Winter cereals see all four seasons in Ontario, which means a wide variety of environmental conditions can affect their growth and yield. What can growers expect after a cooler fall for planting in parts of the province and an unusually warm winter? Do typical considerations like nitrogen and sulphur application timings and pest management strategies changed in a year like this one? In this episode of Inputs, Joanna Follings, cereals specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), gives an overview of fall 2023 planting conditions for winter cereals, inclu ..read more

In March, during the first installment of our two-part series on managing drought, we chatted about what growers need to be doing right now to ensure their soil and crops have the best opportunity to thrive this coming summer. In this episode of Inputs, we expand on this topic, tapping into some of the measures farmers need to take over the course of the growing season to maintain healthy soil and crops. Dustin Farr is an instructor in the ag management program at Olds College of Agriculture and Technology, and he shares some of his insights into improving soil health and water retention, as w ..read more

After a winter with below-average snowfall levels, farmers in Alberta and across the Prairies need to plan now for what could be a dry growing season. In this episode of Inputs, we are joined by agronomist extension specialist Ruoxi Xia, who works with Alberta Grains. Xia shares her insights and some tips on how growers can prepare for potential drought conditions, including what measures should be taken right now, which crops are more susceptible to dry conditions, what resources are available to farmers and much more. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Appl ..read more

With more and more digital agricultural tools on the farm – whether guiding or driving the tractor, tracking finances or prices, or optimizing conditions in a barn – cybersecurity management should be on your radar, no matter the size of your operation. Just like you would manage any new pest, you should add cybersecurity to your toolbox. Janos Botschner, lead investigator of cyber security capacity in Canadian agriculture with the Community Safety Knowledge Alliance (CSKA), wants to ensure Canada's farmers are informed and prepared for cyber threats. In this episode of Inputs, he discusses th ..read more

The start of the 2024 growing season is coming fast – do you have a plan for spring nutrient management? In this episode of Inputs, Chris Brown, field crop sustainability specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), discusses considerations for successful spring manure application, as well as best management practices and an alternate nutrient source coming from urban areas. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Show notes AgriSuite O ..read more

Peter Sikkema has been researching the importance of weed management on soybean crops for more than three decades now. A professor of weed management for field crops at the University of Guelph, much of Sikkem’s work has been conducted in Ontario, but there are key takeaways from his research for soybean growers in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. During this episode of Inputs, Sikkema, along with FMC Canada’s technical sales manager for the Eastern Prairies region, Rachel Evans, talk about several issues facing soybean growers when it comes implementing a quality weed management strategy. Sikkema a ..read more

Agriculture can be a contentious topic when speaking with the general public, as there is a lot of misinformation or confusion about the industry out there. But educating the public, whether on social media, at the coffee shop, or on a broader scale can be difficult when the industry is so diverse and resources aren't always easily accessible. Enter The Real Dirt on Farming, a magazine on agriculture in Canada that addresses many of the hot button issues and puts faces to the people who feed the country. Kelly Daynard, executive director of Farm and Food Care Ontario (the organization that put ..read more

Are we done talking about the great drought of 2021 yet? You probably already know the answer to that question - of course not. The effects of this past growing season's weather will last for a while, but the lessons learned are plentiful. In this episode, a harvest update and recap, our new co-host Dylan Sjølie chats with Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension specialist with Alberta Wheat and Barley Commission, and Kaeley Kindrachuk, agronomy extension specialist with SaskCanola. Both share insights and takeaways from this year's wheat, barley and canola harvests, and what to consider a ..read more

In late 2018/early 2019, Yvonne Lawley, a professor in the plant science department at the University of Manitoba, set out to learn more about what early adopters are doing with cover crops across the Prairies, as well as challenges and barriers to adopting the practice. Callum Morrison, a University of Manitoba PhD student, joined the project and brought the project's connection with farmers to the next level. Lawley and Morrison were featured in an August 2020 episode of Inputs to discuss preliminary results of the 2019 survey and cover crop recommendations for Prairie growers. Now, nearing ..read more

Winter barley may not be a new crop for Ontario growers, but a combination of factors is making the cereal crop an attractive option to include in rotation. Top Crop Manager associate editor Alex Barnard chats with Joanna Follings, cereals specialist with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), about winter barley's benefits and challenges, and considerations to make before seeding. Never miss an episode of Inputs by subscribing to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts. Sponsored by Climate ..read more