The Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) published a resource on body condition scoring cattle this week. Along with the video below, the BCRC’s body condition scoring resource provides an interactive cow graphic, enabling you to compare an animal along a changing scale, and see the gains and losses in pregnancy rates, value, antibody levels in colostrum… Read More
Month: January 2015
On Monday, January 12th, the USDA released its January installment of the WASDE repor. Heading into the report, most analysts were bearish, and the report ended up showing some increased corn demand compared to the December report, which is why corn was the only grain that was green/higher by the end of the day. Specifically,… Read More
If the first two weeks of 2015 are any indication for the rest of the year, volatility in cattle markets is the name of the game. From steep drops to quick run-ups yet again, the U.S. cash market and the wholesale side has already shown some real movement. The big questions for cattle producers and… Read More
Do you plan on taking a nitrate-nitrogen soil samples this spring, before planting? The test for nitrate-nitrogen levels can provide key information in how much fertilizer should be applied for a growing corn crop. And, making that decision gets easier and easier. The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) has a handy table with… Read More
The federal government says Canadians will benefit from “more accurate and timely” weather forecasts thanks to $134 million in funding for Environment Canada. “Through our government’s investment in our critical weather monitoring infrastructure and innovative technologies, communities and business sectors across the country will have access to more timely and accurate weather information based on… Read More
A recent survey suggested that 52% of family businesses don’t have a succession plans. Farms are family businesses — does that number sound about right to you? If so, there are thousands upon thousands of farms and farmers that are still dragging their feet on planning the long-term viability of their farm businesses. What will… Read More
It’s a disease that affects a number of significant crops in Canada, including vegetables, pulses, canola and even some forage species. And last year, some farmers saw particularly high levels of white mould in soybean crops across Ontario. Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, or white mold, makes its mark on plants in lesions that appear water-soaked; white, fluffy mycelium;… Read More
Change happens fast in agriculture. Just a century ago, Canadian farmers were behind a horse and plow. Today, we talk about cab comfort, the potential for unmanned aerial vehicle spraying, smart phone apps and biotechnology. The seed industry is no different. The process of collecting and testing a sample of seed is continually evolving as well…. Read More
Wheat production in the United Kingdom hovers just below 200, 000 hectares (about a half a million acres). It’s used for export markets, human consumption, and plays a key role in animal rations. Thanks in large part to the UK’s temperate climate, yields of 120bu/ac are not uncommon. And, as you’ll find in the following… Read More
As part of TWORA for January 15th (yeah — it’s the middle of January already!), Lyndsey denies stealing a megaphone from a plane in Saskatoon and shares some highlights from her time at CropSphere. This week’s podcast also touches on the record shipping year for the St. Lawrence Seaway, fines levied against CN and CP Rail… Read More
The government of Canada has committed $3 million towards helping the Dairy Farmers of Ontario (DFO) set up a research and innovation centre at the University of Guelph’s Elora research location. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz made the announcement at DFO’s Annual General Meeting marking their 50th anniversary in Toronto on January 14, 2015. The federal… Read More
While wheat breeders have traditionally focused on improving agronomic and milling characteristics of the crop, there’s value to be gained by the wheat industry in focusing on nutrition as well, says a cereal research scientist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The nutritional characteristics of wheat have generally remained unchanged while yield potential, disease resistance and bread-making attributes have improved… Read More
Five individuals will be inducted into the Saskatchewan Agricultural Hall of Fame later this year, as the 2015 slate of inductees was announced at the CropSphere conference in Saskatoon on Tuesday. Jack Braidek, Harold Fast, Rigas Karamanos, Murray McGillivray and Wally Nelson and will be recognized for their lifetime contributions to agriculture in Saskatchewan at a… Read More
The Canadian canola industry’s goal of 26 million tonnes of sustainable production by 2025 got a $19 million boost today with a joint federal and industry funding announcement made during CropSphere 2015. Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was on hand at Saskatoon, Sask., to announce $9.5 million of funding aimed at further market development and continued… Read More
If Ottawa squandered $870,000 on some meaningless or questionable initiative, media and other critics would climb down politicians’ throats. But when it decides to do something good for farmers, for the nation and even for the world with that amount of money – such as Tuesday’s funding announcement for research into what are called “pulse”… Read More