in an open field or greenhouse promise a cleaner, safer agricultural future. But there are also potential downsides, from the loss of much-needed jobs to the safety of those working alongside the robots. To ensure the use of autonomous robots on farms creates more benefits than losses, a process […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
