Host Lyndsey Smith and guests George Lazarovits of A&L Biologicals and Jon Treloar of Novozymes BioAg, discuss the evolution of biological products, what exists now, what’s working, what’s in the pipeline, any cautions around using biological products, and where they have made a significant difference in cropping systems. Catch a new episode of The Agronomists... Read More

Building organic matter is a complicated and sometimes slow process, but you can’t build soil organic matter without carbon and biological activity. There’s some research out there to suggest that adding commercial nitrogen fertilizer to cropping systems burns through organic matter — but field level research doesn’t show the same results. What’s happening? First time... Read More

There are significant differences between what is available in Canada and the U.S. when it comes to adjuvant additions to the spray tank. But that’s not to say there aren’t options for Canadian farmers — there are — and knowing what’s available, how they work, and when to use them is key to getting the... Read More

If you change how you deliver seed to the ground, what else has to change? From fertilizer planning, to seeding rate, to weed control, the planter vs. seeder decision isn’t as easy as which unit does the most consistent job. To explore considerations for canola and soybeans, and to kick off the 2022 season of... Read More

It’s time to wrap up the 2021 growing season, with a discussion on the most challenging agronomic topics of the year: from soil management, to determining yield capacity, to managing plant growth regulators. For this special year-end edition of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Jeremy Boychyn with the Alberta Wheat and Barley... Read More

Every selection tool shifts the weed spectrum, and that includes farmer-controlled decisions such as tillage, crop rotation, and seeding rate. It also includes non-farmer controlled selection tools, such as wet or dry weather cycles. To unpack what we can learn from shifting weed patterns, we go to Mike Cowbrough, weed specialist with the Ontario Ministry... Read More

There are plenty of things farmers can add to soil other than a commercial fertilizer to add carbon and feed microbes. Increasingly, there are products that promise increased nutrient availability or even nitrogen-fixation for non-legumes. Whether or not the products work as they should and determining the best situation to use them is yet to... Read More

Fall seeding of spring cereals may sound like a wild idea — and it is — but research out of Western Canada is trying it for durum. Meanwhile in Ontario, a new seeding trial could help farmers decide if it’s time to upgrade the drill. For this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Agriculture... Read More

If one crop is good, two could be better. Intercropping and relay cropping is gaining momentum in Ontario and Western Canada, in an effort to maximize yield, decrease fertilizer use, and possibly reduce herbicide and fungicide passes. To explore what the science tells us, we go to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada researchers Eric Page at... Read More

We’re not about to let some technical difficulties keep us from having The Agronomists go live! In this episode, storm-stayed Tom Wolf and mall-Santa-ready Jason Deveau join host Shaun Haney for an engaging conversation about new sprayer technology, the rate of commercialization, and strategies for effective product application in the face of possible shortages in-season.... Read More