What Did 2012 Teach Us About Achieving 300 bu/ac Corn?
As farmers approach the mid-way point of the Ontario corn harvest (and quickly surpass it, we hope), preliminary reports suggest decent yields in spite of challenging conditions. That said, it most...
View ArticleCorn School: Fall Application of P & K and Gauging Compaction
Do you know how many pounds per bushel of phosphorus and potassium corn pulls out of the soil? Nitrogen gets all the attention in crop production, but these two nutrients are also very important to...
View ArticleCorn School: The Quest for 300 Bushels — A 2-Year Review
Rain or shine, drought or not, nitrogen is king when it comes to targeting the highest yields possible in corn. While it may not be a surprise that even in a dry year corn responds to added nitrogen,...
View ArticleSoybean School: Get Set for the 100 Bushel Soybean Initiative
Building off of the success of the 300 Bushel Corn initiative, PRIDE Seeds is rolling out the 100 Bushel initiative for soybeans in 2013. Slated to take place on as many as 40 sites across Ontario, the...
View ArticleCorn School: Soil temperature — Why warm may not be warm enough for optimum...
Is it warm enough to plant? It’s a common question these days and one that has many a farmer out checking soil temps often. The tricky part about spring soil warm-up is that the optimal soil temp for...
View ArticleCorn School: Top Tips for Planting into Wet Conditions
The drive to get on the field to plant in a timely manner can sometimes overshadow the importance of planting only when the soil is ready. What’s more, if there’s any tillage to be done before...
View ArticleCorn School: Watch for Millipedes in Cool Early Growth Conditions
As if a late spring and cold weather weren’t bad enough, current planting conditions in some areas of Ontario are ripe for a millipede feeding frenzy. Millipedes prefer cool soil temps and will stay...
View ArticleCorn School: Soil Conditions Matter — Don’t Jump the Gun on Planting
Remember this feeling, it happens every year. It’s that edgy, ready-to-go feeling that shows up every year around early April. The later it gets, the more the feeling gets amplified. Then you read...
View ArticleThe RealAg Crop Update Ontario — The 2 Week Planting Season
Big iron, excellent distribution networks and long hours meant that roughly 80% of the southern Ontartio corn and soybean crop went in the ground between May 6th to 20th. As Ken Currah, with PRIDE...
View ArticleCorn School — The Sins of the Spring: Roller Packer Issues, Compaction &...
Early season field scouting serves many purposes. Not only is early scouting a powerful tool in keeping ahead of weed, disease and insect pests, but early season growth of the crop tells the story of...
View ArticleThe RealAg Crop Update Ontario: Crusted Fields, Frost & Replant Decisions for...
Many soybean fields have taken a beating this year, unlike last year’s straightforward early season. A late May frost, then really hot temps have stressed plants, plus crusting in some areas has...
View ArticleSoybean School: How do you Make the Call to Replant?
It’s not yet do or die for the soybean crop, but farmers’ soybean crops that have suffered population die off from crusting, standing water or frost need to make a decision soon about replanting. In...
View ArticleCorn School: Determining Relative Maturity Between Stands & Estimating Bushels
Even if you were never the type to peek at your Christmas gifts early, there are few farmers who can help themselves from trying to get a bead on the corn crop coming. Luckily, assessing corn cob...
View ArticleRealAg Crop Update Ontario: White Mould, Frost Risk & Stand Counts in Soybeans
The pre-harvest period is a great time to get a handle on what plagued (or is plaguing) the soybean crop this year, how well some of your management practices turned out and filling out the check list...
View ArticleCorn School: How & Why to Set up Variety Comparisons On-Farm
Whether it’s a brand new crop type or just a new-to-your-farm variety, setting up a basic head to head comparison or small-scale trial can help minimize the risk of going all-in. On-farm trials or...
View ArticleOntario Agronomy Geeks — Ep1 — I Wish I Had More Wheat in the Ground
Lots to discuss this week on the Ontario Agronomy Geeks. The guests this week are Steve Denys, VP Sales and Marketing Pride Seeds, Peter Johnson, Wheat Specialist OMAFRA, and St. Thomas based farmer...
View ArticleThe RealAg Crop Update: The 2013 Corn Harvest Drags On
Timing really is everything, especially in agriculture and especially when it comes to weather. Sunshine and rainfall amounts might pan out on paper but a late start to planting, 20 plus days of rain...
View ArticleCorn School: A Cold Harvest, But Heartwarming Yields in the 300 Bu/Ac Initiative
Pleasantly surprised describes many corn growers this fall, even as the harvest drags on into December. While there were areas that suffered from excess moisture and cool temps, many areas are finally...
View ArticleCorn School: Silage Hybrid Selection — Dual Purpose or Silage Specific?
Should you stick with silage specific hybrids or include a few (or more) dual purpose lines for good measure? Both strategies can work, says Aaron Stevanus, market agronomist for PRIDE Seeds, it simply...
View ArticleCorn School: Strategies for Driving Corn Yields Up, Up, Up!
No two farmers manage their corn crop the same way, yet can achieve top yields. This is great news, because it means that no matter what your goals are for the farm, from decreasing tillage, to using...
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