We've talked before about the damage the pea leaf weevil can do, but the current economics of peas add a sense of urgency to producers scouting and control strategies. With pea prices being as strong as they are currently, the economic threshold for spraying for the pest is lower than it ordinarily would be. Taking... Read More
Category: Western Canada
We don't have top many agriculture celebrities. There are people you recognize because you see them on tv, at meetings or on YouTube but in actual fact there is not a TMZ like service following around farmers or industry people (thank goodness for that). Recently I travelled down to North Carolina to visit the Syngenta... Read More
Last week the Saskatchewan provincial government shuffled the cabinet. Whenever this happens farmers peer in with anticipation of a trade up or a trade down in the quality of the Agriculture Minister. This week at the Saskatchewan Stock Growers AGM I had the chance to listen to the very first address of the new Saskatchewan... Read More
In this episode of the Canola School, Canola Council of Canada agronomist, Troy Prosofsky discusses the issue of reseeding. Less than ideal plant stands are not good for yield but neither is late planting. It is a very difficult decision whether to reseed. When you do decide to reseed your canola you have even more... Read More
In the last month a lot of new generic herbicides and fungicides have been registered, bringing the number to well over 300. This can become very confusing for both farmers and dealers who struggle to stay abreast of the fancy brand names and what’s in them. No-doubt, some of you might be questioning the need... Read More
"The number one cure for high prices is high prices" That also was a pretty good reflection of the mood surrounding the Saskatchewan Stock Growers annual general meeting this week. There is great optimism for the rancher heading into the fall run as I expect feeder cattle to have strong prices attached to them. Whether... Read More
Jason Casselman, agronomist with Dunvegan AG Solutions Inc., near Rycroft, Alta., recently sent in these images of crop progress in the Peace region. After a very dry year in 2011, the area did get decent snow cover leading to better spring seeding conditions than last year. Timely rain this weekend (about an inch and a... Read More
Over the last 10 years, the thoughts and the strategy behind fungicide application have changed dramatically. Whether it's new information brought to light by research or changing external circumstances, the process behind how farmers make fungicide decisions has evolved. Over the short term, some of those external changes that have influenced decision making involve the... Read More
Kevin Elmy, Friendly Acre Seed Farms, farms near Saltcoats in east central Saskatchewan. Once again the region is dealing with some wet weather. If Eastern Saskatchewan was to get a major dump of rain, the reality is not a good one for farmers in the area. Farmers in SE and central Saskatchewan have really had... Read More
Eliminating weed competition is critical to corn development during it's initial growth stages. Weed pressure during that growth period can decrease yield significantly depending on the intensity and duration of that pressure. Timing your herbicide application properly can ease back weed pressure while keeping your crop from being damaged. Depending on the herbicide you use,... Read More