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Agriculture This Week: Transforming ag: The search for new crops

Agriculture, like most business sectors, spends a fair amount of resources, both cash and time, seeking what might be the next big thing.

It’s not an easy find in terms of crops for Canadian Prairie Producers.

There are a number of core obstacles to overcome, starting with of course the growing conditions here.

Producers might well wish to add field corn or soybeans to their rotations, but conditions here are not optimum for growing either crop.

So what has to take place is considerable effort in terms of plant breeding trying to create varieties that will produce under conditions here to a level where they are not just profitable in terms of the input of the crop itself, but competitive with long term crops already grown.

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What I’m Checking Behind the Planter This Spring

Video: What I’m Checking Behind the Planter This Spring



This is the first episode of a new behind-the-scenes series on our farm.

Today I’m checking behind the planter looking at planting depth, seed-to-soil contact, and making sure we’re placing seed into moisture, even in a dry spring.

Everything can look good from the cab, but this is where you find out what’s really happening.

We also ran into a prescription issue that slowed us down, which is a good reminder that even when conditions are ideal, the little things still matter.

If you’re planting right now, it’s worth taking a few minutes to check behind your planter.