SASKATOON – Nutrient stratification is happening in a field near you, says Elston Solberg, a consultant with Agri-Trend Agrology. “Stratification is a layering of certain soil properties near the soil surface. Reduced tillage and straw retention amplifies these situations, as does manure application and other things,” Solberg said at Agri-Trend’s recent Farm Forum conference in […] Read more
Production
Check soil for nutrient stratification
Peas need TLC for maximum yield
EDMONTON – Using too much fan speed on the drill can bash big seeds like peas and reduce germination levels. To see how much, the Alberta Pulse Growers and the Alberta Reduced Tillage Linkages teamed up and carried out tests in 2005 and 2006 to determine how to establish a better pulse stand. At the […] Read more
Hi-tech hog sorter boosts bottom line
WINNIPEG – A Manitoba company has turned the pig sorting business on its ear. Designed and manufactured by Sierens Equipment in Swan Lake, Man., the Gen II is one of the most technologically advanced hog sorting systems on the market. Using the latest engineering available to the industry, the system is able to log hog […] Read more
Twin nozzles best suited to fusarium control
SASKATOON – Twin nozzles have been around for a few years, but an Agriculture Canada research scientist from Saskatoon says they’re best at controlling fusarium head blight. “It’s one of the unique cases where the wheat head is the target,” Tom Wolf told the recent Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association conference in Saskatoon. “It’s a vertical […] Read more
Hydraulics handy on farm service truck
BIGGAR, Sask. – Mobile hydraulics are handy to have on the farm. Richard Elenko, who farms near Biggar installed a hydraulic system on his 4×4 service truck and uses it in all sorts of situations. Elenko has a 90-litre reservoir in the back of the truck, with a filter to keep the oil clean. “We […] Read more
Check feed protein level
The early cold weather experienced this year has made it even more important for producers to test their feed to determine quality and to keep close watch on the body condition score of their cows. “Using average values for this year isn’t working,” said Barry Yaremcio, a beef and forage specialist with Alberta Agriculture. “Some […] Read more
New Products
Forage harvesters New Holland’s FR9000 series self-propelled forage harvesters include more horsepower and a larger cutter head. The largest of five new models, the FR9090, uses an 811 hp 20 litre, V8 Iveco engine. At 34 inches, the feed rolls are four inches wider than on previous New Holland models. The MetaLoc system features the […] Read more
Night spraying not advised
SASKATOON – Tom Wolf does not recommend spraying at night. The Agriculture Canada research scientist told the recent Saskatchewan Soil Conservation Association conference in Saskatoon that the problem is temperature inversions that tend to occur at night. “On a typical summer night, when the sun goes down, the air becomes stable. That means the spray […] Read more
Two balers, one tractor
DIDSBURY, Alta. – Time is always a factor when putting up hay. What better way to become more efficient than pulling two balers with one tractor? That’s what Dwayne Archer does. Archer puts up 1,500 acres of timothy hay a year near Didsbury for export. He says he chose this style of hitch because he […] Read more
Moisture tests taken on the fly
LOUISVILLE, Kentucky – Putting up silage at the correct moisture content has always been difficult when large quantities are involved. Running samples through the closest feed laboratory with its carefully calibrated, high-tech near infrared, or NIR, equipment can take hours or even days. By then, the data is old and the silage has been packed […] Read more
