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Tag Archives Agricultural soil science

John Poel, left, provincial director to OSCIA's Heartland region, accepts a cheque from Trillium Insurance representatives Mike Brine and Angela De Groot. The donation was made Aug. 5 during a Compaction Day event at Rostock.
News

Mobile Soil Technology Suite hits the road to farm events

OSCIA offers use of unit and technicians to organizations

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A pair of trailers packed with state-of-the-art soil science and audio-visual equipment had what was referred to by Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) officials as a “kick-off” on July 13 in Bothwell. Based on the rave reviews received there and at later events in Elora and Rostock, they’re confident the Mobile Soil Technology […] Read more
The last time the state of Canada’s soil was analyzed was in the 1980s.
Crops, News

Eastern Canada gets poor grades on soil

A report card compares soil management and health between Eastern and Western Canada

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The Soil Conservation Council of Canada has released its first national soil health report card. The soil grades are based on farmer changes made over the past five to 10 years, soil conditions, and whether organic matter levels have improved. “It wasn’t in terms of hard data, but just from my experience and research, extensions […] Read more
A field within the Medway Creek water quality project.
Crops, News

Promoting winter cover crops with local data

Conservation authority looking for cover crop impact on water quality in Upper Thames

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In an effort to improve water quality, the Upper Thames Conservation Authority (UTCA) is promoting cover crop adoption by making data on the environmental efficacy of winter cover more relevant to local farmers. Why it matters: Better economic data would help farmers making decisions about whether to use cover crops. The UTCA is pursuing the […] Read more
Shawn Livingston explained FurrowForce and other Precision Planting technology to visitors to the London Farm Show.
Machinery

More precision in seed row closure

Down pressure for seed closure can now be controlled automatically, with multiple adjustments per second

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Closing the trench over and around the seed has been a challenge increasingly met by more innovation over the past decade. That’s meant there are many and varied types of closure and press wheels for planters now on the market. Precision Planting believes it has found what really needs to be done – control the […] Read more
Tima Bansal of the Ivy School of Business led a recent discussion over a no-till business case to be used at the business school.
Crops, News

Business school no-till case shows complexity of tillage decisions

Farmers tested the delivery of the case for Ivy Business School

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Ivy Business School at Western University is aiming to include more agriculture cases for study by its business students. But first, it recently hosted an evening for farmers and the sector to discuss one of the cases set for students to analyze, and professors there found it’s challenging to the level of us versus them. […] Read more
Producers can use a variable rate program to reduce inputs in poorperforming areas.
Crops, News

Precision ag helps farmers find their best acres

Farming all the acres the same can result in potentially failing the better ones and over-investing in the worst

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Glacier FarmMedia – Implementing precision agriculture strategies doesn’t have to be overwhelming. “Don’t not do something because it’s not perfect because we’re never going to get perfect,” said Terry Aberhart, owner of Sure Growth Technologies. When Aberhart started training and educating people through his independent agronomy consulting company, he strived to teach a comprehensive understanding […] Read more
Soil manager app helps with test interpretation
Crops, News

Soil manager app helps with test interpretation

The app gives another option for understanding soil tests

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A new soil test app will give farmers an easy way to get quick interpretation of their soil test results. The app, found at soiltestmanager.ca was launched at the recent Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association annual meeting in London. Jake Munro, OMAFRA’s soil management specialist for field crops, says that the app brings together […] Read more
The SoilOptix sensor shown on an ATV.
Machinery, News

Raising the bar on soil testing

SoilOptix maps show soil’s chemical and physical properties

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A southwestern Ontario company has developed technology that goes far beyond traditional soil sampling to help growers make better soil management decisions. Tavistock-based SoilOptix’s system delivers high resolution top soil maps that detail in-field variability of soil’s chemical and physical properties. Why it matters: Rising costs and tight margins combined with growing societal pressure around […] Read more
Moving more land into hay and pasture can make organic transition easier.
Crops, News

Hay and forage can help ease organic transition

A program in eastern Ontario aims to help farmers going through the three-year period before certification

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Having a plan for making money from either hay or pasture can significantly ease the financial strain of transitioning from conventional to organic production. That was one message delivered by Semican seed company agronomist Valerie Yoder, during a presentation Jan. 25 at the annual Guelph Organic Conference. Why it matters: Certified organic crops offer a […] Read more
It’s likely to be years until we have a completely solid set of best practices for managing soils.
News

Editorial: Still lots to know about mechanisms of soil health

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The maintenance of soil health has come into much greater prominence in the past five to 10 years. That’s an important step — our soils are the basis of civilization and those that have not understood that have had civilizations collapse. Check out the Nile River delta today. We’re a long way from the lack […] Read more

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