Glacier FarmMedia — Saskatchewan soil scientist Les Henry, well known for his work on improving Prairie farmland and his outreach to Prairie farmers in the pages of Grainews, has died. Ending a long fight with congestive heart failure, Henry died Friday in Saskatoon at age 83, having continued to write until very shortly before his […] Read more
Tag Archives Soil science
Prairie soil scientist and author Les Henry, 83
Henry's outreach to farmers spanned more than half a century
Feds, Manitoba pledge $6.4M to ag research facility
The new facility will modernize crop and soil research and training at the University of Manitoba
The Federal and Manitoba governments have thrown their weight behind development of a facility touted to become Canada’s pre-eminent resource for field crop research. “A great deal of our agriculture industry’s success comes from research and skill development,” said federal ag minister Marie-Claude Bibeau in a news release, Tuesday. Bibeau and Derek Johnson, Manitoba’s minister […] Read more
Mobile Soil Technology Suite hits the road to farm events
OSCIA offers use of unit and technicians to organizations
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
Eastern Canada gets poor grades on soil
A report card compares soil management and health between Eastern and Western Canada
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
New dean of agriculture named for U of S
Soil science prof Angela Bedard-Haughn takes over Aug. 15
One of Western Canada’s major post-secondary ag institutions will get a new hand at the wheel this summer. The University of Saskatchewan announced Wednesday it has named soil science professor Angela Bedard-Haughn as the dean for its College of Agriculture and Bioresources for a five-year term starting Aug. 15. Raised on a family farm in […] Read more
Soil health measurement project seeks standard set of indicators
The North American Project to Evaluate Soil Health Measurements hopes to recommend scientifically sound indicators
Glacier FarmMedia – Soil health measurements can vary widely depending on management practices, show early results from a North American study. Paul Tracy, who manages the non-profit Soil Health Institute’s project to assess 31 indicators of soil health in all three countries, said agricultural and environmental interests are promoting lots of measurement systems and indicators. […] Read more
Using the 3Rs to advance the 4Rs
Manure applicators aren’t using more advanced tech, because Ontario manure isn’t clean enough
In much of Europe there have been restrictions to applying manure only during the growing season. There the technology has been perfected over time to meet those needs. Wouldn’t it be fitting to bring the technology to Ontario without the same application restrictions? I asked a few custom applicators what was holding them back from […] Read more
Study looks at how soils hold carbon
Science Notes: Whether carbon is held or released by soil has many influences
Researchers are using synchrotron light to better understand the impact of climate change on more than three trillion metric tonnes of soil carbon around the world. Using the Canadian Light Source (CLS) at the University of Saskatchewan, scientists from across the United States investigated the plant root mechanisms that control long-term storage of carbon in […] Read more
Provincial soil tour looks at minimal tillage, biostrips
The tour visited regional farms as part of the Ontario Soil Network
There’s no one system for improving soil health and that was on display during a recent Ontario Soil Health Network tour across the province. The tour visited more than 20 farms, from Kingsville to Douglas, arriving at the farms of the members of the first cohort of the Ontario Soil Network over four days. Farmtario […] Read more
Has the time come for integrated tillage management?
Understanding bulk density for compaction prevention
Tillage has its benefits, but the list of drawbacks to soil health is long. This poses a question: Like Integrated Pest Management, is it time for Integrated Tillage Management? The question was posed by Aaron Breimer, manager for Veritas Farm Management, during a presentation at Elgin Compaction Day on Aug. 8. For him, taking an […] Read more
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