Prairie grain farmers are urging the federal government to take action to prevent workers with CP Rail from going on strike as early as this weekend. A strike now would only add to the problems with grain movement this crop year. Around 3,000 conductors and engineers who are members in the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference, as… Read More
Year: 2018
Soybean growers will soon have a new tool in the fight against yield-robbing soybean aphids. BASF expects to launch Sefina, a new insecticide it says will deliver control of aphids and white flies in soybean and potatoes, in 2019. BASF Canada horticulture crop manager Scott Hodgins explains that the new insecticide will deliver a unique… Read More
After beginning the week with nasty weather, we’re starting to see signs of spring in some areas, including more farm equipment on the roads, as host Shaun Haney starts today’s show with a safety reminder. From there: Top ag news with Kelvin Heppner, including the Bank of Canada’s interest rate decision, and the possibility of… Read More
Host Peter Johnson tackles a broad range of topics in this week’s podcast, from weird weather (and chilling out about it) to cold imbibition, pH extremes, and salted out thiosulfate, Find a summary of today’s show topics and times below the audio. Have a question you’d like Johnson to address? Or some yield results to send… Read More
Manitoba-based crop nutrient company ATP Nutrition has been acquired by a startup company that specializes in microbial products for plant and soil health. Inocucor Corporation announced the purchase of ATP Nutrition on Tuesday. “The combination of biologicals…with plant nutrients in ready-to-use combinations is unique in the ag sector,” says Donald R. Marvin, president and CEO… Read More
Ontario ag retailers need to provide leadership in helping farmers adopt 4R nutrient stewardship and a new audit program can do just that, says AGRIS Co-operative agronomist Dale Cowan. In 2015, OMAFRA, the Ontario Agri Business Association, Fertilizer Canada, and ag retailer stakeholders signed a memorandum of understanding stating that 4R nutrient stewardship – right source,… Read More
Following significant restrictions by the Ontario government in 2015, seed corn companies in the province began to offer non-neonicotinoid seed treatment insecticide options. Now, a significant portion of corn seed sales carry non-neonicotinoid options. It’s bizarre then, that the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change recently published data showing only a 22% reduction in the amount… Read More
It’s been a difficult, if not devastating spring season for many livestock producers. Host Shaun Haney starts off the show with a shout-out to everyone dealing with adverse winter conditions. Then: Top Ag News How bad is the situation for U.S. dairy producers? Anna Lisa Laca, online and business editor for Farm Journal’s Milk and… Read More
With increasing cases of herbicide resistance, machines designed to destroy weed seeds at harvest could be a valuable tool. But like any technology that is not yet widely adopted, there are also some lessons to be learned and challenges to overcome, as researchers with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada confirmed last year. 2017 marked the first… Read More
It’s mid-April and a huge part of Western Canada, Ontario, and the northern U.S. is digging out after a late winter blast of snow, freezing rain, and ice. As May looms large in the next 14 days, we have to ask — when should we start to panic about a late planting season? May 1st… Read More
With the European Union granting its conditional approval in late March, and U.S. antitrust authorities reportedly set to give their thumbs-up signal, Canada’s competition regulator has yet to issue its decision on Bayer’s proposed acquisition of Monsanto. The US$66 billion deal, which was originally announced in September 2016, has significant implications in the Canadian market,… Read More
The battle over pipelines continued over the weekend. Host Shaun Haney starts the show off discussing how the controversy relates to agriculture. Would we see the same outrage if there was a push for another rail line? Then: Fungal screens and vigour tests with 20/20 Seed Labs; Agronomy Panel – Field editor Lyndsey Smith, resident… Read More
It’s been a difficult — if not devastating — start to the year for many in the agricultural community. And just when areas of North America were finally seeing a respite, and what could possibly have been called spring-like conditions, we’re hit with another round of ice pellets, freezing rain, rain, and/or snow. For ranchers,… Read More
Update, as of Wednesday: Both unions have served CP Rail with 72-hour strike notice, clearing the way for a strike to begin after midnight on Saturday morning. When asked on Tuesday whether the federal government would consider back-to-work legislation, Transport Minister Marc Garneau said he’s following the situation closely: “Remember that we are a party… Read More
Are you willing to change your mind when you discuss agriculture and food issues with people who don’t agree with your point of view? On some level, most people in agriculture engage in conversations with family, friends, and colleagues on a range of issues – everything from conventional versus organic agriculture, to the right to… Read More