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