It’s another year of opportunity for barley, says the barley merchandising manager for Viterra. After declining for much of the past decade, the number of barley acres in Western Canada rose slightly in 2015 and is expected to grow again in 2016. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s preliminary projection has barley acreage rising by two percent…. Read More
Month: February 2016
In theory, the application of a plant growth regulator to wheat should result in shorter, stronger plants that are less prone to lodging, enabling higher yield potential. In reality, it’s not that simple. “I wish it was a nice black and white, straightforward story, but it certainly isn’t,” says Sheri Strydhorst, who’s done extensive work… Read More
Cutworm outbreaks are incredibly unpredictable, pest management biologist Jennifer Otani told delegates of Agronomy Update in Red Deer last month. The insect can overwinter as eggs, larvae, or pupae, and scientists don’t yet have a good understanding of the survivability of the various stages, let alone the almost twenty species we’re dealing with across the… Read More
Myth Explosion: Calm, early mornings are perfect for spraying. In this Spray Tips Special Edition episode, Sprayers101.com dynamic duo Tom Wolf and Jason Deveau get up early to explode another spray myth. It all starts when Wolf nudges a snoozing Deveau who is catching a nap beside the sprayer. Deveau explains he’s feeling tired after… Read More
Cattle prices may not be where they were a year ago, but ranchers are generally still an optimistic bunch at current levels. Anne Wasko of Gateway Livestock joins us in the middle of her busy winter meeting circuit for this latest edition of the Beef Market Update. Domestically, the volatile Canadian dollar continues to play with… Read More
The Western Grains Research Foundation has announced it will be investing $21.4 million in Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s wheat and barley breeding programs over the next five years — the largest-ever industry investment in AAFC research. Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay and Keith Degenhardt, vice-chair of WGRF, made the announcement in Saskatoon on Monday morning…. Read More
A good story can be told about potato production in Canada. It rose more than 4.5 per cent in 2015 over the previous year. Half of the new production came from Manitoba, with about another third coming from Quebec. That production increase didn’t hurt McCain Foods Canada’s decision in January to expand its Carberry, Manitoba… Read More
Maybe it’s due to news traveling faster on social media than it used to, but there have been a fair number of reports of canola heating in the bin this winter. Producers who find themselves in these unfortunate situations are often left scratching their heads wondering why it happened. Was it harvested too early? Was it straight-cut or… Read More
Have we lost the ability to laugh at ourselves? I hope not. To keep sane in a very insane world sometimes you need to just laugh. On February 7, Crave TV will release six full length episodes of Letterkenny, based on the YouTube sensational shorts called Letterkenny Problems, which poke fun at teenage life in rural Ontario. The… Read More
Grains this week were mostly lower as realities about supply continue to trump ideas of fresh demand. The U.S. dollar lost 2.7% for the week, which helped other commodity currencies appreciate. Weather kept to the sidelines for the most part, indicating fluctuations in currency are certain to be the theme into spring. Oil World is forecasting European… Read More
Talk of banding versus broadcasting nutrients is likely to become a much bigger conversation as Ontario works to reduce the impact farm phosphorous on the Great Lakes. In this Corn School episode, Purdue University professor Tony Vyn offers insights on why he feels farmers should consider banding nutrients as apposed to broadcasting. While attending the… Read More
Employees need clear expectations and timely feedback. It might sound simple, but those are the two keys to creating a farm culture where the business gets the most out of its talent and where employees feel like they’re doing a good job, says Barb Dartt, a Michigan-based farm business consultant. “We tend to underestimate the… Read More
Egg Farmers of Canada has rolled out a plan to transition the entire Canadian egg industry away from traditional caged housing. “In response to the best available scientific research and in light of changing consumer preferences, I’m pleased that the entire industry has agreed to an orderly transition plan that will further diversify our production practices,” said… Read More
WHHOOOOOSSSHHHHHH!!!!!! What was that? That was time flying by as we approach spring and you haven’t even finalized your cropping plan. In sports there are many deadlines that force general managers to make decisions by a certain date. For example, this week was the close of the January transfer window in English and European… Read More
Krone launched its new Big X 770 forage harvester at Agritechnica, bringing updated technology and new style to the Big X lineup. The forage harvester boasts a 16.16 litre V8 engine, and outputs 775 horsepower, with improved safety features, including: additional indicators in mudguards, an extra step on the access ladder, and better overall visibility of all… Read More