Scott Horner of HyTech Production Ltd., based at Lethbridge, Alberta, has been named president of the Canadian Seed Trade Association following the CSTA's annual meeting held last week at Windsor, Ont. A board member since 2008, Horner also represents CSTA on the board of directors of the Seed Association of the Americas. He has also... Read More
Category: Agronomy
There’s been plenty of buzz about the potential uses for unmanned aerial vehicles on farms over the last few years, but many producers are still waiting to see if there’s a business case for purchasing one. They want to see if UAVs can add enough value to justify spending not only the money, but also... Read More
Peas, and pulses in general, are getting a lot of attention even as we gear up for the United Nations' International Year of the Pulses. Global food trends seem to be favouring the commodity, with expectations that demand will continue to rise. For western Canadian pulse growers, this might mean developing an understanding of their... Read More
If you've noticed more than a few fleabane "escapes" in recent years, you're not alone. Glyphosate resistant Canada fleabane has spread across more than 700 kilometers of Ontario crop land in just five years. Despite its incredible distribution, Canada fleabane wasn't the first glyphosate resistant weed found in Ontario, says Dr. Peter Sikkema, field crop... Read More
Canadian honeybee overwintering numbers are in for the 2014/15 season, and the results show a strong start to the 2015 year. Representing over 360,000 honey colonies (over half of all colonies in the country), the Canadian Association of Professional Apiculturists (CAPA) says that its survey of 443 beekeepers pegs the Canadian average of overwintering loss... Read More
What does every farmer want out of a crop? Yield and profitability. From variety selection, to fertilizer rates, and crop protection products, farmers are always looking for new ways to stack the deck in their favour. Of course, the best laid plans can be thwarted by a cold, wet spring, or dry weather and drought.... Read More
Wheat should be moving off the field and into the bin by now, but the ’15 wheat crop just seems to be grinding through maturity and not finishing up. As @WheatPete explains in this week’s edition of the Word, this complicates things on a few fronts, as grain fill is likely to be improved (yay!),... Read More
A day after National French Fry Day, federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz announced a $1.4 million investment in potato yield research through Potatoes New Brunswick on Tuesday. The AgriInnovation Program funding will be used to identify factors that limit potato yields as part of a national effort to boost "the export competitiveness of Canadian French... Read More
Is wheat falling behind when it comes to research advancements and attracting investment? That depends, answers Bryan Gerard, president of Gerard Seed Solutions based in Indiana, if you're comparing the dollars and cents to totals spent on corn and soy, or comparing the historic value invested in the crop. RealAgriculture's Bern Tobin caught up with... Read More
It's generally agreed that most of the earthworm species native to Canada were actually wiped out during the glacial period. Since then, new species have been introduced to the country, with at least 14 non-native species now tunneling their way through Alberta's soils alone. To most of us, earthworms are an indicator of good (or... Read More