It’s an area larger than the total acreage now farmed in Ontario, yet the prospect of clearing, tiling and bringing the 16 million acres of the Great Clay Belt to […] Read more
Tag Archives Soil
The prospect of farming in the Great Clay Belt
It may be too daunting for some, but the potential is there
Expanding knowledge about cover cropping effects
Tour hosted by Soils@Guelph puts current research efforts on display
Cover crops’ effects on water runoff and greenhouse gas emissions were among projects seen by visitors to the University of Guelph’s Soils@Guelph research plots. Why it matters: Soils@Guelph has been […] Read more
Genetic engineering of microbes lower fertilizer dependence
Science Notes: Nitrogen-fixing microbes could help crops pull nitrogen from the air
Helping crops acquire nitrogen from the air could be a sustainable solution to meeting crop nutrient requirements with less synthetic fertilizer. A team of bacteriologists and plant scientists from the […] Read more
Assessing strength, building on foundation key to soil health
Crop advisor says soil health options will vary by farm and by economics
Lee Briese’s soil health principles build upon five pillars: soil armour, minimizing disturbance, diversity, continuous living roots, and livestock integration. “I don’t find these to be laws, commandments or requirements […] Read more
Soil microbes help plants cope with drought
Science Notes: Microbes seen to adapt to drought over time
Plants call out with chemical signals in times of stress, summoning microbes that can unlock bound nutrients and find water in soil pores too small for the finest roots. In […] Read more
A soil health investigation
It took old and new technology to diagnose compaction as the culprit
The soil on Ken Mitchell’s alfalfa and corn fields looked good on paper but the reality was less than stellar in terms of production. The 100-acre block was the focus […] Read more
Ontario’s new Living Lab to receive $12 million over five years
Projects focused on innovation and adoption of on-farm climate change practices
A new living lab is being created in Ontario with funding assistance from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. Led by the Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA), the project will […] Read more
Evaluating your soil’s structure
Why it’s important and how to measure quality
Many Ontario soils display a similar pattern of compaction. The secondary tillage layer, usually the top two to four inches, is relatively loose and friable, with mostly small, rounded aggregates, […] Read more
How to get the most from farm drainage investment
It comes from exploring the benefits of proper drainage
The search for every last advantage in a field often requires growers to step out of their comfort zone, whether that means considering precision agriculture applications, reduced tillage, lengthening rotations […] Read more
Maximizing nitrogen availability with manure and cover crops
Considerations for nitrogen availability timing in corn
Combining cover crops with manure can get the most value from soil nitrogen — sort of. How significantly a manure-cover crop combination affects nitrogen availability can vary based on manure […] Read more