Future of Grain
HIGHLIGHTING THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY IN GRAIN PRODUCTION AND UTILIZATION
New corn nitrogen test
Grain Farmers of Ontario has recently approved funding for a research project conducted by Dr. Manish Raizada at the University of Guelph. Raizada and his team have been developing a corn nitrogen test as an alternative to current approaches that measure direct soil nitrogen or leaf greenness.
The test measures leaf concentrations of the amino acid glutamine, which is a direct indication of plant nitrogen status. Raizada states that not only will the test be a better tool for determining whether or not to side-dress with nitrogen, but it will be less expensive than soil tests. He has patented a $1 test for leaf glutamine and is now conducting field trials to ensure that the test results correlate with soil nitrogen application rates. He hopes to establish whether it can truly be used by growers to determine how much nitrogen to side-dress to maximize yield and the cost:benefit ratio. Raizada will compare the test he has developed with other available technologies (SPAD meter, Greenseeker, soil N test).
In the future, Raizada plans to make the $1 test available to growers with a quick turnaround of test results made available online. •
Who are you following?
Farmers are using Twitter to stay connected and up to date with industry news. Each month, Ontario Grain Farmer magazine will highlight Twitter accounts we think you should consider following or hashtags (#) that will help you join specific conversations.
@CYSAgriculture
The Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture competition is held at @THERAWF every year for youth ages 11-24. Their Twitter account is active year round, promoting the upcoming speaking competition and encouraging youth to remain engaged in agriculture. You can also learn more about the competition at www.cysa-joca.ca/core.
#fromthefield
Use the hashtag #fromthefield to join the conversation about what’s going on in fields across North America. Anytime you post a tweet while working in your field include this hashtag so that other farmers and consumers can learn about the work you are doing. •
The Digital Toolbox
The smartphone, tablet and computer are important tools on today’s farms. Each month, Ontario Grain Farmer magazine will highlight an app, online tool, or website that may help you in the field or in the farm office.
Purdue Extension Corn and Soybean Field Guide
The Purdue Extension Corn and Soybean Field Guide app includes sections on corn and soybean management, weeds, soils and fertility, calibration, calculators, and sample submission. The weed and pest identification areas are excellent, with hundreds of high-quality images to help diagnose problems and understand common issues in corn and soybean production. The app also includes short videos to demonstrate important concepts. Farmers can submit samples of their findings to the Purdue Plant and Pest Diagnostic Laboratory. The app is available for iPads on the iTunes store (Purdue Extension Education Store) and costs $12.99. •
