AGRONOMY HUB

Tools and resources for functional sustainability.




Featured Article
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?

Over the past handful of months, I’ve attended a whole pile of potato seminars, expos, forums and conferences around the world. Regenerative agriculture and sustainability are almost always top of the agenda.

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Why Paul is Guilt-free About Doubling his Yield with Soil Fumigation
Why Paul is Guilt-free About Doubling his Yield with Soil Fumigation

Over the last couple articles, I’ve told you about Paul: a highly experienced, sustainability-focused Ontario potato producer who saw yield skyrocket when he started using chloropicrin (the active ingredient in Strike) as a soil fumigant.

10/27/2022
As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield
As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield

Last week we shared the first article in a 3-part series published in SpudSmart titled, “Ontario Potato Farmer Notches 100% Yield Increase”. This week we are sharing the second article in the 3-part series published in SpudSmart titled, “As Promised Here’s How Paul Doubled His Yield”.

10/18/2022
Are Lurking Pathogens Already Wreaking Havoc Below Ground?
Are Lurking Pathogens Already Wreaking Havoc Below Ground?

Farmers usually feel pretty hopeful about the potential of their crops at the start: the most common comment I hear in early summer is “This is going to be my year!” Those same farmers are often disappointed that the potential they saw in June and July didn’t translate to yield. What happened?

9/19/2022
How Trical Has Helped Onion Growers
How Trical Has Helped Onion Growers

TriCal Australia knew it could help solve yield problems on an onion farm in Myalup, WA. Soil health was deteriorating, with higher rates of Pink Root, Rhizoctonia, Fusarium, Verticillium wilts, Sclerotinia, Pythium, and parasitic nematodes all being detected in soil DNA tests.

8/8/2022
What Are Nematodes?
What Are Nematodes?

Nematodes are incredibly diverse, thread-like roundworms that live in a wide range of soils. Mostly microscopic in size, nematodes have varied methods of survival. A majority of nematodes are microbial feeders found in the soil. They can feed on diverse food sources, including bacteria, fungi, and even other nematodes!

2/27/2023
What happens when you stop using Strike Telone in your soil, Sam Pike tells us.

A long time ago, when Sam stopped using Telone for 4 years, he found that nematodes and diseases increased and nematicides did not control the cycle of nematodes. With further agronomy testing they found the exact and were able to tackle the issue head on.

11/23/2022
Growing Greater Grapes Pt. 2 – Modesto Trial Results
Growing Greater Grapes Pt. 2 – Modesto Trial Results

TriClor and TELONE™ fumigant treatments continue to demonstrate significant reduction in total plant-parasitic nematode (PPN) density across all 3 seasons compared to untreated control, shown in the graphic below.

6/16/2022
Growing Greater Grapes – Modesto Trial Update
Growing Greater Grapes – Modesto Trial Update

By utilizing pre-plant fumigants in a vineyard – such as TriClor (Chloropicrin) and TELONE™ II (1,3-Dichloropropene) – growers can reduce the total parasitic nematode pressure within the soil where the grapes are being planted.

5/18/2022
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?

Over the past handful of months, I’ve attended a whole pile of potato seminars, expos, forums and conferences around the world. Regenerative agriculture and sustainability are almost always top of the agenda.

6/6/2023
Soil to Substrate: Key Irrigation and Fertigation Ideas for Long Cane Raspberries
Soil to Substrate: Key Irrigation and Fertigation Ideas for Long Cane Raspberries

Traditional soil production for soft fruit crops is a buffered system that is slow to change. Fertigation mistakes in a traditional soil system isn’t necessarily detrimental, or result is major pH or nutrient changes.

6/2/2023
The Importance of Irrigation in Pecan Production
The Importance of Irrigation in Pecan Production

Pecan trees have high water requirements, as much as 350 gallons per tree per day for mature trees. They have been shown to take most of the water they require from the upper 32 inches of the soil profile for normal seasonal growth. The deeper the trees have to reach for water the more energy they use.

3/27/2023
What Is Soil Fumigation—And Why Does It Matter?
What Is Soil Fumigation—And Why Does It Matter?

The presence of many common organisms, parasites, and pests can mean the difference between a healthy yield or an off year. Soil fumigation can give plants the best chance possible to grow up and develop, while controlling pests safely and effectively—with lasting results.

3/21/2023
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?
Does Soil Fumigation Have a Place in Regenerative Agriculture?

Over the past handful of months, I’ve attended a whole pile of potato seminars, expos, forums and conferences around the world. Regenerative agriculture and sustainability are almost always top of the agenda.

6/6/2023
What Is Soil Fumigation—And Why Does It Matter?
What Is Soil Fumigation—And Why Does It Matter?

The presence of many common organisms, parasites, and pests can mean the difference between a healthy yield or an off year. Soil fumigation can give plants the best chance possible to grow up and develop, while controlling pests safely and effectively—with lasting results.

3/21/2023
Green Beans: Low Rate Fumigation Trial
Green Beans: Low Rate Fumigation Trial

Building off of our traditional success in tobacco and our more recent watermelon results in 2020-2021, we wanted to trial our low rate system in another crop that fit the specifications outlined earlier; 60-120 day crop. An opportunity was found in Florida with fresh market green beans.

2/13/2023
What happens when you stop using Strike Telone in your soil, Sam Pike tells us.

A long time ago, when Sam stopped using Telone for 4 years, he found that nematodes and diseases increased and nematicides did not control the cycle of nematodes. With further agronomy testing they found the exact and were able to tackle the issue head on.

11/23/2022
TriCal Australia

TriCal Australia was established as SA Rural Agencies in 1987 which became AGAS Rural in 2012. Joining the TriCal Group of Companies in 2019, TriCal Australia continues its history of providing innovative and dependable fumigation products and services to the Australian fumigation, agriculture, pest control and quarantine community.

8/8/2019
Soil to Substrate: Key Irrigation and Fertigation Ideas for Long Cane Raspberries
Soil to Substrate: Key Irrigation and Fertigation Ideas for Long Cane Raspberries

Traditional soil production for soft fruit crops is a buffered system that is slow to change. Fertigation mistakes in a traditional soil system isn’t necessarily detrimental, or result is major pH or nutrient changes.

6/2/2023
New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in California Meet Pesticide Safety Standards
New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in California Meet Pesticide Safety Standards

The DPR released the 2021 California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report showing that 97% of produce collected in 2021 had no detectable pesticide residues. More than 98% of “grown in California” produce had no residues that exceeded allowable levels.

6/1/2023
Soil Health: An Overview For Growers
Soil Health: An Overview For Growers

Healthy soil is the foundation for successful agricultural production. One factor that can inhibit soil health is plant parasitic nematodes. Ee will discuss the importance of soil health, how nutrient cycling affects soil health, and the importance of soil fumigation in controlling nematodes.

3/15/2023
A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management
A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management

In this blog and video presentation we will take a deeper dive into why we recommend grafted plants and fumigation as potential solutions to obstacles in watermelon production. I would like to focus on grafted plants as a tool and potential solution to grower obstacles.

10/14/2022
The Importance of Irrigation in Pecan Production
The Importance of Irrigation in Pecan Production

Pecan trees have high water requirements, as much as 350 gallons per tree per day for mature trees. They have been shown to take most of the water they require from the upper 32 inches of the soil profile for normal seasonal growth. The deeper the trees have to reach for water the more energy they use.

3/27/2023
Eno River Farm - Hillsborough North Carolina

TriEst Ag Group focuses on the design, equipment and services they provided to a new farm on the Eno River. This short video was produced using only selected soundbites from TriEst Ag Group and their client, Keegan Czesak. The drone aerials on this video are incredible.

12/8/2020
Part II: A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management
Part II: A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management

In this post we want take you through year 2 results and our findings into grafted watermelon production and management. The key focus points of the trial were increasing yields and maturity window of grafted plants using chloropicrin.

12/5/2022
A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management

In our last blog we went over the obstacles that growers face in watermelon production and their potential solutions. In this video presentation we will take a deeper dive into why we recommend grafted plants and fumigation as potential solutions to obstacles in watermelon production.

10/14/2022
A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management
A Deeper Look into Grafted Watermelon Production and Management

In this blog and video presentation we will take a deeper dive into why we recommend grafted plants and fumigation as potential solutions to obstacles in watermelon production. I would like to focus on grafted plants as a tool and potential solution to grower obstacles.

10/14/2022
Overcoming Obstacles in Watermelon Production
Overcoming Obstacles in Watermelon Production

Sustainable crop production is a complex issue that every farmer faces each season. The production issues for watermelon are not limited to those listed here by any means, but the following are the focal points of ongoing research..

6/27/2022
New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in California Meet Pesticide Safety Standards
New Report Finds 97% of Fruits and Vegetables Sampled in California Meet Pesticide Safety Standards

The DPR released the 2021 California Pesticide Residue Monitoring Program Report showing that 97% of produce collected in 2021 had no detectable pesticide residues. More than 98% of “grown in California” produce had no residues that exceeded allowable levels.

6/1/2023
Chloropicrin Shifts Soil Biology in Powerful Ways across Diverse Regions, Crops, and Soil Types
Chloropicrin Shifts Soil Biology in Powerful Ways across Diverse Regions, Crops, and Soil Types

What the studies conclusively show is that in the weeks and months following soil fumigation with chloropicrin, soil microbial communities (bacteria and fungi) shifted in remarkable and quantifiable ways.

11/2/2022
Why soil health is so important to Andrew Braham

South Australian capsicum grower Andrew Braham, explains his approach to soil health and how TriCal Australia have helped him to improve his soils.

5/3/2021