Everyone does love an auction, and why not, there's usually something there for everyone. It's an event that sends bargain hunters and collectors out en masse to look for that "good deal" or that "rare gem" or even that spare part nobody makes anymore. The only problem is that you usually hear about those "good... Read More
Category: Western Canada
Sclerotinia has the potential to be a big issue in rain soaked areas across the prairies. The disease tends to be prevalent in wet conditions in temperatures between 15 - 25 degrees. Sclerotia spores can live in the soil for up to four years. The spores germinate in the summer and release wind borne spores... Read More
Atmospheric CO2 has been on the rise since the 1960s. Levels have increased roughly 22% according to some scientists. That increase can be seen as favourable to plants in general, but according to some researchers, it may not be as broad as that. Some research states that the increased levels of atmospheric CO2 may actually... Read More
Is the Canadian livestock industry still competitive? We hear this discussion at every conference and coffee shop we participate in. Chances are that we are too hard on ourselves as the industry has survived (relative term) with the drastically higher dollar and increased global competitiveness from South America and the United States. The more negative... Read More
Precision agriculture has some obvious benefits when it comes to efficiency and input costs. GPS mapping and technologies are becoming more and more accurate with coverage available in areas previously inaccessible. Seeding overlap is almost non -existent and placement is incredibly precise. With input costs growing and the demand for production rising, the need to... Read More
This spring, farmers in hard hit areas had to narrow their focus when it came to getting a crop in. Traditional, high value crops like wheat and canola got pushed to the front of the line when seeding decisions were made. That decision left a lot of the special crops seeded late or left unseeded... Read More
Conditions across a portion of the prairies have created a kind of "perfect storm" when it comes to conditions for weed growth. Cool conditions have delayed emergence of a number of weeds, causing them to be missed in a pre-seed burn scenario. Wet conditions have kept farmers from getting in to spray in a timely... Read More
For half a century, chemistry has provided the mainstay for crop protection, while conventional breeding practices have ensured the development of increasingly productive and resilient crops. Advancements in these technologies will continue to be important as global population – approaching 10 billion by 2050 – outpaces the availability of new farmland. Feeding the world requires... Read More
By Shaun Haney This morning StatsCan released its acreage report as of June 3rd and there is one shocking number that seems incredibly difficult to accept. By predicting 19.7 million acres of canola it would seem that the way that StatsCan collects data is not timely nor is it relevant. After being at the Farm... Read More
In the last two weeks the feeder price and fat cattle price has moved in a very violent down and up swing. Is it based on fundamentals? I am not an analyst but someone that tries to follow the cattle industry closely and I have no way to tell you whether this market is going... Read More