Not all grasshoppers are pests, though few farmers would likely say they enjoy seeing them when they walk a field. Grasshoppers can, and do cause significant economic damage to crops in high population years, sometimes wiping out entire fields, but these insects also play a large role in the insect world as food. Dr. John... Read More
Category: Crop Production
Pulse crops are efficient water users. Field pea, lentil and chickpea are all great at adapting to drought-like conditions, which makes them a great option in just about every soil zone of the Prairies. However, being well adapted for drought means that most pulse crops do not like wet conditions, which isn't really something farmers... Read More
The ratification of the United States-Canada-Mexico Agreement (USMCA) has brought about trade changes for several industries — including agriculture. What's been less clear in the lead up to implementation on July 1 is the full impact of what some of the changes will mean on a day-to-day basis at the production and sale level. Many... Read More
It's time again to get into the best crop — wonderful wheat, as Wheat Pete would say! Kara Oosterhuis was delighted to be back in the field (not in front of the computer screen) with Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension specialist with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions on this episode of the Wheat School.... Read More
Streaky field patterns usually come down to one thing: sprayer trouble. At the latest Farming Smarter Field School, one of the demonstrations provided a look at how active a herbicide can be at very low concentrations, due to varying thoroughness of sprayer tank clean-out. Kara Oosterhuis caught up with Mark Oostlander, herbicide lead with BASF,... Read More
Sometimes, when you're doing things a little differently, you just have to build what you need instead of buying it. Greg Vermeersch and his team at VanMeer Farms at Courtland, Ont., modified a planter frame to custom build a 32-row strip-till unit. It's a fair bit of engineering, and on this episode of The Sharp... Read More
Protein Industries Canada has announced a $19.2 million project looking at faba bean (also called fava bean) and pea processing on the Canadian prairies. The main partners and private funders in the project announced on Friday are Roquette — the French company that's building a $400 million pea processing plant at Portage, Man. — and... Read More
Originally announced in February — what seems like a lifetime ago now — Tim Hortons has made good on its commitment to introduce a non-dairy option for its hot beverage line up. Following poor profitability performance to round out 2019 (comparable sales were down over 4%), the company laid out its plans to change a... Read More
While the U.S. and Canada are neighbours and trading partners, and share a similar agriculture industry, there are key differences between the two countries. While integrated, Canadian agriculture and U.S. agriculture food safety, product registration, support programs and more are each unique and a reflection of the societies as a whole. As such, Pierre Petelle,... Read More
It's our first RealAg Q&A LIVE! in studio at RealAgriculture headquarters in Lethbridge, Alberta! Today's guest is none other than Canola School superstar and agronomist with the Canola Council of Canada, Autumn Barnes. She sits down with host Shaun Haney to talk about all things canola — from plant stand counts, to throwing wrenches, to... Read More