Once nitrogen fertilizer lands on or in soil it may be at risk of loss — through leaching, volatilization, or denitrification. Management choices can minimize losses, through split-application, deep banding, or choice of product, but adding an enhanced efficiency fertilizer product can guard against loss, too. How the products work, when to use which, and... Read More

Small variances add up when it comes to data — a few percentage point difference could mean choosing the wrong variety or leaving huge bushels on the table. But what makes for strong data and why does it matter so much? From trial designs and reps, to site selection, and the importance of calibrating equipment,... Read More

Like the Christmas decorations coming out at Costco, it feels like the variety and hybrid line-up decision keeps moving earlier and earlier each year. For some farmers, early decisions are vital in order to secure the exact variety, treatment, and trait package, but that decision is sometimes made before the current-year’s data is compiled. To... Read More

Every fall, farmers race against Mother Nature to bring in the harvest; nearly as often equipment sizes increase, putting significant pressure on soil and causing compaction. To navigate the risk of compaction at harvest — and at planting! — this episode of The Agronomists features Nick Dubuc, farmer and ag engineer, and Marla Riekman of... Read More

It pays to spray — but does it pay to spot spray? On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Tom Wolf of AgriMetrix and Sprayers 101, and Saskatchewan farmer Carl deConinck Smith for a discussion on spot spraying — where it fits best, when in the year, and how to... Read More

On this episode of The Agronomists, two entomologists and a real-live insect join voice-less host Lyndsey Smith to cover so many of the pest problems that popped up on the Prairies this growing season. James Tansey, of Saskatchewan Agriculture, and Tyler Wist, of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, cover the grasshopper lifecycle and threats for ’24,... Read More

UAVs, or drones, have evolved past aerial imagery and are quickly becoming a useful tool in the early fly-on of seed into standing crops. This is pretty new territory for many, so to unpack what to consider and how successful a drone can be as a seeder, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Reuben Stone... Read More

Fall soil sampling is an integral part of planning nutrient application rates for the following crop. Knowing where to sample, how early is too early and why, and what to do about results is the topic of this episode of The Agronomists! Focusing on fall sampling of phosphorus and nitrogen, host Lyndsey Smith is joined... Read More

Pre-harvest is an excellent time to scout soybean and canola for various disease levels and to assess how the season has gone. There’s also plenty to be learned at harvest and even after harvest, depending on what you’re looking for. To tackle the stories stems tell and what to do about it, host Lyndsey Smith... Read More

Weed control for the following season really starts in the fall, and, at times, even before harvest starts. Targeting certain weeds in the fall can mean achieving excellent control for the year ahead. To tackle fall weed tips, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Patty Soloducha of ADAMA Canada, and Rob Miller with BASF on... Read More

And just like that, we’re onto the last episode of The Agronomists for the month of August. Time flies when we’re having fun, hopefully you all are, too! For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Brunel Sabourin of Antara Agronomy, and Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson of RealAgriculture, to discuss when... Read More

Sharing is caring, except for when it comes to crop diseases. Many of the diseases that impact corn have in fact been shared through spores in the wind at some point, but most have become endemic to the corn producing regions of Canada. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by... Read More

It’s that time of the week — time to catch up on the latest and greatest in agronomy. Host Lyndsey Smith looks forward to this topic every year, as she gets to talk forages! For this episode of The Agronomists, Smith is joined by Dan Undersander, professor emeritus from the University of Wisconsin, and Christine... Read More

Insect problems often come in cycles, waves, and even by stiff breezes. Knowing which pests are carried in, purposefully march in, or overwinter is key to determining when in the year to begin scouting and where to look. From sticky traps to sweep nets, the insect population in any crop is staggering. But not all... Read More

Sclerotinia is predictably unpredictable. Always lurking but not always a problem, so making the call to protect canola flowers can be a tough one in dry years. To talk sclerotinia (also known as white mould of soybean and dry beans) prevention and management, special guest host Kelvin Heppner is joined by Jeanette Gaultier of BASF,... Read More

Zappers, seed grinders, and robots, oh my! What’s the latest in weed control technology? For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Chuck Baresich of Haggerty AgRobotics, and Kim Brown Livingston of Manitoba Agriculture, to discuss the trouble with problem weeds and the new (old?) ways to deal with them. From... Read More

Volunteer corn or canola aren’t just a plant out of place — both can eat yield and quality, depending on the following crop. Managing volunteers benefits from several layers of cultural practices, such as harvest settings and row spacing, and a well thought-out herbicide strategy. To delve into the challenge of volunteers, this episode of... Read More

Dealing with emergence emergencies in the corn and soybean crop? This episode of The Agronomists may pique your interest. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Bob Thirlwall of Bayer CropScience, and Johanna Lindeboom of Clark Agri-Service, to dig in to crusting issues, cold injury symptoms, side-wall issues, and planting depth problems. This episode of the... Read More

Determining rust risk, telling tan spot from septoria, and identifying a bacterial infection are all key to keeping the cereal crop’s solar panels (leaves!) clean and in top form. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by plant pathologists Holly Derksen with UPL, and Dr. Kelly Turkington with Agriculture and Agri-Food... Read More

It’s corn! And it’s time to discuss in-crop nitrogen management of corn on this episode of the The Agronomists. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Jason DeBruin of Corteva AgriScience, based at Iowa, and Peter Johnson of RealAgriculture, to discuss nitrogen management, minimizing loss, when the crop needs the N. They cover when N needs... Read More

It’s time to talk fusarium control — by zeroing in on an upright, narrow target. Achieving excellent coverage of a wheat head is a huge challenge, so to talk about better control and spray technology, this episode of the Agronomists brings together Dr. Dave Hooker, with the University of Guelph-Ridgetown, and Dr. Tom Wolf of... Read More

Tonight’s episode of The Agronomists is dedicated to those rotten… you guessed it… root rots. Identification, rotation impacts, scouting tips, and likely culprits for canola, corn, and soybeans — host Lyndsey Smith covers it all. Joining her is Clint Jurke, of the Canola Council of Canada, and Alison Robertson, of Iowa State University. This episode... Read More

When it comes to soybean fertility, there are many different pieces of the puzzle we could look at. Tonight’s episode of The Agronomists focuses particularly on P and K management. Do starter and pop-up fertilizers make a significant impact on soybean performance compared to just broadcasting the crops’ nutrient needs? When do we soil test... Read More

Early season weed control, tank mix tips, troublesome weeds, and a whole lot more are the focus on this episode of The Agronomists. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Mike Cowbrough of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food, and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), and Tammy Jones of Corteva Agriscience. This episode of the Agronomists is brought... Read More

Residue management, seeing rates, dates, other establishment factors in the early season, and a whole lot more are the focus on this episode of The Agronomists. Host Lyndsey Smith is joined by certified wheat gurus Phil Needham of Needham Ag Technologies, and Peter “Wheat Pete” Johnson, RealAgriculture’s resident agronomist. The focus for this episode is... Read More