Strychnine will not be an approved tool for gopher control in 2026. Health Canada's Pest Management Regulatory Agency (PMRA) has denied a joint request from the Alberta and Saskatchewan governments seeking emergency use approval to manage Richardson's ground squirrel populations. Strychnine use for Richardson's ground squirrels — commonly referred to as gophers — has been... Read More
Category: Crop Production
On this episode of The Agronomists, host Lyndsey Smith is joined by Joanna Follings, cereal specialist, and Christine O'Reilly, grazing and forage specialist, both of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness to talk about revving up forage stands, particularly winter triticale, for use as feed, a cash crop, cover crop, and even a... Read More
It's time to rethink how we fund plant breeding. While much of Canadian agriculture has evolved to meet today’s demands, the model for funding plant breeding is lagging—and risks falling behind entirely. That’s the concern raised by Jason Reinheimer, global head of cereals and pulse research at Limagrain Field Seeds, in this episode of the... Read More
The Alberta government has expressed concern following a federal announcement that could see several Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC) research stations shut down, including the Lacombe facility. Speaking at the Crossroads Crop Conference in Edmonton, Alta., Alberta’s assistant deputy minister of primary agriculture, John Conrad, says the province is still absorbing the news but is... Read More
GSI’s VersaLoop chain conveyor has been helping farmers move and store grain for more than a decade, and a new model promises to help growers handle even more grain, faster. The new 15,000-bushel-per-hour, 14-inch GSI VersaLoop chain conveyor will help farmers speed through harvest with increased capacity, says GSI product manager Shaun Sutton. In this... Read More
CLAAS is introducing several updates to its Lexion combine lineup for 2026, including the addition of a smaller model. Speaking with RealAgriculture at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show at Saskatoon, Terry Siebert, regional product supervisor of CLAAS, says the company is expanding its portfolio by adding the Lexion 8500 as the new bottom-end machine.... Read More
Dear Members of the Standing Committee on Agriculture and Agri-Food, I own and operate a grain farm in central Alberta, a mere one-hour drive from the AAFC Research and Development Centre in Lacombe, AB. I understand that this station is one of seven across Canada, that will be closed along with the loss of 665... Read More
For this first of six episodes to learn more about KWS hybrid rye, Shaun Haney sits down with Laura Eastwood, animal nutrition manager with KWS, to explore the growing interest in hybrid rye as a versatile feed and forage crop. From digestibility to ergot concerns, the discussion covers both the benefits and considerations for livestock... Read More
Year-round E15 sales were a focus this week as U.S. President Donald Trump spoke in Iowa to a crowd of farmers and ranchers, saying he has instructed congressional leadership to move forward on approving the E15 ethanol blend. Trump said he is relying on House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune to... Read More
Strip till continues to gain traction among corn growers, but one question keeps coming up: how much fertilizer can you safely apply within the strip without risking crop injury? On this RealAgriculture Corn School episode, University of Guelph graduate student Jonathan Sawicki joins host Bernard Tobin to share a preliminary look at what his research... Read More