When it comes to balancing nitrogen cost, with type, with application set up — is there an easy way to save some money? Yes, and no, says Peter "Wheat Pete" Johnson in this week's Wheat Pete's Word podcast. N fertilizer choice does depend on planting or seeding set up, for one, and row spacing and... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Eastern Canadian farmers who paid millions of dollars more for fertilizer in 2022 due to sanctions on imports from Russia will not be getting a refund, as the Canadian government is forwarding $115 million in expected tariff revenues to repair the power grid in Ukraine. Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland announced the... Read More
In theory, variable rate (VR) technology should result in more efficient use of a farm's resources, whether that's a lower fertilizer bill, improved crop uniformity, or other potential benefits. So why, since most seeding tools are capable of using prescription maps, are adoption rates of VR not higher? And will we see a new wave... Read More
On December 12, 2022, the Canadian government launched public consultations on the creation of a Sustainable Agriculture Strategy (SAS). The strategy — which would be separate from the agricultural policy framework agreements signed by the federal, provincial, and territorial governments every five years — is intended to "provide a coordinated approach to improving the agriculture... Read More
The Canadian Farmer Sentiment Index launched in September, asking nearly one thousand farmers a wide-range of questions on how they felt about marketing capacity, the direction of the agriculture industry in general, and the capability of governments to navigate the current political landscape. Now, in our first look at how sentiment may have changed after... Read More
Those looking for a challenge need to look no further than trying to grow the best crop of dry edible beans. Whether in Manitoba, Ontario, or further afield, dry beans offer a real possibility of tidy profit, but the crop is most certainly not for the faint of heart. To get through some of the... Read More
On November 2, 2022, Alberta farmers who submit a levy to the Alberta Wheat Commission and the Alberta Barley Commission voted in favour of amalgamating the commissions. Tara Sawyer, chair of Alberta Barley, was at the commissions' annual event, Prairie Cereals Summit, held at Banff, Alta., where she discussed the path going forward which, as... Read More
Climate change is a hot topic of discussion to the chagrin of some industries and the excitement of innovators. Agriculture is an industry at the centre of much of the climate action talk, with an expectation to evolve and adapt. This year agriculture in Saskatchewan was on stage at COP27, the United Nations' climate change... Read More
Researchers look to solve problems ahead of time, including trying to find solutions to emerging pests, or expanding markets both locally and globally. Doug Heath, research manager for Sask Canola, says that right now, the eleven ongoing Agriculture Development Fund projects range from disease resistance to abiotic stress of canola. When it comes to diseases,... Read More
Canola growers in Western Canada likely won't have access to crop protection products that contain lambda-cyhalothrin — one of the main active ingredients used to control insect pests — in 2023, which means there are several factors that need to be considered in planning for managing insects, such as flea beetles and grasshoppers. Lambda-cy products,... Read More