What’s the top end of nitrogen application for wheat in Ontario? Can I count on a yield response to a sulphur application? Is a split N application the way to go, and, if so, how much goes on in the beginning? These are very important wheat management questions, and ones that are currently being researched… Read More
Month: May 2013
With many growers across Western Canada experiencing a later than normal spring, seeding has been delayed for some. Once you being to get into the middle part of May and beyond, there is an increased likelihood of running into a fall frost. Here are some tips to help shorten the season as much as you… Read More
Working with what nature gives you and spending a bit of time with pen and paper can boost your pasture and hay land productivity. Whether it’s matching topography like floodplains to forage species that don’t mind wet feet, or mapping out cattle movement or winter feeding needs, pasture planning is well worth the time. In… Read More
Alberta Agriculture wants your worms — cutworms, that is. In an effort to map out changing populations of various cutworms and to pinpoint cutworm feeding in new areas or at non-traditional times of the year, the Canola Council of Canada in concert with various provincial pest monitoring agencies and research scientists are asking for cutworm… Read More
Shaun Haney and Anne Wasko discuss the increase in US beef cutout prices versus the slumping cash price to feedyards. Is it all about packer margin or is there a bigger story yet to be told on beef demand through the summer. If you cannot see the embedded audio file, CLICK HERE
By Cami Ryan You may have run across this article “10 Reasons We Don’t Need GM Foods” on the FoodConsumer website. It’s been making its rounds on social media (Facebook and Twitter). I would like to address some of the inaccuracies in this article – point by point: 1. GM foods won’t solve the food crisis… Read More
Seeding has just started in Saskatchewan, though most acres seeded are concentrated in the southwest and west-central parts of the province.That’s according to the first crop report of the season, current to May 6, The vast majority of farmers are still waiting for the land to dry out and the snow to fully disappear. According… Read More
Soil management prior to planting can be a lot like walking a tightrope. You really can’t go too far one way or the other or you’ll pay the price. While early season is all about making sure the soil is dry enough to get on, as soon as the time comes to plant, you need… Read More
The agriculture industry has historically taken the tact of “Science is on our side” in many debates over food production. But, as Charlie Arnot, with the Centre for Food Integrity, explains, perception trumps science when it comes to how consumers shape their opinions about food and their food choices. “Science tells us if we can… Read More
You may have run out of hay this winter, but at least you have the know-how to start your own snow-removal business! There’s a plus side to everything, right? We were actually pretty fortunate, this winter (I mean, besides from the experience gained by the aforementioned snow collection). Though we used more hay than anticipated,… Read More
The new Barley Council of Canada gets it: research and innovation, that’s what makes a difference to farmers. The Calgary-based council, formally incorporated last month, lists research and innovation at the front of its top five priorities. Others include best crop production practices, market development, market access and (I especially like this one) communication within… Read More
The University of Guelph recently announced the appointment of Ken McEwan as director of the University of Guelph – Ridgetown Campus. McEwan’s five-year term began May 1. McEwan has been acting interim director since Jan. 1, 2012. Earlier, he was research co-ordinator at Ridgetown. As Ridgetown’s tenth director, he will oversee 120 faculty and staff… Read More
Most seasoned canola growers know a staggering amount of canola seed never becomes a viable plant, and it’s not due to disease or poor germ. An unfortunate side effect of running an air drill is, well, air, or rather the damage that air can do to tiny canola seed as it pushes it through the… Read More
The ideal set up for winter wheat is plating in mid-September at about half an inch deep with starter fertilizer. Then it rains and the crop grows to three leaves plus one tiller, then gets covered in a cozy blanket of snow, where it stays until it warms up in the spring. Reality, however, often… Read More
The first few days of May brought a surprise! The Twitterverse lit up with reports of cutworms in southern Alberta. The first report came in on a new alfalfa stand. In alfalfa we normally expect that the cutworms will be redbacked but in this case they were army cutworm. The second field was a winter… Read More