Not only do dry soil conditions hamper seed germination, they also raise the risk of fertilizer toxicity for seedlings after they germinate, especially in a sensitive crop like canola. That means rates of fertilizer placed at seeding last year or the year before might not be safe this year, explains Don Flaten, soil scientist at… Read more »
Category: Seed
Monsanto planning to release TruFlex canola in 2019
Monsanto Canada has announced it plans to finally commercialize its TruFlex canola trait in 2019. TruFlex has been approved in Canada and awaiting Chinese import approval since 2012, along with several other canola traits. It’s not clear what or if anything has changed, but Monsanto now says import approval from China “should be granted in… Read more »
Soybean School: Understanding the total yield cost of bin-run seed
There are certainly unknowns and risks that come with planting bin-run soybean seed versus certified seed, but one significant piece of information has been confirmed by crop insurance data in Manitoba: older, off-patent varieties don’t have the same yield potential as newer varieties. As Dennis Lange, pulse specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, points out in this… Read more »
Move away from neonics not reflected in MOECC corn planting statistics
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 »
Wheat School: Solve your tiller problem with N, not seeding rate
Wheat tillers are nothing but a well-camouflaged weed, right? Not exactly. While excessive tillering can cause grief for fungicide timing and harvest management, one tiller can actually pull its own weight and contribute to yield. How do you best manage for one or two tillers? Say it with us now: nitrogen! If you wanted to… Read more »
The SeedPod — Ep 15: What’s Seed Synergy?
Simply put, Seed Synergy is described as a process, not an entity. Those familiar with the inner workings of the seed industry have heard about Seed Synergy for quite some time, but those further out — and those on the farm — likely haven’t heard much. As Dan Wright, president of Canadian Seed Trade Association, explains… Read more »
Think transition, not succession
Despite armies of well-meaning accountants, bankers and consultants urging them to do so, many Canadian farm families don’t have a plan in place to transfer ownership between generations. It could be the word succession that’s getting in the way. This can imply an abrupt change, when the older generation is booted out to pasture and… Read more »
The SeedPod — Ep 14: The evolution of Alberta Seed Processors
Alberta has a unique part of the seed value chain in its Alberta Seed Processors organization. For many towns, the seed plant has been an integral part of the town’s economy and, in some cases, even helped build the town. As Monica Klaas, with the Alberta Seed Processors, explains, though, the role of the seed… Read more »
The Seedpod — Ep.13: The move to season-long testing
Farming is evolving into such a precise business, it only makes sense that soil, seed, and tissue testing and analysis all happen under one roof. That’s the thinking behind SGS Biovision — a new company formed when SGS bought Biovision Seed Labs late in 2017. The lab offers farmers a one-stop-shop for testing and diagnostics…. Read more »
Get growin’ with SY Rowyn
Are you looking to push your wheat yields higher, while maintaining access to good milling wheat markets? Alliance Seed is excited to launch its new CPSR variety, SY Rowyn. With excellent milling quality and exciting market options, SY Rowyn is a win for grain producers and marketers alike. All Around Performer Released as a Dark… Read more »
Soybean School: Investment needed to fend off nematodes
Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the leading cause of yield loss for the oilseed crop across North America. And unless a new source of resistance is found to fend off the pest, growers can expect to see SCN gobble up an increasing percentage of their yield in the years ahead. That was the message delivered… Read more »
Familiar names top recommended malt barley list
Based on market demand and feedback from the malting industry, the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre (CMBTC) publishes a list every fall of recommended varieties for producers to grow the following year. And every year, for the last 11, the list has been topped by AC Metcalfe and CDC Copeland. (CDC Copeland joined AC Metcalfe… Read more »
Canola School: Determining the best variety to grow next year
Which clubroot-resistant canola variety with herbicide tolerance trait X is the earliest maturing in your area? What about the highest-yielding blackleg resistant variety with herbicide trait Y? Every year the Canola Council of Canada administers the Canola Performance Trials — a third-party small plot and field scale evaluation of current canola varieties. The program is… Read more »
SeCan and SeedNet to sell CDC pulse varieties outside Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers (SPG) says it has licensed the distribution rights for select newer pea, lentil and chickpea varieties outside of Saskatchewan to SeCan and SeedNet. Since 1997, SPG has funded the pulse breeding program at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre (CDC) in exchange for commercial rights to pulse crop varieties developed at… Read more »
Growing farm leaders $1 at a time
How do you grow a farm leader? SeCan and their seed customers are doing it one dollar at a time. Entering its fifth year, the SeCan Grow A Leader program has now contributed more than $200,000 to 4-H in Canada. Last month, the company presented a cheque for $64,880 to 4-H, representing $1 from every… Read more »