Advancements in genetic selection and nutrition are unlocking the potential to improve beef cattle feed efficiency by up to 20 percent, says a beef research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Whether it’s on a cow/calf operation or in a feedlot, managing feed costs is a critical part of the business. Susan Markus, in the... Read More
Category: Video
In 2009, 51.2% of Canada's business and financial professionals were women, according to Statistics Canada, well up from the 38.3% in 1987. But, there's still room for movement into managerial positions, with 37% of those roles being filled by women, and only 31.6% in senior managerial roles (both up from 30.1% and 21%, respectively, in... Read More
Words like "excellent" and "great" are being used to describe the 2015 corn crop in the grain corn-growing regions of Western Canada. "I'm almost tempted to say phenomenal, but that sometimes sets high expectations," says Dieter Schwarz of PRIDE Seeds in this Corn School episode. "We certainly have a great corn crop. Yields are average... Read More
Less expensive heat that doesn’t go out when there’s a bad storm. In a nutshell, that’s why many rural properties feature outdoor wood furnaces, but the technology inside wood furnaces has also improved to make them more environmentally sustainable (read: efficient). “Everybody seems to keep their house, shops and buildings a lot warmer than they... Read More
Saik’s Agri-Treks has taken us to favelas in Brazil, not-quite-elephant-proof fencing in Africa, Agritechnica in Germany and desert irrigation in Arizona. But this time, Rob Saik takes us on an exploration of our own backyard — or, Ieuan Evans’ backyard — in sunny Alberta. Related: Will Agriculture be Allowed to Feed 9 Billion? Rob Saik’s... Read More
It's certainly not a disease you want to find in your fields, but if you do, there are good reasons to talk about it — specifically, report it — says Michael Harding, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. "If it's the first time clubroot's been found in the field, by reporting it, you can... Read More
There have certainly been plenty of headlines surrounding Syngenta’s choice to rebuff Monsanto’s $47 billion acquisition attempts. But, what does the future hold for the Swiss agribusiness now that the takeover bid is in the rearview mirror? “I think our position has been fully vindicated. We were very clear that we saw the execution risks... Read More
Malt barley has traditionally not accounted for many acres in Ontario, but with the growing popularity of craft and local beer, would there be demand for more malt production? That’s one of the issues Grain Farmers of Ontario plans to explore as it welcomes barley and oat growers into its fold, joining corn, soybeans and... Read More
What crop and seed mixes could farmers plant to make their farms more bee-friendly? That’s a question Bayer CropScience and Pollinator Partnership are trying to answer with a study aiming to give farmers recommendations on what they can do to improve bee habitat on their farms. Vicki Wojcik, research director for Pollinator Partnership, a non-profit... Read More
Western Canada and the northern U.S. could be positioned to provide more plant-based food protein to parts of the world where a shortage of protein is a growing nutritional problem. Some big picture thinkers, including John Oliver of Maple Leaf Bio-Concepts, are working on developing a concept they're calling the "Protein Highway." Extending from the... Read More