Introduction Your crops need water to grow and produce, but knowing how much to irrigate and when is critical to having the healthiest crop and achieving the best yields possible. In this era of climate change and increasingly unpredictable weather, farmers need to rely more and more on irrigation. At the same time, the agriculture […]

Soil moisture and its availability to support plant growth is a primary factor in crop yield. Too little moisture can result in yield loss and plant death. Too much causes root disease and wasted water.   Just as important, water is a delivery mechanism for any nutrients that are not tightly bound to the soil. […]

You can increase yield by sowing seeds earlier if you can manage the risk.  You may be able to start early and squeeze in another production cycle, but if you start too early and you suffer an early frost, then you’re way behind.  What if you had a way to quantify the risk?  What if […]

This article provides a behind-the-scenes look into the data that growers use to increase crop production.  It describes actual data from Michael, a strawberry grower based near Guelph, Ontario, during the summer of 2017.  Michael had been working with soil specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture who had advised him to irrigate several times a […]

If you knew how much water stayed in the field, wouldn’t it be easier to anticipate over-watering conditions: rot, disease, pests; anticipate under-watering and take measures to add water? If you knew what was happening on your farm, you’d be a better farmer with better production quality and better yield. Theoretically, the process seems very […]

This article investigates the results of work done in University of California and University of Georgia that studied the use of soil sensors and impact on costs and revenue in a test farm. They observed a 21% increase in profitability by using soil sensors to manage irrigation schedules in high value crops; as well as improved crop health.

As we enter into the bud break development period please refer to the following table for critical lethal temperatures and growth stages as vines are now reaching these developmental stages across Ontario.  This table provides guidelines for cold protection measures for grapes during this critical stage. For optimal use of wind machines, it is suggested […]

Can the latest technology increase profit? The latest cellular weather stations provides real-time soil information and weather information directly to your phone; but how can you use this information to make more money? This article summarizes findings from University of California researchand Colorado State University research. Learn more about how you can apply these techniques yourself.

Detecting moisture and heat stress are important steps to any effective irrigation management system. In the process of scouting your crops, you or the person doing it needs to understand some of the basics that exist with field moisture stresses and to be sure not to confuse them with heat stress. Plant Stress in General: […]