Good weather during seed development is critical to the full maturity of the crop, according to Sarah Foster of 20/20 Seed Labs in Saskatoon. However, the poor environmental conditions experienced last fall can harm its quality, longevity and early field emergence this spring. “Testing seed this year has been extremely challenging for germination and vigour. […] Read more
Production — page 94
Seed quality needs testing for spring 2006
Auger reduces handling of seed, inoculant bags
BIGGAR, Sask. – Anyone who has hauled canola seed or granular inoculant bags up an air cart ladder understands the desire to find a better way. Some air seeder manufacturers have devised lifts and other systems, but Richard Elenko came up with his own solutions. “Most of these air seeder carts have either an eight-inch […] Read more
Calculator helps farmers determine crops’ fertilizer economic thresholds
Economic thresholds for fertilizer use depend on grain price and yield. Producers can’t do much about the price and they can buy only two elements of production that provide significant returns toward yield: seed and fertilizer. “In a year when margins are this thin, or even worse, may not even provide a positive return on […] Read more
AFFIRNM adapts to price squeeze
The prestige of high target yields has long been seen as one of the main reasons producers buy too much fertilizer. “Some people seem to have a natural tendency to look at target yields rather than the economic impact of the inputs needed to get high yields,” says agronomist Len Kryzanowski, who is in charge […] Read more
Hoe drill modified for direct seeding
FOSSTON, Sask. – In the spring of 2005, Herbert Hallman decided something had to be done about the high cost of seeding his crop. The size of Hallman’s farm didn’t merit newer air drill equipment. He had been applying nitrogen with an old air seeder and then seeding with a hoe drill, but the high […] Read more
Fertilizer and seed hit bullseye
HUXLEY, Alta. – Lawrence Moran direct seeds with a 39-foot Flexi-Coil 5000 drill, which is set up with 12-inch spacing and pulls a 1720 three-tank cart, followed by an anhydrous tank. The star of this show is a third generation hybrid Morris Flexi-Coil Stealth opener that Moran modified himself. “Originally, we chose Morris openers because […] Read more
Opti-Crop deals in details
FARGO, N.D. – Bigg Dogg Agg is the local Opti-Crop licensee in Felton, Minnesota. When it signed on with Opti-Crop in 2003, it started with 18,000 acres under management contract. In 2005, it had 65,000 acres. Opti-Crop consultants charge farmers $5 to $6 per acre, which includes a broad spectrum of pre-season crop planning and […] Read more
New Products
Outback BaseLine GPS Outback has introduced a new land-based high-definition GPS it says is more accurate than standard GPS and more affordable than RTK GPS. The Outback BaseLine is aimed at clients who require enhanced GPS accuracy but balk at the high cost of RTK. BaseLine features a data transmitter, internal battery and integrated base […] Read more
Research examines corn silage
While barley is the preferred silage crop for southern Alberta feedlots, corn silage continues to gain acres. Most recommendations for growing silage corn come from Ontario and the United States, however, so a group of researchers designed a study to produce local information on seeding rates and row spacing for corn silage in southern Alberta. […] Read more
Barley cultivars’ competitive ability studied
RED DEER – Barley is the most competitive annual crop grown on the Prairies, but competitive ability varies among varieties. A recently completed two-year study compared barley’s competitive ability with oats as a way to shed light on how feasible it might be to rank barley cultivars for their competitiveness. “We know barley is a […] Read more
