Soy Canada has announced Ron Davidson will be the association’s next executive director. Davidson will begin his role in Soy Canada’s Ottawa office on November 1, taking over from interim executive director Dale Adolphe, following Jim Everson’s departure to become the president of the Canola Council of Canada in spring. “We are thrilled to have… Read more »
Category: Crop Production
Soybean School: Is doubling up against herbicide resistance worth the risk?
For OMAFRA weed specialist Mike Cowbrough there are three fundamentals when it comes to weed control in soybeans. The first thing growers need to remember is weeds that emerge before and with the crop have the greatest yield impact. Number two on his list is the need to keep the crop weed-free up to the… Read more »
What does BASF’s acquisition of Liberty and InVigor business mean for Canada?
It’s the spinoff that many people in the North American ag market have been waiting for. In Bayer’s conquest of Monsanto, the concentration of trait and variety market share in crops like cotton and canola was deemed to be unfair for a competitive balance. Given Bayer’s strong presence in the Canadian canola seed market, the… Read more »
Extreme winds wreak havoc across southern prairies
Extreme winds caused fires to burn out of control, destroying several farmyards and prompting evacuations in multiple communities in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan on Tuesday and into Wednesday. There was also tragedy, as a volunteer firefighter died fighting a wildfire near Hilda, AB. Cypress County confirmed James Hargrave of the Walsh Fire Department died in… Read more »
Big plans for Ontario hazelnuts
Both the federal and Ontario governments are betting on the future of the province’s fledgling hazelnut industry. Last week, both levels of government announced support for the industry, which plans to have 25,000 acres of hazelnut trees in the province by 2027. Ontario Hazelnut Association project coordinator Andrew Nixon notes that the Ontario industry traces… Read more »
EPA defines U.S. label changes for dicamba in 2018
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency says it has reached a deal with companies selling dicamba to implement new requirements aimed at minimizing the risk of drift damage to neighbouring crops in 2018. The EPA says Monsanto, BASF and DuPont have voluntarily agreed to label changes for “over the top” use of Monsanto’s XtendiMax, BASF’s Engenia and DuPont Pioneer’s FeXapan… Read more »
Bayer signs C$8.7 billion deal to sell LibertyLink and seed businesses to BASF
Bayer has signed an agreement to divest some of its crop business to BASF for €5.9 billion (approximately C$8.7 billion) to gain regulatory approval for Bayer’s planned acquisition of Monsanto. The transaction with BASF includes Bayer’s global glufosinate-ammonium business and the related LibertyLink herbicide tolerance technology. BASF is also marking its entry into the seed… Read more »
Farmers Edge announces deal with Planet to deliver same-day satellite imagery
Farmers Edge has announced an exclusive arrangement with San Francisco-based aerospace and data company Planet to offer high-resolution, daily satellite imagery to farmers. With over 180 satellites orbiting Earth, Planet operates the world’s largest fleet of earth imaging satellites. Described as a “multi-million dollar, multi-year global distribution agreement,” Farmers Edge says it is now the… Read more »
Soybean School: Reducing residue could fend off sudden death
When it comes to integrated disease management, experts have always considered corn a non-host for diseases like sudden death syndrome (SDS) in soybeans. But that perception is changing says OMAFRA field pathologist Albert Tenuta. In this episode of RealAgriculture Soybean School, Tenuta says there is growing evidence that corn residue can harbour or allow the… Read more »
Ontario farmers experimenting with world crops
Six years ago, University of Guelph researcher Glen Filson determined that some world crops —such as okra and amaranth — could potentially be grown in Ontario, providing a huge import replacement opportunity for the province’s farmers. He estimated the then-called “ethnic vegetables” represented a $60 million-plus per month market in the Greater Toronto Area alone…. Read more »
MYFB — Ep. 29: Putting together a solid farm business plan
No two farm business plans are identical. A young, aggressive producer focused on expanding likely needs a comprehensive business plan with detailed cash flow and business projections to satisfy investors and partners. On the other extreme, the business plan for an established farm with no children interested in taking over can be very simple —… Read more »
Monsanto and weed scientists hold frank discussions about dicamba
Monsanto invited several dozen weed scientists and researchers to St. Louis last week to present data and discuss views on what led to off-target movement of dicamba on several million acres of soybeans in the U.S. this year. While the manufacturers of new dicamba formulations, including Monsanto and BASF, have cited improper application and the… Read more »
Wheat School: The key to planting in dry soils
Whatever you do, get out there and plant your wheat. That’s the message agronomist Peter Johnson has for Ontario wheat growers in this episode of the Wheat School. “Either plant into moisture or plant in dust,” says Johnson, who notes that many growers across the province are hesitant to plant because of widespread dry soil conditions…. Read more »
The future of independent ag retailers in Western Canada
With recent news that 14 independent retailers in Western Canada have joined forces with an Australian entity, and another group of independents forming Winfield United Canada, I’m finding myself wondering what the future of independent ag retailers looks like in Canada. Is there a future? Can someone with one to five outlets make a go… Read more »
Independent retailers form WinField United Canada
A group of more than 60 Canadian independent crop input retail owners with 150-plus locations have partnered with U.S. crop input and service provider WinField United to form WinField United Canada. The launch of WinField’s Canadian presence represents the latest evolution for a group of independent retailers that started out as the GROW Community of… Read more »