Farming Forward – RealAgriculture

For farmers, managing nutrient efficiency can come down to a matter of inches. While the speed of broadcasting is practical for some nutrients, the agronomic benefits of placing nutrients, especially N and P, deep in the soil profile helps reduce losses. On this episode of Farming Forward, Dr. Rigas Karamanos joins RealAgriculture’s Amber Bell to... Read More

Managing cover crop residue can prove challenging especially when spring rain, cool soils, and heavy trash collide with planting. On this episode of Farming Forward, we travel to Rose Farms near Mitchell, Ont., to explore the farm family's decade-long journey with cover crops and residue management. On a rainy April morning, RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin visited... Read More

Improving the soil while maintaining a profit to feed the farm. It's a simple philosophy that's reflected in Cavan, Ont., farmer Norm Lamothe's approach to nitrogen management and cover crops. On this episode of Farming Forward, Lamothe shares how he's combining cover crops and the power of living roots with a split nitrogen strategy to... Read More

Integrating cover crops into cash crop systems doesn’t have to mean adding livestock or completely reworking existing farm practices. Saskatchewan agronomist Kerry Nell says on this episode of Farming Forward that integrating a cover crop successfully requires a practical, low-disruption approach to balance limited water resources, tight seeding windows, and short growing seasons. He's seeing... Read More

Trying to figure out nitrogen rates can be a real head scratcher but critical thinking and discipline will help growers find the most profitable rate for their farm, says MooseAg agronomist Aaron Breimer. On this episode of Farming Forward, Breimer looks at the rules and tools he applies to determine profitable nitrogen rates and strategies... Read More

Gerard Grubb is determined to find the most profitable nitrogen rates for growing corn on his Mildmay, Ont. farm. Grubb says the farm, which has been no-tilled since 2000, has the potential to yield 250 bushels per acre, but he's not chasing the highest yield; he wants to dial in his nitrogen rates to produce... Read More

For Derek Axten, changing nitrogen management on over 10,000 acres first required changing the goal. Shifting from a production-maximizing mentality to a profitability-first and resilience mindset is more fun, he says, though it's not without its share of challenges. The Axtens have been using several different management tools to make the shift to a soil-health... Read More

There are a number of key inputs that are required for a crop to be successful and at the top of the list is nitrogen. While crops need nitrogen in order to thrive, there is a balance to be had and too much N is money waste and a potential risk to the environment. In... Read More

It seems that everywhere you go right now, farmers are talking about cover crops. Producers across the country are not only using a diverse plant mix to provide feed for livestock, but also as potential solutions to compaction, a lack of nutrient availability, and to address weed issues in their fields. In this Farming Forward... Read More

Are crops really inefficient at taking up nitrogen? Actually, no — crops take up and store N in grain and also in stalks, stems, leaves, and roots, which can sometimes be overlooked in nitrogen removal calculations, leading some to think that there is more N "lost" than is actually so. But if crops are pretty... Read More

What does soil look like after 20 years of applying the GRASS principles? (Those are covered in this video) A soil pit in this pasture that Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching has grazed cattle on for about 20 years shows the results of using animal impact and strategic rest periods to build not just... Read More

Cover crops can do a number of things, such as hold soil in place, cycle nutrients, suppress weed growth, and fix nitrogen. They can also interfere with planting and seeding the next crop if not terminated properly. There are several options available for terminating cover crops: choosing species that will winterkill (most of the time!),... Read More

Soil tests are one tool for determining fertilizer needs of a particular field, but several other factors impact the overall productivity of any soil zone, regardless of nutrient level. Factors such as physical make up of the soil, salinity, internal drainage, field position, and organic matter levels, all play a role in determining the high-yield... Read More

Advanced grazing can be summed up in one word: GRASS. But we're not talking the actual grass, we're talking about the GRASS principles of advanced grazing. In this episode of the Farming Forward video series, Steve Kenyon of Greener Pastures Ranching, explains the principle that stands for: G - Graze period R - Rest period... Read More

Cover crops can be a non-starter in dry areas of the Prairies — or are they? A lack of moisture is definitely a concern when working to establish cover crops; however, over the long term, farmers Derek and Tannis Axten of Axten Farms at Minton, Sask., are finding covers build soil water holding capacity. That's... Read More

Choosing the right protection product for nitrogen fertilizer comes down to hedging against the most likely risk of loss. Enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizers, sometimes referred to as EEFs or EENFs, work well to protect against nitrogen losses, but they don't all work in the same way or in the same situation. In this episode of... Read More

It's a tough lesson in farming and ranching: learning lessons on what doesn't work can be expensive and time consuming. That's why knowledge transfer, peer-to-peer sharing, and mentorship can have a huge positive impact on those trying something new. For Grant Lastiwka, rancher at Innisfail, Alta., the Grazing Mentorship Program supported by Farmers for Climate... Read More

Putting cover crops to work on Randy Tkachyk's farm means keeping soil covered, growing winter feed for cattle, and providing grazing opportunities for those cattle well in to the fall. Tkachyk grows a diverse cover crop mix on his farm near Sundown, Man., as a means to manage risk against the growing season. A 15-way... Read More

A greater emphasis on digital tools and precision application tools that provide tangible benefits for farmers is what Dr. Mario Tenuta sees when he looks ahead to where Canada is moving with nitrogen mangement. Tenuta is the senior industrial research chair in 4R nutrient management and professor of soil ecology at the University of Manitoba,... Read More

This is the first video in a new series called Farming Forward: Sharpen your soil health expertise with cover cropping, nitrogen management, and advanced grazing, brought to you by the Farm Resilience Mentorship program. Visit farmlearninghub.ca for more! Building soil is about capturing sunlight, keeping plants actively growing, and feeding the soil bugs below through... Read More