Proudly Canadian
Proudly Canadian
It may seem like heresy, but shallow plowing once every seven years could help rather than hurt soil quality
It’s still possible to catch a glimpse of a moldboard plow now and then on the Prairies. Usually, they can be seen rusting away peacefully in the bushes near an abandoned farm yard, or taking one last ride on the back of a scrap metal truck. That’s where the older plows belong, said Pat Lynch,Five Manitobans were honoured for their contribution to agriculture and their community at an induction ceremony for the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame July 12. The Co-operator is featuring each in consecutive weekly editions.
Herb Lapp was born and raised on a farm at Alameda, Saskatchewan. He served in the Royal Canadian Air Force as a pilot during the Second World War. In 1949, he graduated in agricultural engineering from the University of Saskatchewan. In 1962, he obtained an MS in agricultural engineering from the University of Minnesota. HerbPest and disease challenges are reducing AC Barrie acreage, but the alternatives require some careful thought
Just a few short years ago the questions surrounding planting spring wheat were fairly straightforward — such as how many acres and how did it pencil out. A question that very rarely came up in Manitoba was what variety to plant — it was all but certain that the seed that went into the groundTest plots seeded this April ducked frost but didn’t gain much of a head start because soil temperatures were too low
If you ask a group of farmers what’s at the top of their wish list in early March, many would say an early spring, because it eases the logistical challenges of seeding large acreages and reduces the odds of being caught by an early-autumn frost. This year’s exceptionally early spring had the phones ringing offPlants draw different amounts of moisture from different depths in the soil, and growers can make those differences work for them
Grain farmers are always hoping for a Goldilocks year — not too wet, not too dry, but just right. But since fairy tales rarely come true, researchers with Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives are looking for alternative approaches. “It’s led us to wonder how we might weatherproof our crop rotations a bit,” oilseed specialist
