It may have an ominous sounding name, but black chaff is rarely a cause for major concern in wheat, says a crop pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture. Black chaff is one of several wheat disorders that will catch a grower’s eye at harvest due to the dark colour and discolouration that appears on wheat heads. As… Read More
Category: audio
High disease levels have winter wheat growers in Western Canada concerned about the market prospects for the crop. Samples brought to elevators in some areas — especially central Manitoba — have contained up to 20 percent fusarium damaged kernels. Buyers have started discounting grain based on the related potential vomitoxin levels. So where will this… Read More
When a growing season doesn’t go exactly as hoped — a late spring, a cool summer, too much rain — corn growers get understandably nervous. Corn is a C4 plant — it can tolerate hot weather and needs rather warm weather to grow, set yield and mature. As much of Ontario deals with “weird and whacky”… Read More
Hot summer days and over-wintered canola — a disaster waiting to happen, or a non-issue? Turns out, as of last fall, there was little if any research to reference on the safety of storing canola well into the hot summer months. Canola growers will be pleased to learn that that’s no longer the case, as… Read More
Shaun Haney and Debra Murphy discuss this week at RealAgriculture.com. Rhett and Lyndsey took the week off to take care of some very important things. Lyndsey moved to Ottawa and Rhett vanished from the world. Shaun, Jason, and Debra held down the fort for the team and had a great week. In this RealAg this… Read More
There’s certainly a lot going on in the world economy, with ongoing discussions around the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (CETA), mandatory Country of Origin Labelling (mCOOL), and Russia’s response to recently imposed sanctions. But what does the future look like for global growth, in general? For next year, it looks good. At least according to Glen Hodgson,… Read More
The evolution of farm machinery has occurred incredibly fast, with the first engine-powered tractors showing up in the mid 1800s. Driven by steam engines, these tractors were loud and, compared to today’s standards, far from comfortable. In the late 19th century, the first gasoline-powered tractor was built, no doubt impressing the farming community. Today, machinery… Read More
Bees, pollinators and honey-makers alike, are enjoying some much deserved attention right now. There was a time not too long ago when many consumers had no inkling of the importance of pollinators in our food supply. Unfortunately, much of the added attention stems from recent bee deaths, the mysterious colony collapse disorder (CCD) and controversy… Read More
I’ve seen my share of unintentional intercrop — lentils and mustard that just HAD to grow together, I guess (I call that one ‘lustard’) — but did you know there may be very profitable reasons to intentionally grow two crops on the same land in the same year? While intercropping is not rare on a… Read More
Agrisoma Biosciences Inc. and PGF Biofuels announced the Canadian Food Inspection Agency’s regulatory approval for Brassica carinata to be used in meal today. Specifically, the CIFA approves the high-protein meal in grower and finisher cattle feed. This announcement, combined with international market approvals of similar varieties, will be an important step in carinata’s continued development. “While the primary… Read More
Do you make a wish list before you go to a farm show — things to research, questions to ask, items for the Christmas list? Planning ahead isn’t for everyone, but this year even Shaun Haney did his homework before hitting the grounds at Canada’s Farm Progress Show. Joining Shaun at the show is Real… Read More
Another day, another petition pushing for a ban of biotechnology in a region. The latest that crossed my desk is one out of Prince Edward Island, seeking support to convert the entire island-province to organic production, banning GMOs and non-organic-approved pesticides. There’s choosing not to consume GMOs (genetically modified organisms) or support conventional agriculture —… Read More
In this episode of Ruminating with RealAg, I speak to Brad Johnson, a professor and chair in meat and muscle biology at Texas Tech University. Johnson has been heavily involved in research around steroidal implants and beta adrenergic agonists, and attended the Saskatchewan Beef Industry Conference in January as a speaker. The conversation starts off with… Read More
The Ontario economy no longer drives on four wheels. That’s the message Steve Peters, executive director of the Alliance of Ontario Food Processors (AOFP) has for a new Ontario government that will be elected on June 12. In this Ontario Election 2014 podcast, Peters and RealAgriculture.com’s Bernard Tobin discuss the state of the Ontario food… Read More
Managing for nitrogen losses in crop production is important, absolutely, but N isn’t the only nutrient at risk of being lost from the plant’s refrigerator. Phosphorus, that other macro-nutrient we know and love, is also subject to losses — and while losses may go relatively unnoticed in the cropping system, our lakes are rivers pay… Read More