Updating Ontario nitrogen recommendations

Updating Ontario nitrogen recommendations

University of Guelph researchers discuss corn nitrogen needs, impact of leaf burn

Researchers want to know if increasing corn yields are driving nitrogen needs up or down and how environmental factors play a role in order to update the Ontario’s nitrogen calculator for farmers.


Adzuki beans with nodules (shown with red arrows) on June 25, 2024.

Nodulation and nitrogen use in dry beans

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for the week of July 1

In late June, adzuki beans that had been in the ground for 3 weeks already had a few nodules on the roots (see photo at top), and the nodules were active (pink inside when split open). Another field of adzuki planted in the same region around the same time did not have any nodules on […] Read more

Research from the U.S. theorizes that more of the nitrogen used by a corn plant comes from the soil, not fertilizer.

Nitrogen use in corn re-examined

Research from the U.S. Midwest sparks controversy, but the solution may be easier

When it comes to nitrogen use in corn, it’s always been a question of how much to apply. University of Illinois research on the source of N – how much a corn plant gets from fertilizer and how much from soil –has initiated a considerable amount of debate since the results were released last May. […] Read more


Nutrien’s head office building in Saskatoon. (Liam O’Connor photo)

Nutrien misses quarterly profit estimates as potash prices plummet

Fertilizer demand expected to rise in Q4

Reuters — Nutrien fell short of analysts’ estimates for third-quarter profit on Wednesday, as lower potash prices weighed on the world’s biggest fertilizer producer. Potash prices have been falling after shipments from Belarus and Russia resumed. These exports had been significantly restricted last year following Western sanctions imposed on Russia in response to its invasion […] Read more

File photo of Canpotex potash cars. (Dave Bedard photo)

More affordability, usage of fertilizers in 2024, analyst says

Israel's fertilizer output normal for now

MarketsFarm — While global fertilizer prices were projected to be steady to higher in 2024, overall affordability is set to improve while usage will increase, according to one analyst. Samuel Taylor, a New York City-based farm inputs analyst for RaboResearch Food and AgriBusiness, delivered a presentation on the fertilizer market during the firm’s Fall Harvest […] Read more

Tarlok Singh Sahota, centre right in the blue checked shirt, shares his canola-growing wisdom at the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS) near Thunder Bay.

Nitrogen diversity drives canola yields at Thunder Bay

A local researcher has devised a winning formula for canola yields that is based on a diverse stack of nitrogen sources

Ryan Jaspers uses a combination of nitrogen sources, including dairy manure and ESN, to consistently achieve 75 bu./ac. canola yields. Jaspers farms at Slate River, a few miles southwest of Thunder Bay, and he has a productive canola formula and climate. His farming region isn’t big. Grain crop area is maybe 10,000 acres, while tame […] Read more


Cover crop biomass harvested from a 0.25m2 area for tissue analysis.

Managing cover crop nitrogen, residue breakdown

OMAFRA Field Crop Report for the week of July 31

Across Ontario, wheat harvest continues, opening the best window for planting cover crops in most field crop rotations. You can find more information on the  2023 winter wheat quality update and achieving success with cover crops after wheat at fieldcropnews.com. But can those cover crops be managed to supply nitrogen to the next crop? The amount of nitrogen […] Read more

Nutrien’s head office building in Saskatoon. (Liam O’Connor photo)

Nutrien misses profit estimates amid higher fertilizer prices

CF Industries also books lower sales

Reuters — Canadian fertilizer maker Nutrien on Wednesday forecast lower-than-expected 2023 earnings and posted fourth-quarter profit below Wall Street estimates, sending shares down 2.6 per cent in extended trading. While higher fertilizer prices dented demand in early second-half of last year, a fall in prices later in the year did not boost demand as farmers […] Read more