Field Crop News – We’ve all seen them. Hilltops. Whitecaps. High spots where the crop struggles year after year. Eroded knolls are common to Ontario agriculture and cost farmers in lost productivity each season. This article will explore knolls: how they’ve formed, how they differ, and how they can be managed or even re-mediated. How […] Read more
Tag Archives Soil — page 10
Managing eroded knolls
OMAFRA Field Crop Report for September 10
New farm research group offers more by pooling resources
Central Ontario soil research and stewardship groups try two-year collaboration
A partnership based out of Trent University is offering farmers free access to its expertise. The Quinte Farm Research and Stewardship Collaborative is a two-year initiative described by project co-ordinator Lindsay Nash as a network focused on modern agricultural practices in relation to soil health, water quality and new technologies. Why it matters: There are […] Read more
Lasting Impact: Technology helps living soils knowledge
Different crops feed soil microbes in different ways
Updated Aug. 11, 2020 This article is the final instalment of a three-part series highlighting lessons learned from two long-term crop rotation experiments at the Ontario Crops Research Centres at Elora and Ridgetown. Soil is teeming with life. And despite their size, fungi, bacteria, and other micro-organisms play an enormous role in soil processes, from […] Read more
New soil test looks at microbial populations
A&L Canada Laboratories Inc. recently launched VitTellus Bio, a new soil health test that quantifies soil microbial populations. VitTellus Bio complements the VitTellus Soil Health test, which is used to help farmers make informed decisions on application of nutrient and managing and improving soil health. It does more than measure the chemical properties of soil, […] Read more
How to prevent compaction at harvest
Limiting damage starts with decisions when combines go into fields
Field activity makes soil compaction worse. That’s just the nature of the work. But there are methods to reduce it, in favourable and unfavourable conditions. Why it matters: Ways to reduce soil compaction vary, depending on soil type, field conditions, equipment capability, operation style, and other factors. For Alex Barrie, a Bowmanville-area farmer and soil […] Read more
Lasting impact: The secret to increasing carbon is in the soil
Microbial activity, not volume of biomass, gets more credit for adding carbon
This article is part two of a three-part series highlighting lessons learned from two long-term crop rotation experiments at the Ontario Crops Research Centres at Elora and Ridgetown, Ont. The evidence is piling up that the corn-soybean rotation – the most common crop rotation in Ontario – performs worse on every metric than diversified rotations […] Read more
Lasting impact: The penalty of poor crop rotations
Long term trials show the soil health degradation of short rotations
This article is the first of a three-part series highlighting lessons learned from two long-term crop rotation experiments at Elora and Ridgetown, Ont. Howard Buffett authored a book a few years back with the title, “40 Chances”. The title came from a shop talk Buffett attended where a speaker remarked that the average farmer only […] Read more
How to identify low organic matter
Things to look for when walking and working in the field
Did your fields show a lot of crusting this planting season? Was there standing water where there shouldn’t be? These and other indicators, say provincial soil health experts, mean your soil organic matter (SOM) levels could use some attention. Why it matters: SOM improves soil health and helps reduce crop susceptibility to extreme conditions. While […] Read more
Look to stand count first, uniformity second
Replanting decisions should be based on stand numbers and yield potential
As cold rain and snow fell in mid-May, Ontario farmers wondered whether early-planted grains could endure. Fortunately, it appears most have. But where replanting might be required, agronomists say it’s overall numbers that matter first. Why it matters: When determining whether replanting is necessary, calculate stand count first. Look at uniformity afterwards, as well as […] Read more
Water stress can constrain late-season photosynthesis
Science Notes: Remote sensing technology employed
Photosynthesis is regulated by plant phenology — how plant life cycles interact with the climate — and environmental conditions, both of which changed substantially in recent decades. Unlike early season photosynthesis, which is mostly driven by warming temperatures or the onset of the wet season, late-season photosynthesis can be limited by several factors, such as […] Read more
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