This year's weather has had many farmers second guessing each and every spray pass, from pre-seed burndown, to in-crop control, and now fungicide treatments. Tom Wolf, with Sprayers 101 and AgriMetrix, says that the spray input decisions has been especially difficult with the funny rainfall patterns experienced by much of Saskatchewan and other parts of... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Every year is different when it comes to insect populations and pest management. Weather, varietal selection, and natural enemy numbers all impact pest development. This year, dry conditions in parts of the Prairies have a particular insect thriving. "The big, big one right now is grasshoppers," says Scott Meers, Government of Alberta insect management specialist,... Read More
After a worryingly dry start to the year, Saskatchewan has finally seen some moisture, and it shows. "We've been very fortunate," says Sherrilyn Phelps of the Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. "Over the past month...we've gone from where crops are barely hanging on in some areas where it's been so dry, to getting that rain and all... Read More
From managing harvest to hands-on combine optimization, the 2019 Alberta Combine College provided attendees a chance for the technical day they requested. "One of the cool things about Combine College is that this is an opportunity to highlight a lot of the research that's been administered through the Canola Council of Canada, that's been paid... Read More
It may have been a dry start to the year, with little to name of seedling diseases, but that doesn't mean canola producers are off the disease-scouting hook this summer. According to Clint Jurke, agronomy director with the Canola Council of Canada, due to the last four weeks of higher precipitation levels over the Prairies,... Read More
Fusarium head blight is one of the most harmful diseases of wheat and also one of the most challenging to manage. Researchers are continuously trying to figure out the best control methods since it's one of those diseases that if you see it in your crop, you are most likely too late. In this Wheat... Read More
The Alberta government is extending their hand to ranchers who take care of the land they lease. Those who demonstrate "exemplary care for public lands" will be allowed to lease the land to a maximum of 20 years. The change, according to a news release, will allow ranchers to spend more time focusing on their... Read More
The 4th annual Alberta Young Speakers for Agriculture competition has come and gone at the Calgary Stampede. The competition provides Albertan youth ages 11-24 with an opportunity to speak up for agriculture through a little healthy competition, with opportunity to further on into the national competition (Canadian Young Speakers for Agriculture) held during the Royal... Read More
The Alberta Lamb Producers (ALP) says that a positive, classical scrapie result was confirmed by a Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) laboratory on a sheep from a farm in Alberta on June 21. The sheep was tested due to clinical signs consistent with scrapie, the producer group says, and because the sheep lived on multiple... Read More
The debate continues across the Prairies on whether or not to straight-cut canola. While some producers have been doing it for years, the process can be a bit daunting for others who have been considering the option. Shawn Senko, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada, says in this Canola School episode that if... Read More