Winter wheat combining has almost wrapped up across the province after a challenging harvest due to persistent rainfall. There is a lot of enthusiasm for wheat across Ontario as yields were good to excellent and quality was good. Now, what to do with the wheat stubble? If you have manure, now is the best time […] Read more
Tag Archives Tillage — page 2
What to do with those stubble fields now? Consider BioStrip Till
OMAFRA Field Crop Report for the week ending August 23
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, especially earlier in the season before rains reconsolidate the soil. Below this layer is usually one that is significantly denser and more poorly structured. In the […] Read more
Finding a way with organic no-till soybeans
Weed management remains the biggest challenge
Organic production is never an easy prospect, and trying to do it without tillage presents additional challenges. But for Aaron Bowman, it’s been possible with a different kind of planning, monitoring and adjusting to conditions during a growing season. Bowman, who farms east of Oshawa, raises beef cattle as part of a 350-acre operation, including […] Read more
Planting considerations for bio-strip tilling
Ontario grower shares experience from three-year trial on his Strathroy farm
Bio-strip tilling or bio-stripping is gaining attention from growers, particularly with the focus on sustainability and regenerative agriculture. It was also the subject of a presentation at the Innovative Farmers Association of Ontario annual conference last month. Nick Stokman, a producer from the Strathroy area, provided his experience with bio-stripping during the second day of […] Read more
Senators want early no-till adopters recognized
Federal officials questioned why early adopters won’t benefit from incentive programs
Glacier FarmMedia – Senators on the agriculture committee studying soil health questioned departmental officials last month on how and why they left early adopters of no-till out of incentive programs. Quebec senator Chantal Petitclerc said the early adopters started storing carbon without the benefit of grants, programs and subsidies that are now available from the […] Read more
Tillage implements equipped with depth sensor
John Deere’s new TruSet Active system uses an ultrasonic sensor that constantly measures frame height and tillage depth
Glacier FarmMedia – John Deere has updated its TruSet product with a sensor that increases the accuracy of the automatic tillage depth system. The improved system, called TruSet Active, will be on all John Deere equipped TruSet tillage tools for model year 2024, including 2230 Field Cultivators, 2330 Mulch Finishers, 2660VT Vertical Tillage tools and […] Read more
John Deere brings new equipment to strip-till market
Five models of Deere-branded strip-till implements capable of fertilizer applications will be available this winter
Glacier FarmMedia – A new lineup of John Deere-branded strip-till rigs is expected to be available this winter. The tillage implements are produced by Environmental Tillage Systems, which sells them under the brand name SoilWarrior. The Deere-branded models are called John Deere ST, including ST12 and ST16 Integral that attach to the three-point hitch, and […] Read more
Fertilizer placement, safe fertilizer rates in strip till studied
University of Guelph examines common fertilizer placements used by strip tillers with custom-built machine
A new University of Guelph project aims to develop safe-rate guidelines for common strip till fertilizer placements. There is limited guidance available now for safe fertilizer rates for strip tillage. Unlike 2 x 2-inch planter banding, there are many different fertilizer placement options for strip till, which likely leads to tradeoffs with fertilizer placement. Although […] Read more
Autonomous tillage and haying
Lemken and Krone partner on multi-functional robotic system development
Glacier FarmMedia – As more attention is turned toward autonomous field operations, even companies that haven’t been known for offering powered systems are revealing their efforts to produce self-propelled robotic equipment. Tillage equipment producer Lemken recently announced it had partnered with forage-focused Krone (both companies are based in Germany) to create an autonomous power unit […] Read more
Heavy metal hardware
Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show featured new planters, tillage implements, drones and robots
There was a lot of heavy metal – and lighter stuff too – at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show last month, in terms of machinery rather than music. Equipment ranged from the latest combines and autonomous robots to large drones and new takes on traditional tillage implements. Here are several highlights: Tillage options The southwest demonstration […] Read more
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