Federal Agriculture Minister Lawrence MacAulay announced up to $14 million in funding for beef and forage research under the new Canadian Agricultural Partnership while attending the Calgary Stampede on Wednesday. The funding for the new “Sustainable Beef and Forage Science Cluster” will go to the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) — the research division of… Read more »
Category: Forage
Ideal fertility timing for top-notch hay
Hay crops can be tricky when it comes to agronomic considerations. Unlike annual crops, hay breaks dormancy, continues to grow and then mature after cutting, and eventually needs to rest up to go dormant again. The unique characteristics of perennials means that fertility is needed at different times of year than most are used to,… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, July 4: Most amazing corn crop, an aphid alert, and white mould musts
A scratchy-voiced Peter Johnson needs you to get out there and scout, scout, scout for aphids on soybean. While you’re out in the fields, you also need to check for all sorts of other insects because hot, dry weather is helping creepy-crawlies multiply. It’s also time to get that first white mould suppression pass on,… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, June 6: Weed height and corn yield loss, weevils, and a stripe rust alert
If everything goes south from here on in, we can blame Peter Johnson, host of the weekly Wheat Pete’s Word, as he proclaims this week that things are “looking pretty good out there.” In this week’s edition, Johnson tackles current crop conditions, the fallout from super fast crop advancement, weed control in 6-leaf corn (and… Read more »
Nutrition claims of grass-fed milk require closer scrutiny
Recently, a dairy company out of Wisconsin rolled out its latest marketing campaign, claiming “Organic grass-fed milk is more nutritious. It’s science.” Well, there is good scientific evidence that the composition of milk from cows fed dry hay or fresh forage is higher in omega-3 fatty acids versus cows fed ensiled feed. But, does the… Read more »
Controlling leafy spurge one flock at a time
While most pastures across Saskatchewan were blanketed with snow this past winter, the landscape will change quickly as warm weather arrives. Native prairie plants such as northern wheatgrass and needle-and-thread will soon spring to life, however their undesirable counterparts, such as leafy spurge, will too. Leafy spurge is a perennial invasive weed many farmers and… Read more »
There’s gold in them fields: Finding more margin in forage
Thin margins may have some farmers looking to cut costs, but for croppers and livestock producers alike, there’s an often overlooked option for making money: forage. Whether through higher dairy and beef production efficiency, or through cash sales, recent research out of Michigan State suggests that more farmers should be taking a harder look at forage… Read more »
Competing on more than price for rented land
Ontario’s soils are losing organic matter. What builds organic matter? Perennial and forage species! But if you’re going to plant perennial hay or pasture, you have to have something to feed it to or you won’t be farming long enough to see the value of the added organic matter. And that’s a slight problem, as… Read more »
A&W donates $5M to the U of S Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence
The University of Saskatchewan announced a $5-million donation on Friday from A&W to support the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE). “A&W is deeply committed to the Canadian beef and forage industry,” said Jefferson Mooney, chairman emeritus, A&W. “Our investment is an investment in the future of Canadian food and best practices to make… Read more »
Livestock centre of excellence receives $4.5 million from federal gov’t
The federal government has announced another $4.47 million in funding for the Livestock and Forage Centre of Excellence being built near Saskatoon. David Lametti, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, announced the funding on Friday at the University of Saskatchewan. Originally announced in 2015, the centre will have its physical… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, May 10: Quality forage timing, cold temp fallout, and two-pass fungicide strategy
This week’s (almost!) cross-Canada Wheat Pete’s Word is packed full of great questions, worries about cold temperatures, solid timely answers on field management, and at least one alert, alert, alert! Your host Peter Johnson tackles questions on harvesting cereal rye (soon! this week!) while keeping compaction in mind, if corn seed is going to be… Read more »
The Cost of Mycotoxin in Feed, Plus Feeding Strategies to Ease Heat Stress
Summer may feel a long way off, but being prepared to manage heat stress in dairy cattle goes a long way in warding off the production losses that go along with it. We’re also well into the 2016 feed crop, and there are reports of several farmers struggling to keep mycotoxin (specifically DON/vomitoxin) levels low enough… Read more »
OSCIA Revives Forage Masters Competition
The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) recently announced a return of the Forage Masters Competition. New and improved, revamping of the competition was lead by Don Oliver, OSCIA director for the east central region. A team effort involving input from not just OSCIA directors, members, staff, but also from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and… Read more »
How Many Tonnes of Protein Can You Raise Per Acre?
If you’ve got cows, you likely do something like this: number of cows x days on feed = tonnes of hay/forage needed. But what if you’ve got land, but no livestock, and want to include perennial forage in rotation? Have you ever sat down and done this: number of acres x tonnes of feed produced… Read more »
Wheat Pete’s Word, Dec 28: Starter Fert on Corn, the N/Protein Dance, & All About Clover
On the eve of 2017, we wrap up the calendar year with one last instalment of Wheat Pete’s Word. From a recent land price record, to so many questions on fertilizer timing, placement, and products, and finally on to a great deep dive into single and double cut clover, Johnson tackles alfalfa discussions, the true… Read more »