Farming Forward: Using SWAT maps to inform nitrogen management decisions

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 potential and lower yield potential areas of a field.

In this episode of Farming Forward, Justin Dering, with Croptimistic Technologies, explains how SWAT maps — maps that factor in soil, water, and topography — divide a field in to 1o management zones, enabling farmers to vary input rates, including seed or fertilizer.

By dividing a field by the underlying drivers of yield, such as water holding capacity, Dering says that farmers can make more precise decisions on nitrogen application, for example, in order to minimize over-application in some areas or shorting the crop in others.

Farming Forward is a video series brought to you by Farmers for Climate Solutions’ Farm Resilience Mentorship Program and the Farm Learning Hub. Visit the hub to learn more about events in your area and to access more resources about building soil health.

RealAg Radio: TFW restrictions, the Port of Baltimore, and affordability concerns, Mar 27, 2024

Thanks for tuning into this Wednesday edition of RealAg Radio!

On this episode, hear from:

  • Mike Steenhoek with Soy Transportation Coalition on the Port of Baltimore’s impact to agriculture;
  • Drew Spoelstra with Ontario Federation of Agriculture on Temporary Foreign Worker restrictions;
  • A clip from the latest Farm Safety Roundup episode on safety week with Ryan Dick; and,
  • Don’t miss the top ag news stories!

Thoughts on something we talked about on the show? Connect with host Shaun Haney via email [email protected], on Twitter by using the hashtag #RealAgRadio, or give us a shout on the response line, 1-855-776-6147.

Wheat Pete’s Word: Provincial record corn yields, learning from others, and all about P

It’s the last week of March but the weather has turned cool and more average for this time of year. That means there’s plenty of questions streaming in as farmers get ready to hit the fields.

This week on Wheat Pete’s Word, host Peter Johnson has to make good on a bet, we learn about phosphorus rates and sources, AND we all get some life lessons on what to do between high school’s end and taking on a farm (hint: get off the farm!)

Have a question you’d like Wheat Pete to address or some field results to send in? Agree/disagree with something he’s said? Leave him a message at 1-888-746-3311, send him a tweet (@wheatpete), or email him at [email protected].

SUMMARY

  • Things to consider before a farm kid comes back to the farm: learn from others, learn from school, have a non-family boss
  • No matter what, someone coming back to the farm has to bring value — new skills, new ideas. Check out the discussion from Monday’s episode of RealAg Radio
  • Farming is the art of applying the science
  • New record for corn in Ontario! Pete lost the bet on corn
  • Final 202 bu/ac, 2 bu better than 2021 (the last highest number). Soybeans in at 53 bu/ac
  • Got grain in the bin? Spring sun is strong and hot
  • Check those bins, and turn on the fans if you need to, friends
  • What the heck is seedbed utilization?
  • We need to know what it is if we’re going to talk about phosphorus and starter fertilizer decisions
  • Let’s answer the questions we didn’t get to! Watch the whole show, here: The Agronomists
  • Seedbed utilization means the narrower the opener and the wider the rows, the higher the risk of salt toxicity
  • Wheat can handle a little “hotter” of a seedbed because the growing point is protected
  • Crop type, opener, and rate all factor in
  • Strip-tillage considerations
  • What about deep banding P? Too deep is positionally unavailable
  • What about alternatives to MAP?
  • Here are the facts (That Peter refers to)

Farm Safety Roundup, Ep. 6: Safety is our heritage

As Canadian Agricultural Safety Week concludes, the conversation around farm safety continues to be paramount. In this episode of the Farm Safety Roundup, hosted by Shaun Haney of RealAgriculture, Ryan Dick of Workplace Safety and Prevention Services sheds light on the crucial role of safety in agriculture. With a dual perspective as both a Health & Safety Consultant and a farmer, Dick emphasizes the significance of prioritizing safety every day.

This year’s focus for Canadian Agricultural Safety Week emphasized the need for ongoing safety awareness, and provided practical safety advice and encouraging conversations about farm safety. Dick emphasizes the direct link between safety practices and the success and sustainability of farming operations. “Regardless of what your view of success is, there’s a few things that help you get there on the farm. One of those things is putting health and safety at the forefront. Because if you’re not around to enjoy your success, what point is having success?”

Haney and Dick highlight the preventable nature of many farm injuries, stressing the need for thorough task assessment and hazard awareness. Dick urges farmers to prioritize safety training and to continuously evaluate and update safety procedures. “Every farmer has a responsibility to protect their workers by making them aware of the hazards and the dangers of doing the job… if we can increase our communication, we would have a better internal responsibility system, which would in turn create a safer work environment and a safer culture,” he advises.

In addition to addressing near misses and unique risks in farming, Dick emphasizes the importance of self-care among farmers. He urges individuals to prioritize their physical and mental well-being, recognizing that farm success is inherently tied to personal well-being. “Farm success is directly dependent on our wellbeing as a farmer. And if we are not taking care of ourselves, not being able to see the forest for the trees, we’re gonna continue to make knee-jerk decisions that make more work for ourselves because we’re not giving yourself that downtime, to really rest and recoup for that,” he emphasizes.

The commitment to farm safety extends far beyond a designated week. By fostering open communication, prioritizing safety training, and advocating for self-care, farmers can create safer work environments and ensure the long-term success of their operations.

For more information including tips, tools, and free and easy-to-use resources, visit WSPS.ca/farmsafety

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Valtra S Series tractors feature SmartTurn technology

It wasn’t the biggest new tractor roll-out at Agritechnica, but the Valtra S Series certainly attracted its fair share of attention thanks to a unique combination of size and technology.

The Valtra S Series is a sixth generation tractor from the Finnish manufacturer, which operates plants in Finland and Brazil. Models range from 280 to 420 horsepower and are powered by a new 8.4 litre AGCO Power engine, that delivers five percent greater power output and nine percent greater torque than previous tractors, explains Valtra’s product marketing manager Timo Mattila.

The S Series is fully loaded with smart farming technology including SmartTurn automatic headland turning. “SmartTurn is one part of the precision farming technologies, which make the headland turn automatic,” notes Mattila. “In the previous systems it only made driving the field automatic, but now the tractor can also turn fully automatically on the headland.”

In this report, Mattila tells RealAgriculture’s Bernard Tobin that farmers in Europe and South America will see the tractors later in 2024, but at this time there are no plans to bring the S Series to North America.

RealAgriculture’s coverage of Agritechnica is brought to you by Optimum GLY, a new canola trait technology from Corteva Agriscience.

RealAg Radio: Farmer protests and trade deals, crop research changes, and avian flu in dairy cattle, Mar 26, 2024

Thanks for tuning into this Tuesdays with Lyndsey edition of RealAg Radio!

On this episode, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by:

  • Michael Harvey with Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance on the EU/UK trade with Canada;
  • A spotlight interview with Doug Miller of the Canadian Seed Growers’ Association;
  • John Conrad with Alberta Agriculture on the Western Crop Innovations at Lacombe, Alta.; and,
  • Don’t miss the top ag news stories including HPAI in dairy cattle.

Thoughts on something we talked about on the show? Connect with host Lyndsey Smith via email [email protected], on Twitter by using the hashtag #RealAgRadio, or give us a shout on the response line, 1-855-776-6147.

Port of Baltimore plays key role in grain, ag equipment trade

In the early hours of Tuesday, March 26th, the cargo vessel MV Dali collided with a support post of the Francis Scott Key Bridge at Baltimore, Maryland, causing the bridge to collapse.

Reports are that the Singapore-flagged ship experienced a power loss and inability to steer the ship before the collision.

While the rescue and recovery effort will take some time, the clean up and repair of the Patapsco River and the shipping corridor will take much longer, putting strain on the supply lines that flow through the Port of Baltimore.

Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition, says that the port isn’t as critical to grain imports and exports as the Mississippi River and the New Orleans hub, but it is a key port of agriculture equipment, fertilizer, and many other ag-related products.

Steenhoek talks with RealAgriculture’s Lyndsey Smith. Story continues after the interview.

Still, plenty of grain does move through the port, as Steenhoek says the United States Department of Agriculture’s stats from 2020 show the Port of Baltimore exported 142,152 metric tons of soybeans via container. There are no reported soybean exports via bulk vessel.  The port imported 172,228 metric tons of soybeans via container and 34,185 metric tons of soybeans via bulk vessels.  In contrast, the Mississippi Gulf region – the leading export region for soybeans – accounted for 35.4 million metric tons of soybean exports by bulk.

The top five agricultural products handled (import and export combined) at the Port of Baltimore are: sugar, soybeans, grain (including corn and wheat), coffee, and grocery items.

The Port of Baltimore is incredibly important to the automotive sector, as a huge volume of vehicle trade runs through the port. The American Trucking Association (ATA) estimates the bridge carries about 4,900 trucks per day that haul goods worth an annual average of $28 billion. The ATA says re-routing these goods will come at a direct cost to shippers and consumers.