Do you plan on taking a nitrate-nitrogen soil samples this spring, before planting? The test for nitrate-nitrogen levels can provide key information in how much fertilizer should be applied for a growing corn crop. And, making that decision gets easier and easier. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a handy... Read More

While wheat breeders have traditionally focused on improving agronomic and milling characteristics of the crop, there's value to be gained by the wheat industry in focusing on nutrition as well, says a cereal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The nutritional characteristics of wheat have generally remained unchanged while yield potential, disease resistance and... Read More

The Pulse Promoter of the Year is an award given annually to celebrate the contributions of an individual in Canada’s pulse industry. On Monday, at Saskatoon’s CropSphere, the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) and BASF Canada announced Ed Seidle as the 2014 recipient. “With more than 60 years of successful pedigreed seed production and 25 years... Read More

"Neonicotinoids," "Colony Collapse Disorder," "Varroa," "Nosema"... Defining those colloquialisms (and others) was just one of the goals the Canola Council of Canada's Gregory Sekulic had in mind when he presented "Buzzwords about Bees" at the Farming Smarter Conference in Medicine Hat. Sekulic wanted to clear the air on jargon that so often exacerbates misunderstanding "We... Read More

Herbicide resistant wild oats are pretty easy to identify, says Neil Harker, a research scientist in weed ecology and crop management at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Lacombe Research Centre. "You generally see them in patches. If you see [wild oats] in real straight lines, then you suspect a sprayer error, but if you just see... Read More