The following is an excerpt from a statement made by the author to the Standing Senate Committee on Agriculture and Forestry (Status on Soil Health in Canada) meeting, Sept. 22. Since the Senate of Canada “Soil At Risk” report was conceived by Senator Herb Sparrow four decades ago, generally soil management has improved and crop […] Read more
Tag Archives soil health — page 7
Opinion: Soil matters. Charting a path forward
Action is needed to preserve and improve soil health, but it must be strategic
Recognizing a worthwhile gift
Rev. Ruth Butt receives a delayed Order of Ontario Agricultural College for her support for soil research
Among the many special events featured during Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show was a special award bestowed upon an incomparable individual. Reverend Ruth Butt, a United Church minister and former neighbour of the farm show site now known as Discovery Farm Woodstock, was presented with the Member of the Order of Ontario Agricultural College award Sept. […] Read more
Making money through better soil and water management
Living Labs event features Kingsville-area farmer’s winning strategies
The heavy clay soils that characterize Henry Denotter’s farm can be hard to work with. But from a tillage perspective at least, he doesn’t have to work them too often. From a production perspective, years of experimentation with equipment configurations, electronic tools and a strong environmental philosophy have brought success in no-till corn and soybeans […] Read more
Calculating soil health returns
Greenbelt report highlights costs and returns of soil-supporting management practices
Short term costs for long term gains – that’s what a Greenbelt Foundation report says farmers need to consider when it comes to building soil health. Released in early 2022, The Greenbelt’s Towards a business case for soil health report compiled and analyzed field research data from different production practices in different cropping and cow-calf […] Read more
McDonald’s and McCain partner to boost regenerative soil practices
A new partnership between McDonald’s and McCain Foods will invest $1 million in regenerative soil education and practices for Canadian potato production. “Through our shared vision with McDonald’s Canada, we are focused on supporting our growers in accelerating the transition to the key principles of regenerative agriculture,” said Jeremy Carter, McCain Foods’ western Canada agriculture […] Read more
Soil quality critical to help crops weather heat stress
Science Notes: Study analyzed 30 years of data on four major crops
The capacity of soil to hold water will be critical to determine how well farms in some regions of the United States manage prolonged heat stress due to climate change, a new study suggests. The journal Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems published the finding, based on analyses of 30 years of data on four major crops — […] Read more
Three common soil compaction mistakes
Avoid these missteps to keep compaction from getting worse
Glacier FarmMedia – With the advent of mechanized agriculture, farms became a great deal more productive than they were in times past. However, the large machines that ply farmers’ fields today can be hard on the soil and cause issues with compaction. Why it matters: Soil compaction can be a serious form of soil degradation resulting […] Read more
Managing to get the most from available water
Tips for keeping it in the ground to make it accessible to crop roots
Water is the most important limiting input for crop production. In more than a couple of the past years, producers across the province have been forced to watch while their crops suffer from dry conditions in the heat of summer. Other than irrigation (which is rare for field crops in Ontario), there’s really nothing we […] Read more
National soil study to launch soon
Last national inventory of soil health conducted decades ago
The Senate will launch a new national soil health study this autumn. “The last study was done in 1984, chaired by Senator Herbert Sparrow,” said Senator Rob Black. “When I got into the chamber four-and-a-half years ago, I set my sights on another Senate study.” Why it matters: Understanding soils in Canada is important to […] Read more
Soil nitrogen dynamics studied
Science Notes: Pre-planting weather may provide a clue
With the rising cost of nitrogen fertilizer and its impacts on air and water quality, University of Illinois researchers want to help farmers make more informed fertilizer rate decisions. Their latest modeling effort aims to do that by examining the role of pre-growing season weather on soil nitrogen dynamics and end-of-season corn yield. “When farmers plant […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
