Changes are coming to the top of the civil service within Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA). Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced on Friday that Chris Forbes, a veteran in federal agriculture policy circles, having served as deputy minister of the agriculture department since 2017, will be moving to... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Tar spot has been spreading across North American corn growing regions ever since the leaf disease was first detected in 2015. Characterized by tar-like speckling on the upper surface of corn leaves, the fungal pathogen can deliver yield hits ranging from 20 to 60 bushels per acre (in highly infected fields). On this episode of... Read More
Learning from on-farm research and farmers learning from each other is a cornerstone of a Yield Enhancement Network (YEN). First piloted in Europe, a YEN connects growers, researchers, and data to test theories and learn from each other using field-scale experience. Aaron Mills, a research scientist with Agriculture & Agri-food Canada (AAFC), spoke this week... Read More
For good reason, there's been increased discussion about 4R nutrient management. This easy-to-remember moniker refers to increasing fertilizer use efficiency by considering the right rate, time, placement, and form of a product (usually nitrogen and phosphorus). The 4Rs are focused on fertilizer, but as Dr. Claudia Wagner-Riddle, researcher with the University of Guelph noted in... Read More
Canada is an exporting nation, of that there can be no doubt. While some countries struggle to produce enough to feed its people, Canada produces more than double what it needs. That creates a clear opportunity, and some would say responsibility, to export food and food ingredients world-wide. Ted Bilyea, distinguished fellow with the Canadian... Read More
When people think of Atlantic Canada, they often think of the abundant potatoes grown in the area. While there's a reason this comes to mind, as potatoes are a key crop, there are several other crops grown in rotation to ensure soil health and overall crop health. This is one of the messages the Atlantic... Read More
Seeding and tillage equipment company Väderstad has announced it's acquiring Danish company Thyregod's inter-row tillage business. This acquisition adds a full product range of inter-row cultivators to the current Väderstad product portfolio, which includes Seed Hawk equipment manufactured in Saskatchewan. All intellectual property rights to Thyregod's inter-row cultivator product area are included in the deal.... Read More
It seems any time is a good time for the Wheat Pete 15 — that's taking 15 minutes out of your week to call someone you haven't checked in with in a while. This week, that reminder is especially poignant, as you'll hear in Wheat Pete's Word, below. Also in this week's podcast, host Peter... Read More
All eyes were on the global supply situation as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) released its February World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimates (WASDE) report on Wednesday. The ongoing drought in Argentina, and the Russia/Ukraine war have many focused on global stocks and balance sheets. Overall, the report was seen as generally neutral,... Read More
Canola is a Canadian-made and developed, home-grown crop. With canola oil being grown and produced locally, why is this resource no more widely discussed and utilized? Lynn Weaver, a registered dietitian and the market development manager at SaskCanola, spoke with RealAg's Atley Hamlin about the nutritional and culinary benefits of canola when compared to other... Read More