Cover crops can keep soil and nutrients in place, suppress weeds, and fix nitrogen, but they can also use too much water or create a mess of rotting plant material if not terminated properly. On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Kevin Elmy with Cover Crops Canada, Jim McComb with… Read More

The people side of agronomy doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Every three months, The Agronomists takes a look at this other side of agronomy. This week, we’re focused on navigating the busy growing season! On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Terry Aberhart with MNP AgIntellect and Joanna… Read More

On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Tracey Baute with Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, and Tyler Wist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada to discuss early season insect management. On the list: wireworm, cutworms, flea beetles, and slugs; plus we dig in to pre-seeding selection impacts on wheat… Read More

Making the most of every input dollar matters, especially when crop prices are in the doldrums, but cutting back on fertilizer can end up curtailing yield. There’s a better way to manage those nitrogen input dollars! For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by soil scientist John Heard, and senior agronomist… Read More

Why does soil, sometimes, become hard as a brick? The answer is relatively straight-forward but remedying the issue is a much, much larger discussion. To begin to understand the soil dynamics and what to do about them, this episode of The Agronomists features Jodi DeJong-Hughes with the University of Minnesota and Dr. Laura Van Eerd… Read More

Edible or dry beans come in several shapes, colours, and sizes, but they all have incredible earning potential if done right. To dig in to the how, when, and why of edible bean production, this episode of The Agronomists features Wade Bickell of Hensall Co-op and Dennis Lange with Manitoba Agriculture to talk about field… Read More

If the soil is fit but the calendar says March, do you dare put some wheat in the ground? On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Dr. Brian Beres with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Tyler McBlain with McBlain Farms to discuss ultra early cereal seeding — including seeding durum… Read More

Keeping fields clean is job one, especially with less competitive crops, such as pulses or even corn. But flushing weeds and herbicide-resistant weeds create headaches for growers every spring. Is there a better option than in-crop control? Ladies and gentleman, herbicide layering has entered the chat. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith… Read More

Welcome to a very special episode of The Agronomists, hosted by Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson! For this episode, Pete is joined by Dennis Pennington of Michigan State University and Gord Speksnijder, YEN participant from Ontario, to unpack learnings from the Great Lakes Yield Enhancement Network. On this episode, hear about head counts, seeding dates, N… Read More

When it comes to applying herbicides, is it better to do an imperfect job at the right time or a perfect job at the wrong time? This isn’t a philosophical question, but it does require some discussion to fully understand what goes in to a spray pass to ensure that it’s worth the cost of… Read More

Phosphorus plays a critical role in early seedling development and is needed throughout the growing season to achieve top yields. Phosphorus is also not mobile in the soil, as it gets held tightly to soil particles. Roots do their best to seek out and mineralize phosphorus, but managing P requires long-term planning. To dive in… Read More

More than just spell check and generating quirky images, artificial intelligence already plays a role in several aspects of our daily lives and agriculture platforms and technology. But what can AI do now and what role might it play going forward? To delve into the mash up of AI and agronomy, this episode of The… Read More

Much of the focus of soil conservation practices emphasize decreasing the movement of soil by wind and water erosion. These forms of soil movement are costly from a soil health, farm productivity, and environmental standpoint, however they are not the largest erosion risk to a field. That honour belongs to tillage erosion — the act… Read More

It’s the very last episode of The Agronomists for the 2024 season and host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson and Ray Dowbenko to discuss the top agronomy stories of the year! On this episode, the trio talk about: Current and future uses of spraying technology in farming production; The mysterious but… Read More

Pulses, such as peas, lentils, chickpeas, and faba beans, can be an excellent addition to a crop rotation as they fix their own nitrogen and even leave some for the next crop. The crops do have serious challenges, however, including aggressive root rots and diseases that can decimate yields, especially in wetter years. To unpack… Read More

Multi-herbicide resistant weeds have been found in several Canadian and U.S. regions and the amount of ground they cover expands every year. On the list of worst offenders: kochia, wild oats, waterhemp, and Canada fleabane. Herbicides will continue to play a dominant role in weed control, but which herbicides, what type, and when is a… Read More

Being an agronomist means knowing about plants, diseases, soil, and insects, but it also requires the ability to navigate difficult conversations, earn trust, and drive change. The people part of the agronomy equation is the topic of this episode of The Agronomists. Here to talk about personality differences, clear communication, and patience with people is… Read More

One of the most powerful and inexpensive tools farmers have in the pest management toolbox is crop rotation. A well-planned rotation can add yield stability, more yield, decreased weed and insect pressure, and keep diseases in check. The question is, how do we know which crops should be in a rotation and what benefits we… Read More

Not all datasets are created equal. Without a check strip or variety to compare to, or if too complicated, or with too few replications, resulting trial numbers can be nearly meaningless when comparing one decision to another. Good data means that farmers and agronomists can choose a practice or change or hybrid with a level… Read More

There’s never a shortage of field work to be done in the fall, but fall conditions can sometimes be very unfavourable for tillage, manure, or fertilizer applications. To dig into considerations for fall field work, including compaction, nutrient losses, and cover crop success, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Curtis Cavers of AAFC, Glen Arnold… Read More