Harvest is a great time to grab a sample of grain and have it tested for germination and disease levels. Harvest is also the easiest (and warmest) time to get a representative sample, as you can sample as you fill bins. The sooner you know some basic quality parameters the better, as poor germ or… Read More
After a chemical manufacturer discovers a new crop protection chemical family, the normal response within the industry is to focus research on better versions of the same chemistry. This typically results in several new brands being launched, each claiming to be slightly better than the last. This seems to be the case with DuPont’s new… Read More
I was combing through my Twitter feed last night and thought that it felt a little like Y2K — would the stroke of midnight bring certain doom as many monopoly supporters would have had us believe or would the sun rise, just like any other day? Of course, today — the first day of the… Read More
The US drought is capturing the attention of many people. One of the groups that is majorly impacted by the drought but has been lost in this meteorological drama is the beef industry. The US drought is playing a major role in the decision making of some beef producers and feedyards heading into the fall… Read More
Canada’s Farm Progress Show was a great opportunity to connect with farmers throughout Saskatchewan, across the west and beyond. As we do at most farm shows we decided to hit the grounds and talk to some of those farmers and ask a number of different questions. This time around, we asked farmers about the state… Read More
The StatsCan June 2012 Acreage report was released yesterday and the surprises were limited but instead firmer confirmation of the 2012 seeding choices of farmers. Lentils were higher than expected, canola acres are above 20 million acres and barley has sprung back to higher levels than two years ago. Jon Driedger. FarmLink Marketing Solutions talked with… Read More
Risk management is the new reality of every feed yard owner and livestock producer. Forward buying your feed barley or corn can really pay off in a rising market. Its just too bad that it is so difficult to try and decipher which direction this market is heading in the next 120 days. At Canada’s… Read More
There is a growing concern from farmers and the industry to herbicide resistance. Whether its giant ragweed or kochia, hebicide resistance is a challenge for farmers. Currently, there is 8 different herbicide groups with confirmed resistance. According to Michael Schaad, Eastern Business Manager, BASF Canada, Glyphosate resistance was first found in the mid 90’s… Read More
I have written before that the future is in seed treatments and fungicides for the traditional crop protection companies. The additional point that I should of included is the growth potential for the biological market in the seed treatment product area. The interesting point is that biologicals are designed to work in conjunction (stacking) with… Read More
Wireworms are one of the pests that come with a lot of speculation and misinformation for many farmers. Patchy stands are often blamed on poor seed or conditions when the blame should be placed on wire worms. Dr. Bob Vernon’s research shows that wire worms are not isolated to the light brown soil zone of… Read More
The major chemical companies have been busy creating new fungicides to help growers control diseases in their major crops. Here’s a peek at a couple of the more interesting ones. BASF recently introduced Twinline Fungicide for broad-spectrum disease control in wheat, oats and barley. As the name implies, Twinline contains two popular fungicide modes of… Read More
Establishing a seed grade can be a frustrating process at times, especially at point of sale. If a seed lot is on the edge, there is a lot riding on what grade it ends up making. If the crop is graded on site, there can be a lot of areas where doubt can arise as… Read More
Germination tests are standard when it comes to any seed lot. A lot of seed for sale has to tested for germination so that the farmer or seed company can decide whether the seed lot will be suitable for sale. Farmers that are saving seed also need to make sure that their saved seed will… Read More
The global economic instability of the last year has no doubt rattled investors and left them looking for any kind of a stable place to invest. One of those places has been agriculture. The growing population and the need to feed them has raised the value of the agricultural industry as a whole. The bottom… Read More
With precision agriculture becoming more mainstream, its apparent that farmers are looking to every means possible to increase production and gain an edge. Micro-Nutrients may be one of those missing pieces of the puzzle when it comes to gaining that edge. Micro-Nutrient companies are on the rise in the U.S. and are starting to show… Read More