Unit D4: NH T8.380 LSW
Plot Comments Even with the large tires on this tractor, then total weight is still causing stress at depth. Stress at the surface is significantly lower than would be expected with a narrower tire at higher pressure. […]
Unit D3+ D33: CaseIH STX420 Articulated Narrow Track Tractor + Unverferth 1110 Tracked Grain Buggy
Plot Comments This buggy is heavy, higher stress in the lower depths when compared to light equipment. The variation in the green curve on both plots may be due to lug spacing and roller contact. […]
Unit D3: CaseIH Steiger 420 Tracked Articulated Tractor
Plot Comments Similar results to D1 and D2, this unit we tested the distribution underneath the track. The sensor was align under the outer lug, inner lug and down the center of the track. The center of the track had slightly lower stress since there was no direct contact to the rollers. Also notice how only […]
Unit D2: CaseIH Steiger 400HD Dualed Articulated Tractor w710s
Plot Comments D2_3, D2_L_3 This Unit was tested at the _3 installation. This is a wheel tractor, comparable stress at depth effect compared to D1 as even accounting for lighter axle weight. […]
Unit D1: CaseIH Quadtrak STX500 Tracked Articulated Tractor
Plot Comments This is a curved bottom track Notice how there are only 3 peaks on each curve, corresponding to the small rollers on each track unit. The hard ground conditions meant the track was not bearing on the entire surface. The deeper pressures are a concern with this amount of weight […]
2018 Corn Seasonal Summary
Planting The March 2018 planting intentions report by Statistics Canada estimated Ontario farmers intended to plant 2.2 million acres of grain corn, comparing to a 5-year (2013-2017) average of 2.1 million acres (OMAFRA Crop Statistics). A cool April coupled with snow and freezing rain events through to the middle of the month limited early field […]
To plant green or to plant brown? Rye cover crop termination timing before soybeans
Go here for the updated version of this article. Cereal rye has several strengths as a cover crop option. It’s relatively inexpensive and easy to kill. Rye improves soil structure, builds organic matter and helps protect against water and wind erosion. It also competes with weeds, as Mike Cowbrough has written here (see Figure 1). […]
Soybean Seasonal Summary 2018
Summary The saying in cropping “rain makes grain” was certainly true for soybeans in 2018. Above average rainfall in late July and August resulted in the highest provincial yields on record. What makes this achievement especially impressive is that much of May, June, and even the first half of July were very dry. At the […]
New Soil Fertility Handbook Released!
Did you know that OMAFRA has a handbook that’s all about nutrients and soil fertility? It’s called the Soil Fertility Handbook and was first published in 1998. The book covers topics such as soil testing, soil pH and lime and fertilizer application. There’s a chapter on organic nutrient sources, like manure, biosolids and cover crops, […]
Cereals Seasonal Summary 2018
Fall 2017 Planting Planting conditions started off well and continued through to mid-October with little disruption. Rainfall around Thanksgiving weekend halted soybean harvest and subsequently winter wheat planting but once conditions dried up planting continued through to November. Approximately 906,000 acres of winter wheat were seeded which is slightly down from the previous year’s 910,000 […]
DON in corn silage
In properly ensiled corn silage, research has not shown an increase in mycotoxins from levels in the crop at harvest. Fusarium species, the fungi that produce DON, do not like low oxygen, low pH environments, so if corn goes through the proper ensiling process fusarium should no longer be active and able to produce DON. […]
How to dry soybeans in a bin
The wet fall and delayed harvest of 2018 has left a lot of Ontario soybeans still in the field. This is a big deal, especially for farmers who are growing Identity-Preserved (IP) soybeans with a premium of several dollars per bushel! And the main question growers are asking: If my beans are wet, can I […]
Edible Bean Seasonal Summary 2018
Planting and Development The dry edible bean season started out positively with good planting conditions at the end of May and beginning of June. There was not much rain in the last half of May, and by May 28th temperatures were reaching 30˚C with no risk of frost. A large proportion of the dry beans […]
Sustainable Farmland Agreements
As the harvest season winds down many farmers begin to think about talking to their non-farming land owners about farming the land next year. Non-farming land owners are also preparing for discussions with a familiar grower or with a new one. According to the Farm and Food Care Ontario website over 35% or 4 […]
Spaces to Breathe and Grow
We are all aware of the imperative to minimize compaction, but with crop quality on the line, tough choices have to be made on the trade-off between the grain quality and potential income from this year’s crop, and future yield and cost of production due to compaction losses or increased tillage passes. There have […]