Crop Management
Soil tests tell how much nutrients are in the soil, so a farmer can add only what’s needed. It also warns when a field is at risk of losing nutrients. That’s what soil tests are for. The confusing part is that there are many different soil tests, says Rishi Prasad, a researcher at Auburn University’s […] Read more
Crop Management
High soil nitrogen — can be a farm’s friend indeed
It’s no surprise that soil tests back in the fall of 2021 revealed record carryover levels of nutrients in areas where we suffered reduced yields due to drought. This residual nitrate-nitrogen can be viewed as “money in the bank” in reducing the needs for expensive purchased nitrogen (N) fertilizer this spring. However, I’ve also heard […] Read more
Soil health sounds good, but what is it?
Finding a 21-year continuous corn field is like a dream come true for Ontario plant researchers trying to get a firm grip on the much-bandied-about term soil health. Scientists know that soil health depends on a complex community of microbes, bacteria and fungi nutrients. These bugs prepare the soil to support plants. Defining healthy soil […] Read more
Super singles vs. duals: which tires are best?
The story of super single tires for highway haulers has gone up and down. They gained popularity when first introduced because they cut fuel consumption by as much as three percent. But the new technology had some problems, the main one being that the semi-truck went down when a tire blew. A driver recently made […] Read more
Recaps an affordable and dependable alternative to new
Most semi-truck tires see at least one retread, with some going up to four times, as long if the casing hasn’t been damaged. The recap stigma seems to have disappeared. The tire-use pattern is much the same for all firms. Fleet owners begin by putting new high-quality steer tires at the front. Once they need […] Read more
Greenhouse gas emissions project focuses on farms
The federal government plans to spend $182 million to help farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions, including $40 million for a 26-month project in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The Manitoba Association of Watersheds (MAW) will lead the group overseeing the project, which will encourage and financially support producers who adopt rotational grazing, improve nutrient management and use […] Read more
Australian canola production makes huge jump
Australia’s 2021-22 canola crop shattered the previous record. The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences estimates the country produced 6.4 million tonnes of the oilseed, destroying last year’s record of 4.5 million tonnes. “It certainly is an anomaly and quite unexpected,” Australian Oilseeds Federation executive officer Nick Goddard said in an email. […] Read more
AGT to build oat processor in Sask.
Regina-based AGT Food and Ingredients Inc. has announced construction of an oat-milling facility in Aberdeen, northeast of Saskatoon. The company announced March 3 the value-added plant will produce oat groats, flour and other milled oat products for human consumption, specialty ingredient markets and animal feed products. The milling facility adds to the company’s existing facility […] Read more
U.S.-China trade relations called increasingly ‘difficult’
The agricultural trade relationship between the United States and China is fragile, according to the U.S. Trade Representative. “(It is) extremely difficult and getting more difficult,” Katherine Tai told U.S. agriculture secretary Tom Vilsack in a sit-down interview at the USDA’s 98th Annual Agricultural Outlook Forum. Former U.S. president Donald Trump signed the Phase One […] Read more
Renewable diesel sector faces a wall
The renewable diesel industry has a looming feedstock problem, says an analyst. The Energy Information Administration is forecasting 11 to 19 billion litres of renewable diesel capacity in the United States by 2024, up from 3.8 billion litres today. Using the mid-range of the forecast, that is 15 billion litres of capacity that will be […] Read more
