Canadian research is measuring soil moisture content from space. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ministry of the Environment and Climate Change are involved in two projects designed to measure soil moisture levels with orbiting satellites. Why it matters: Orbit-level analysis of soil moisture can affect farmers’ field level decisions and government policy decisions. One […] Read more
Tag Archives Soil — page 16
Mapping moisture from space
Data collected by orbiting satellites can potentially inform field and farm policy decisions
Understanding soil through its microbiome
Science Notes: More physical and social activity may partially explain the findings
Soil is full of life, essential for nutrient cycling and carbon storage. To better understand how it functions, an international research team led by EMBL and the University of Tartu (Estonia) conducted the first global study of bacteria and fungi in soil. Their results show that bacteria and fungi are in constant competition for nutrients […] Read more
OMAFRA strip till demo to highlight working units
The live demonstration gives farmers a chance to see strip till machines in the field
OMAFRA is taking soil health action to the field this year at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show (COFS). The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs is hosting a live strip tillage demonstration every day at 11:15 a.m. in the Southwest Demo Field at the show. This is in addition to the regular equipment demonstrations […] Read more
Province lays out soil health strategy
Measures aim to improve soil health over the next decade
The Ontario government’s soil health strategy is a sprawling plan that aims to provide industry guidance on improving soil health out to 2030. It plans to do that by bringing farm groups, government and agribusiness together to provide the drive to make change happen. Why it matters: Crop farming practices have changed in Ontario, with […] Read more
Follow nature or not?
Farmers and researchers differ on whether nature is the best guide for cropping practices
On Rick Bieber’s farm in South Dakota, he works hard to follow the rhythms and cycles of nature in his cropping and livestock system. He uses diverse cover crops and livestock to cycle nutrients and keep living roots in the soil as much as possible. From Andrew McGuire’s perspective, Bieber may not be creating the […] Read more
Soil health tips from long-time tillage reducers
Managing soil means managing water, say farmers who have worked hard to maintain their soil while growing high yielding crops. Why it matters: Soil organic matter levels continue to decline across major agriculture areas. The solutions are complex and sometimes contradictory, and often depend on local soil quality. “Healthy soil means faster water infiltration,” said Ken […] Read more
Winners of Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers for 2017 celebrated
National winners for Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmer for 2017 were awarded on Dec. 1 to Derek & Tannis Axten of Axten Farms in Minton, Sask., and Véronique Bouchard & François Handfield of Ferme aux petits oignons at Mont-Tremblant, Que. “Once again, the seven regional finalists exceeded our expectations as innovative, forward thinking, young agricultural leaders. […] Read more
Canada’s soils still degrading, albeit more slowly
The rate of degradation of soils in Canada has slowed, but it still is happening at a significant rate and there is still a lot to learn. There are no soil-perfect systems yet for crop production, attendees at the Summit on Canadian Soil Health held recently in Guelph heard repeatedly. No-till farming has declined in […] Read more
Clubroot ‘heavily’ infests NW Saskatchewan field
Clubroot has made its presence known in the far northwest of Saskatchewan’s canola-growing region, with the discovery of a “heavily infested” field. SaskCanola on Monday reported the discovery of the disease in a field in crop district 9B, but didn’t give its specific location. District 9B is a group of 16 rural municipalities east of […] Read more
It’s time for Canadians to dig up their undies
It’s time for Canadians to grab their shovels, head into their gardens, flowerbeds or fields and reveal their underwear. Part 2 of the Soil Conservation Council of Canada’s (SCCC) experiment to help gauge the health of soils has come to an end, and if you buried a pair of cotton briefs, now is the time to retrieve them. “The Council was […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
