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 […] Read more
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Tag Archives Soil
How to identify low organic matter
Things to look for when walking and working in the field
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 […] 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 […] 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 […] Read more
OMAFRA launches new AgMaps tool
The map helps farmers understand the water erosion potential of their fields
A new program involving Ontario’s Agricultural Information Atlas, commonly known as AgMaps, helps farmers determine the soil erosion potential of their fields. The water erosion potential map has been in […] Read more
Better nitrogen efficiency
A soil ecologist discusses nitrogen efficiency products and how they work
Nitrogen loss from leaching, atmospheric exposure, and soil runoff can be costly. However, there are products designed to minimize that loss. And according to Mario Tenuta, professor of applied soil […] Read more
Soil manager app helps with test interpretation
The app gives another option for understanding soil tests
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 […] Read more
Raising the bar on soil testing
SoilOptix maps show soil’s chemical and physical properties
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 […] Read more
Real-time soil analysis in the field
Don’t bring your soil sample to the lab, take the lab to the field, says the Canadian inventor of the SoilReader
Glacier FarmMedia – It’s a difficult concept to sum up in a few words. A Canadian startup sells a coulter that reads nine nutrient factors while pulled through soil. As […] Read more
Editorial: Still lots to know about mechanisms of soil health
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 […] Read more