Technology will meet the dirt on Tuesday, July 18, when the Grey County Soil and Crop Improvement Association (SCIA) hosts its annual summer crop walk.
Hosted near Annan, Grey County SCIA plans to share the most up-to-date information about soil health and cropping systems with local farmers. Three experts from the Ontario Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA), plus two local agronomists will be speaking on new cropping technology and sharing how farmers can put it to use on their own operations.
Crop walks are an annual event for Grey Soil and Crop and play a critical part in the SCIA’s agenda of education, innovation, and knowledge transfer. They are an opportunity for farmers to get together with neighbours to share news or ideas and present a time when industry experts can be brought to the field for hands on learning.
The morning of July 18 will kick off with investigation of three soil pits: looking at indicators for soil health, compaction, root structures, and other factors. Alex Barrie and Daniel Saurette (both OMAFRA specialists) will guide viewers through their findings, talking about how yield variations across the field compare with soil structure underground. The Ontario Soil & Crop Improvement Association’s Mobile Soil Technology Suite will be on hand during analysis of the soil pits, and all the action in the pit will be shared on the trailer’s 7’ x 10’ hi-res video screen, making sure that everyone in the audience can catch the close-up details as they happen.
Along with analysis of soil pits, Deb Campbell (agronomist and owner of Agronomy Advantage) will be sharing SWAT Maps of the field: comparing SWAT technology’s data to soil pit findings and looking at where the two perspectives meet.
Moving on from the soil, participants will walk through new Enlist variety soybeans and side-by-side trials with Moddus growth regulator in wheat. This portion of the crop walk will have a discussion guided by Deb Campbell and Carrie Davenport (agronomist and owner of Georgian View Agri Services). Rounding out the day will be Jake Munroe of OMAFRA with a discussion about at cover crops.
For some, the highlight of the day might be information shared by an expert. For others it might be catching up with a neighbour’s news over a pizza lunch and refreshments, sponsored by Midwest Co-op and Sprucedale Agromart. Whatever the draw, it promises to be a great day for all!
The crop walk is free for members of Grey County SCIA, and $10 for all others who would like to attend. They do ask for pre-registration in order to have accurate lunch numbers, so if readers are interested in joining in, please email: lorie@greyagservices.ca.
