Graze it. Use it as a cover crop. Use it instead of iron to break up hard pan. It would seem no matter what your cropping system, farmers in Western Canada could find a use for Tillage Radish. Nature's own plow, the massive tap root that the crop grows in a very short amount of... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Soil is a magnificent thing. It's the medium that makes crop production possible. It's also rather mysterious. Even now, scientists are just beginning to scratch the surface of naming all the microbes that live in soil and understanding their functions and interactions. There's also much we do know and understand about soil and its ability... Read More
Todd Hirsch, ATB financial senior economist, spoke at the Canfax Cattle Market Forum. The outlook he provided was one of cautious optimism mixed with a little bit of wait and see. The cautious optimism stems from the overall stability of the Canadian economy and the growth in provinces like Alberta and Saskatchewan. The wait... Read More
The very dry conditions in Ontario this summer have left many livestock producers very short on forage. The Hay East initiative (www.HayEast2012.com) is still looking for donations from the west and now has widened the request to include Ontario farmers with a little extra to spare. Jim Hair (@OFA1) posted this tweet this morning: #HayEast... Read More
Wheat midge feeding on kernels can cause significant damage, downgrading the crop and eating into yield. One of the big trip-ups for many farmers is timing a spray application — is anthesis too late? Do you wait for the entire head to emerge? (Hint: Anthesis is getting too late -- more on ideal spray timing... Read More
Let's put the gong show of a canola crop that was 2012 behind us and look ahead to 2013. Except that we can't entirely, because much of what plagued the crop this year is likely to be a factor next year (the one wild card being aster yellows). Clint Jurke, agronomist with the Canola Council... Read More
Wheat acres and frankly wheat's reputation have taken a hit in recent years, overshadowed by canola's promise of big yields and big profits. Then 2012 came along and the crop totally redeemed itself. Even in the face of extreme weather and drought, this year's wheat yields and quality have put a smile on many farmers'... Read More
There are only a few days left for farmers to weigh in on impending changes to the Canada Grain Act. If all you've heard about so far are changes to user fees, you're not alone. Much of the media attention has centered on the costs of running the Canadian Grain Commission, because, for the most... Read More
Clubroot has been a major discussion in Alberta the past few years. With best management practices developed and breeders trying to solve the issue through genetics, clubroot is receiving research dollars and attention from the industry and farmers. Check Out the Canola School Alberta Agriculture has released an updated clubroot map for the province which... Read More
The hog industry in Western Canada has been knocked to its knees in recent months by high feed prices and negative margins. A large hog breeder, producer and feed company — Manitoba-based Puratone Corporation — is in the process of being bought by Maple Leaf Foods, the company's largest hog buyer. Amidst the fall out... Read More