Jack Payne

Advocate of sustainable agriculture & 4R nutrient stewardship. Former instructor at Olds College. Historical shooter (black powder, archery), hunter, angler.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

Kochia plant density is staggering. Yesterday we counted 0 - 7 kochia plants per square inch within the one foot quadrat. If you used an average of 3 plants per in2. 144 x 3 = 423 plants per ft2. Assuming 90% control there would be 34 plants/ft2 remaining.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

@grafwheat Yes as a wee lad I remember when Carbyne was a technological marvel. A herbicide that could be sprayed on cereals to control wild oats. What manner of sorcery is this?

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

Throwback Thursday. A co-worker was cleaning out their office yesterday and gave me a Bluebook that is having a 30th birthday. He said he’d never heard of some of the products listed in the 1996 version. Anyone else remember these oldies?

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

People sometimes give me a hard time when I still have sandbags and winter tires on the truck until the last week of April. There’s a reason. It’s called been there & done it.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

It’s always a treat to come back to @OldsCollege and give a guest lecture to the students in Agricultural related programs. The topic was field scouting and the importance of proactively identifying pests and crop disorders.

[Prairie CCA @PrairieCCA]

Bits and pieces from the start of the morning at the 2026 Agronomy Challenge!

#PrairieCCA #AgronomyChallenge #CCA #PrairieAgriculture #AgCanada

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

South Country Co-op @SouthCountryCo filled the ballroom today at their Grower Event. Tom Wolf presented a wealth of info on sprayer applications followed by Brent Nilsson of Corteva & a fertilizer market update by Matt Krutzfeld of FCL.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

For nearly two weeks this was base camp. I’m sorry but I just can’t resist the temptation to put a line in the water when you’re this close to a big pond. We found time to explore some Mexican scenery and some historic areas further inland.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

The perks of having an alternate office in the truck. The view from the office window at lunch time. Even better is listening to waves lap against the rocks while you have a sandwich. And then there are old buildings you see when driving off the beaten path.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

I can remember Joe Carter’s homer in the ‘93 World Series. Tonight’s homer by George Springer is right up there with it. Way to go Jays we’ve waited a long time for this.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

With snow and rain coming this weekend we pulled up the 2025 garden. One of the longest runs of tomatoes we’ve had. The celery experiment was a success so that will be in the plan next summer.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

The first half of our trip is behind us. There’s nothing like ball park hotdogs and popcorn. It’s an acquired taste I developed watching the Eston Ramblers play the Kindersley Klippers. Go Jays!!

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

It was a somber mood as we drove from Brooks to Jenner. We had the opportunity to see the devastated crops in this area. I have never seen hail damage of this scale. It’s bad when you drive by a field and can’t tell if the crop was wheat, canola, barley?

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

This is not good. I have relied upon Canola Council Agronomists for second opinions and recommendations because they see way more canola than I do. Just like a family doctor who relies upon medical specialists in special situations. It’s professionalism.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

The British Militaria Forum, Alberta Shoot was a resounding success. This gathering is akin to summer camp for historical shooters and living historians. Shooters fire vintage cartridge & muzzleloading rifles at various ranges out to 300 yds.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

Dad was insistent that after seeding & spraying, we needed a physical and mental break. Hence the tradition of a fishing trip in mid June. This year Kamloops trout were bigger than average. Hot Shots, Pumpkin Head flies and Bingo Bugs produced.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

There are hoards of hungry flea beetles chowing down on mustard and canola in southern and central AB. So much for the concept that flea beetles don’t like hairy leaves. Some mustard fields are taking a pounding.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

Maybe it’s because I’m a soils geek or maybe I’m part badger, but people tell me I’m always digging holes. Scouting for cutworms in Forty Mile County I just had to check soil moisture conditions. Variable, ranging from 18 to 36 inches of moist soil.

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

That’s scary when thresholds are 2 - 5 /m2 depending on the crop!

[Garrett Rockafellow @FarmFocusedAg]

Finding upwards of 8 to 12 cutworm per square foot already this spring. I’d sure be looking at your seed treat package this spring. #agronomy #cutworm

[Jack Payne @trouttroller]

I don’t get to soil sample as much as I would like to. But last minute changes in a crop plan gave me a chance to ride shotgun and help pull samples with @SthCntryCoop in Vauxhall. The AgZone app worked flawlessly.