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
Tag Archives Soil — page 11
Eastern Canada gets poor grades on soil
A report card compares soil management and health between Eastern and Western Canada
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 the making for years. It takes advantage of information previously within the AgMaps portal and recently collected LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) remote survey data […] 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 ecology at the University of Manitoba, the stronger the product is, the better. Why it matters: Nitrogen is an expensive input on farms and with […] 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 Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association annual meeting in London. Jake Munro, OMAFRA’s soil management specialist for field crops, says that the app brings together […] 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 maps that detail in-field variability of soil’s chemical and physical properties. Why it matters: Rising costs and tight margins combined with growing societal pressure around […] 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 the headline states, SoilReader can provide real-time data, on the go, as it is pulled through the field. The nine vital constituents are nitrogen, phosphorus, […] 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 and those that have not understood that have had civilizations collapse. Check out the Nile River delta today. We’re a long way from the lack […] Read more
Paquette Farms wins conservation award
Farm uses minimal-impact tillage and pays attention to precision nutrient application
A dedication to low-soil-impact practices won Paquette Farms the 2019 Conservation Farm Award. The family was presented with the award at the Essex Soil and Crop Improvement Association (ESCIA) Annual Meeting in December. The award is presented each year to the farming operation which best displays conservation-minded farming practices from those nominated. The farms are […] Read more
Soil health products part of new entrant’s offering
Fertilizer stabilizers among products coming from Timac Agro
A French company is bringing its unique model and crop technology to Ontario. Timac Agro Canada, a division of international agriculture company The Roullier Group, offers fertilizer products, especially stabilizers and treatments than can help with nutrient efficiency in soils. The company started in France when the founder discovered that there were opportunities to use […] Read more
A good forage stand requires agronomic base
Keys to success include planting at right time, proper seed bed, seed placement, quality seed and weed control
Glacier FarmMedia – Farmers seeking to build a strong forage stand need to use proper crop rotations, fertility and water development, a forage agronomist told a recent Canadian Forage and Grasslands Association conference in Moncton, N.B. Peter Ballerstedt, with the seed company Barenbrug USA, said producers must pay attention to agronomy and make amendments before […] Read more
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