Our prairie ecosystem evolved in merely 15,000 years following the Pleistocene glacial meltdown. Today, the Arctic cap continues melting. Will that plunge our prairies back into a big freeze, forcing rapid evolution of our farming systems? People who study the animated depiction of Arctic jet streams think the cold fronts we’ve experienced in the past […] Read more
Ron Lyseng
Stories by Ron Lyseng
Goodbye canola, hello wheat and hay
No matter how you cut it, we’re having a short growing season. Rotations that looked good last autumn, when the first seed and fertilizer were purchased, don’t look so hot today. Given the investment in land and equipment, it’s not likely that many growers can afford to chemfallow. The economic realities of 2018 demand cash […] Read more
Feds further relax NH3 tank restrictions
Fertilizer Canada received a revised Equivalency Certificate (SH12501.2) and a revised Temporary Certificate (TH 0651.1) to provide short-term compliance relief on nurse tank hydrostatic testing requirements. Fertilizer Canada and the Canadian Association of Agri-Retailers (CAAR) have been in negotiations with Transport Canada since 2017 to secure a set of nurse tank regulations that they say […] Read more
Bullet provides low-cost alternative
BRANDON — Tile drainage may be the best solution to managing saturated soils, but the cost is prohibitive for many producers. However, a low-cost mechanical mole boring temporary tunnels may serve the same purpose. Imagine a torpedo-shaped four-inch diameter slug of iron being pulled through your field at a depth of two or three feet. […] Read more
Field drainage: just scratch the surface
BRANDON — Most surface drainage work performed on the Prairies until recently was based on the “deep thinking school of thought” of the 19th century — but the deep thinking scholars are gone. Two changes have taken place recently. First, in many people’s opinion, the biggest step has been affordable RTK technology, which allows farmers […] Read more
Liquid pop-up, a little dab
The next precision farming challenge is placing specific doses of pop-up fertilizer in the optimal position in the seed row to give new plants the best possible start in life. Those first few weeks in a plant’s life constitute the most important part of the crop year, says CapstanAG’s Avery Brigden, explaining the new Seed-Squirter […] Read more
Beck’s Hybrids test Seed-Squirter
Beck’s Practical Research Farm in Ohio conducted side-by-side trials in 2017, comparing the Seed-Squirter to conventional in-furrow dribbling of the start-up liquid fertilizer known as PureGrade Diamond. The corn was on 30-inch spacing and priced at US$3.86 per bushel. The PureGrade Diamond was a 6-24-6 blend priced at $3.64 per gallon. The control was in-furrow […] Read more
Farmer-owned NH3 tanks off the hook
When Transport Canada granted anhydrous ammonia tanks a reprieve on its stricter inspection criteria until June 30, the question of farmer-owned tanks was left swinging in abeyance. There was concern that farmer-owned tanks had been overlooked. In response, Fertilizer Canada and CAAR pushed the federal department for clarification on farmer-owned tanks. That result, along with […] Read more
Big carts designed for granular fertilizer
Ontario company Salford holds distinction of building the world’s largest granular fertilizer carts
BRANDON – The growing trend today sees farmers shifting toward precision agriculture and more prudent and exact placement of fertilizer in the soil. Bucking that trend, Salford continues to make a big splash with their granular spreaders. The reason is efficiency. The latest versions of Salford’s BBI and 9620 carry 20 tons of granular fertilizer, […] Read more
Transfer bin; the next step in harvest efficiency?
BRANDON — From the days of scythe and hand-tied grain stooks, hurry and haste at harvest has always been critical. Gather that crop before weather and wild beasts get it. Urgency at harvest is just as strong today, even though we have a long list of new tools such as desiccants, Class 9 combines, speedy […] Read more
