News and updates

Field Tested delivers ROI: There's nothing that compares to test results you see on your land, planted & harvested with your equipment and grown under your care.

Soil erosion will blow away assets every farmer needs. It is still the most widespread form of soil degradation in Canada even though, in the past three decades, the Canadian prairies greatly reduced wind erosion through the adoption of improved land management practices, such as direct seeding, reduced tillage intensity, and reduction in summer fallow fields.

To call Jamie Assistant Manager and expect that to define her role in making Farming Smarter Alberta's leading research association seems artless.

George Lubberts, Farming Smarter vice president, is another organizational long hauler dating back to the Southern Applied Research Association and taking part in the formation of Farming Smarter in 2012.

The project, Introducing High Value Speciality Crops to Western Canadian Crop Rotations, focuses on barley, canola, pea and wheat in conjunction with multiple novel crops, but mostly focused on hemp and quinoa.

Alberta farmers may notice a change in flea beetle populations. Listen to Dr. Hector Carcamo, AAFC Entomologist, and Lewis Baarda, Farming Smarter

Gauging crop recovery possibilities after a hailstorm churned across the landscape is a long-standing pastime in Alberta. According to an AMA insurance report, 66% of major hailstorms take place in our province each year.

Southern Alberta saw one of those days when wind caused havock and fire last Sunday, March 28, 2021. When a wind event causes winds of 140km/hr, it's hard to imagine what might protect your soil.

CARA launched a soil benchmark project in 2018 to develop a biological and physical baseline for soils in Alberta. It will provide a framework that defines strategies for managing and improving the productive capacity and sustainability of our soils.

Wetlands are complex and so are the regulations associated with them. If you have any questions, concerns, or want to develop/remove wetlands on your property, remember to always consult a qualified wetland professional.

Ryan Mercer is co-owner and president of Mercer Seeds Ltd. and sees direct value from a strong, local source of information for his farm. His interest lies in the unbiased, third party information coming from replicated small plot work and field scale work.

Biobeds are a low cost, simple way to responsibly handle pesticide rinsates and maintain healthy water and soil. Farming Smarter installed one and they're making it easier for others to have one too.

Ken Coles is not a man anyone can hold back, and he has a vision to make Farming Smarter the most useful organization a farmer or agronomist can turn to when they need information.

Wheat growers! This program is for you. Dr. Brian Beres and Dr. Patricio Grassini talk about current research into quantifying

While the term soil health is quite pervasive in the scientific and agricultural communities, its meaning and scope are ambiguous. Dr. H. Henry Janzen and his colleagues in the Soil Biology and Biochemistry journal1 recently published an excellent article on this topic.

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) of Canada approved a three-year grant to fund a strip tillage and precision planting at Farming Smarter.

The government created RDAR (Results Driven Agricultural Research).  They touted it as a one stop funding agency that would empower farmers to decide how to spend public investment in research and extension.  An interesting idea with some good promise, but not without challenge.

The final segment on beneficial soil microorganisms looks at the complicated and crucial relationship between plants and soil microorganisms.

It's been a busy winter at Farming Smarter, we've had a lot of data to analyze. Now, we're ready to bring you the results and updates on our Custom Research projects!

Biostimulants are a relatively new class of crop additive that suggests they can help grow healthier, therefore higher yield/quality crops.

Continuing the series on soil microorganisms, let's talk about the importance of soil rhizobacteria. Rhizobacteria are a type of bacteria that inhabit the soil zone immediately around plant roots as well as the root surface and nodules.

This week we talk to you about durum agronomy and specifically, planter research. Someone told Ken Coles that durum agronomy hasn't seen updates for 20 years. Coles got on the case to do multi-factor durum research.