It is time of year when you may be thinking about soil sampling. There are many different methods to help you assess your soil health and fertility. Using data you may already be collecting is a great way to create some extra value for yourself. Yield maps, satellite imagery (Google Earth or other), elevation as…
Harvest can be hectic and stressful; especially when things are delayed and we find ourselves racing daylight and rain clouds. Harvest time is the peak season for agriculture-related injuries and fatalities. Please take time to follow safety procedures. Tractors/wagons, etc.: Make sure you have proper lights and reflectors on all equipment. Ensure windows are clean and machinery…
As the weather is taking a turn for the better, many combines will be rolling in the coming weeks. Most of the combines today are equipped with a yield monitor, either just to monitor the yield or to map the field as they harvest. For the results to be as accurate as possible, we need…
Who likes fines? Harvesting corn over 28%, if not done properly, can lead to costly levels of fines! Early harvest samples are suggesting that we have not completely black layered. With the current weather and calendar date, this process will be slow. However, corn has been harvested in Lambton County and it has been shipped…
Many parts of Ontario experience significant damage to corn due to birds. Often, birds will feed on developing corn ears immediately following pollination and during the early stages of grain fill. Birds are very attracted to the developing soft kernels as a food source. Large flocks of birds can cause an incredible amount of damage…
Every spring, farmers across the province asks a lot from their planters when it comes to correct seed placement. Some simple math will demonstrate that when we plant approximately 28,000 seeds per acre at four miles per hour, we are dropping 1.6 seeds per seed meter, per unit, per second. That’s equivalent to an AK-47…
1) Shake or roll pail before opening. Product must be fluffed up after settling during shipping. 2) When applying, spread and mix product into seed (don’t dump the scoop or pail in a pile). 3) More is not better! This product is wax based and too much product leads to clumping. Kirk Van Will, CCA-ON,…
Don’t hit the panic button yet, we still have plenty of time. As Kirk discussed in his article last week, we still have 7 weeks until the end of May, which leaves us plenty of time to get the crop in. Growing hybrids that range in both maturity and flowering date is one of the…
Winter meetings have led to discussions on planting with greater speed, increased depth accuracy, superior seed placement, and better seed singulation. I consider these the “sexy” topics, but what about the non-sexy topics (the basics)? Spending money on all sorts of add-ons will never improve your planter performance if the components that touch the soil…
When was the last time you climbed up to check on your grain inventory? With these cold, snowy days and brisk winds, there might be a good chance that you have snow sitting on top of your grain. The good news is with this cold weather, it is likely still sitting there as snow. If…