There are three key insect pests of field crops for Manitoba farmers to keep an eye out for this year, says John Gavloski, extension entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. And the message you should walk away with, regardless of what crops you're growing? Scout early, and scout often. Continues below video player. Flea beetles While there... Read More
Category: Agronomy
After years of discussions about how to fund the development of new crop varieties in Canada, two seed industry groups have announced they're moving ahead with a pilot program for the 2020 growing season. The Canadian Seed Trade Association (CSTA), along with the Canadian Plant Technology Agency (CPTA), announced a Seed Variety Use Agreement (SVUA)... Read More
An announcement regarding the future of seed royalties on Tuesday in Winnipeg could be a turning point in a more-than-a-decade long discussion about the return-on-investment for seed companies and plant breeders in Canada. At FarmTech in Edmonton earlier this winter, both Todd Hyra, of SeCan, and Laurin Comin, of the Alberta Wheat Commission, presented on... Read More
The Western Grains Research Foundation (WGRF) was created in 1981, when 12 leaders came together with the vision of an agricultural research funding organization that consulted with farmers and worked with researchers. Since then, WGRF has provided more than $183 million in funding to support crop research projects. "It is a farmer organization," says Garth... Read More
A new frame-mounted seeding system from Bourgault Industries promises to give farmers added manoeuvrability in tight, restricted traffic areas. The Saskatchewan-based company rolled out the seeder at the National Farm Machinery Show (NFMS) earlier this month at Louisville, Kentucky. Bourgault U.S. sales and marketing manager Perry Weisberg notes that the new CD872 frame-mounted seeder is... Read More
Like most Ontario farmers, 2019 was a trying year from Mike Belan. The Lambton county farmer sat tight last spring as his Brookston clay loam soil absorbed heavy rain, but Belan was confident his farm could withstand Mother Nature's moisture assault. He's learned to be patient thanks to a 30-year investment in building healthy, resilient... Read More
At the end of the day, canola growers and the industry that supports them all want the same thing — to increase yields, profitability, and sustainability, and reduce production risk. Curtis Rempel, vice president of crop production and innovation for the Canola Council of Canada (CCC), couldn't agree more, and he says it's our agronomic... Read More
If you've ever adopted a new way of doing things after attending a field day or conference, do you let the researcher or extension staff know? Sometimes, research can be a rather thankless job, and many researchers don't hear back on their work being applied on-farm. Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson came across just such an... Read More
Knowing your soil and accepting your climatic challenges for what they are is key to choosing the right crops, cover crops, and soil amendments that will perform best. That said, sometimes it takes a major event to push for significant changes to the current status quo. Jenn Doelman farms at Douglas, Ont., and is a... Read More
Growing pulses in 2019 was a challenge across the board. The growing conditions that were needed simply were not there, especially in the areas that saw a lot of rain. Robyne Bowness Davidson, pulse research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, says that due to all of said moisture, a lot of the pulses such... Read More