Canada's largest distributor of certified seed is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year. Likely ahead of its time in bringing together industry, universities, government and producer partners, the not-for-profit member association known as SeCan was started in 1976. "The roots are tied very closely to the Canadian Seed Growers Association — seed growers, seed trade,... Read More
Category: Western Canada
If you attended this year's canolaPALOOZA in Lacombe, you might still be singing Don Ho's Tiny Bubbles. The 1966 release drifted through the air alongside hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny iridescent soap bubbles. The bubbles — and the hit earworm — were part of a spray demonstration that was organized to help producers visualize…Read More
Canadian pulses are winning fans around the world. They’re also finding followers right here at home. Canadian chef, cookbook author, and television personality Vikram Vij is only too happy to tell you about his preference for using Saskatchewan-grown lentils and chickpeas in his restaurants. Many Canadians know Vij as one of the dragons on CBC’s... Read More
In one of those rare, happy coincidences, Ontario has made booze available online and said it will increase broadband access in rural areas...on the same day. That day was Tuesday, and the news came in separate announcements less than one hour apart. Both announcements should be good news for rural Ontario, and not just for... Read More
With grain company interest waning following the end of the Canadian Wheat Board's single desk in 2012, it appears the Port of Churchill will not be handling any grain during the upcoming shipping season. The port, which is owned by Denver-based OmniTrax, called its employees to a meeting at 3:30pm on Monday to inform them... Read More
A taller than normal pulse crop in Western Canada this year could require a different approach for managing drydown. "This year we do have pulse crops that are enormous," notes Rob Klewchuck, technical lead for Western Canada with Syngenta, in the video below. With tall plants and thick canopies, a desiccant like diquat (eg. Reglone... Read More
Canola growers across Western Canada are continually searching for ways to raise yields in the most efficient manner. Growers continue to push to achieve this objective and will even develop production techniques that many people thought was impossible a relatively short time ago. Apparently interest in straight cutting is definitely growing. According to last years... Read More
There's a new way to control gophers on the prairies, and it doesn't require you to properly dispose of carcasses or clean up shells. It's called RoCon and it's a foaming rodenticide registered by Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency for the control of Richardson’s ground squirrels and Norway rats. "We have two...main active ingredients.... Read More
After years of work, researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are celebrating the successful birth of four wood bison calves, a record-breaking achievement. The calves were born through in-vitro fertilization, a first for bison. Adding to the excitement, one of the four was born of a frozen embryo originally harvested in 2012. “The babies look... Read More
When it comes to row-by-row seed distribution, let's just say there's room to improve the accuracy of bulk metering systems on many air seeders. "Right now in the marketplace, with bulk metering that delivers the product through those manifolds, the deviation is approximately 20 to 23 percent throughout industry at this time," says Owen Kinch,... Read More