No-till farming Archives - Page 5 of 10

Thomas Nkhunda, 37, has been using conservation agriculture on his plots for eight years.

Dropping the hoe and doubling the yield

Minimum tillage  makes for dramatic improvements for this family in Malawi

By Laura Rance-Unger February 26, 2015

It’s raining, but that doesn’t stop Thomas Nkhunda from leading a group of visitors into his fields where he describes how he manages plots demonstrating the benefits of conservation agriculture. Rain isn’t unusual at this time of year. After all, it’s the rainy season in Malawi. What’s unusual is the fact that the rains they

man standing on crop research project field

Crops

Will it be chess or checkers?

A researcher explores different ways of sustainably playing the farming game

By Julienne Isaacs February 4, 2015

It was standing room only in the University of Manitoba’s Carolyn Sifton Lecture Theatre Jan. 21 for a seminar entitled “Conservation agriculture, organic farming and agro-ecology: the three musketeers of a sustainable food system.” “I try to do this every year because I want to give the graduate students permission to ask tough questions and

Crops, Opinion

Editorial: Changing how we think

By Laura Rance-Unger January 12, 2015

Back in the days when Prairie farmers were still in the experimental phase of adopting what is now known as conservation agriculture, I remember interviewing a farmer who had gone all the way and embraced zero tillage. He said it was an exercise in frustration bordering on failure until he realized the transition involved more

Opinion

Saline soils, plant growth problems linked to tillage practices

Research on saline soils underway, but at least one cause points to over-tilling

By Red River Basin Commission November 4, 2014

Here in the Red River basin, most fields in crop production are tilled one or more times each year, whether with cultivators, disks or deep tillers. The resulting fields look well cared for — good farming is often associated with well-tilled fields. In many places in the basin, however, farmers are noticing areas of fields

News

Agricultural Hall of Fame: Robert McNabb

Five new members of the Manitoba Agricultural Hall of Fame were inducted July 17 at a ceremony  in Portage la Prairie. We’re featuring a new inductee each week

By Manitoba Co-operator Staff August 27, 2014

Robert (Bob) McNabb was born and raised on a farm at Minnedosa, Manitoba. He attended the University of Manitoba where he obtained a degree in agriculture, majoring in animal science. While at university, he took flying lessons and obtained his commercial flying licence. Following graduation, Bob spent eight years in northern Saskatchewan where he was

From upper left: Steve Groff, Jodi DeJong-Hughes, David Montgomery, Amir Kassam.

News

Conservation agriculture gaining ground

But breaking through  tradition is difficult

By Shannon VanRaes July 4, 2014

It’s common to rebel against your parents, except it seems, when deciding how best to farm. “Never underestimate tradition,” Jodi DeJong-Hughes told those gathered in Winnipeg for the sixth World Congress on Conservation Agriculture last week. The Minnesota-based extension educator and tillage specialist said there is one thing she hears more often than not when

Steve Larocque conducting a presentation.

Crops

Is the freeze-thaw effect a myth?

By Daniel Winters January 22, 2014

What if the notion that the freeze-thaw action of icy winter weather gives Prairie farmers a free pass on soil compaction problems turns out to be wishful thinking? If so, the implications should be enough to send a chill down a big-iron-loving farmer’s spine. “We often say that we don’t have to worry about soil

Soil scientist Jon Stika demonstrates the erosion-resistant qualities of a “living” soil aggregate (r) compared to an ordinary clump of “dead” dirt.

Crops, News

Healthy soil the key to healthy profits

Look beyond ‘bench-top chemistry’ in evaluating soil health, urges soil microbiologist

By Daniel Winters January 20, 2014

Jon Stika says farmers always give the same answers when asked what they want from their soil. “They want it to grow crops, infiltrate water and supply nutrients,” the USDA soil scientist told last week’s annual workshop of the Manitoba-North Dakota Zero Tillage Farmers Association. “But what if we managed it to its fullest potential,

Crops, Forages

Seed producer says vertical tillage is just the ticket

By Shannon VanRaes July 17, 2013

Greg Smith says vertical tillage has worked so well on his perennial grasses and alfalfa,  he’s now using it for his grains and oilseed crops to manage residue

Looking to breathe new life into perennial seed crop stands? Consider vertical tillage. Beginning with his meadow fescue fields, forage seed producer Greg Smith began using vertical tillage two years ago to loosen up sod-bound fields and has been pleased with the results — higher yields in second- and even third-year plant stands. “Meadow fescue

Crops, News

Manitobans helping North Korean farmers

By Shannon VanRaes July 5, 2013

Manitobans with expertise in zero till and soil health are helping farmers increase productivity in the isolated nation

When it comes to North Korea, agriculture may not be the first thing that pops into people’s minds. But for the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) it’s been front and centre for the last five years. The Winnipeg-based organization has been providing farmers in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea with assistance with soil conservation and

Daily Network News

Canadian alpacas impress American judge at Agribition

U.S. grains: Chicago grains firm as traders gauge China purchases

U.S. livestock: Futures rally ahead of U.S. Thanksgiving

Tag Archives No-till farming