Weed control ahead of the crop is so vital to getting the crop off to the best start possible, it’s true, but later emerging or flushes of weeds can strangle a crop in a hurry. As discussed in the first episode of Tech Tour, the sprayer can be a great first place to begin adding… Read More
The ballots are in and counted, and the first seven-member board of the Saskatchewan Wheat Development Commission (SWDC) has been named. The board members, with their hometowns, are: Rod Flaman, Edenwold – 4 year term Ken Rosaasen, Saskatoon – 4 year term Bill Gehl, Regina – 4 year term Glenn Tait, Meota – 4 year… Read More
By Rob Wallbridge, Songberry Farm, Bristol, QC. The story of how I came to be touring Monsanto starts back in late April and a blog post where I questioned the current tenor of the GMO debate. It caught the attention of Janice Person, a Social Media Director for Monsanto, who commented, “if you ever want… Read More
As corn and soybeans move west and north through the prairies, the interest in equipment that departs from the typical drill grows substantially. As western Canadian farmers are learning, it’s not just the planter that makes a big difference to corn yields; seed bed prep and fertilizer placement can be much different versus these same… Read More
Monsanto Company announced yesterday that the company had entered into a “long-term strategic alliance” with Novozymes, to create what it is calling the BioAg Alliance. The agreement is subject to the approval of the relevant national antitrust authorities to the extent required, but is expected to close in early 2014. Monsanto paid $300 million in… Read More
If the NOTORIOUS B.I.G was a market analyst he would describe the current situation in Western Canada as, “Mo crop, mo problems” (was that a reach???). The 2014 Western Canadian crop is very large, on farm storage is full, railways are jammed and ports are shipping as much as they can. Get More: If you… Read More
There are many times during the busy conference season that I wish I could clone myself so that I could attend every meeting that interests me. While Twitter does a great job of bridging the gap at times, there’s still nothing quite like actually sitting in on a fascinating discussion on new research findings and… Read More
When I first started working in the agriculture industry I spent the entire month of May blending fertilizer. At this point in time when a grower came in and asked for a “34-17-0” blend, I was a pretty happy guy. It meant less work and less chance of screwing up, win-win for me as an… Read More
Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food Gerry Ritz was on hand at the Canterra Seeds warehouse in Winnipeg, Man., to announce the tabling of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. The Act addresses a total of nine areas where Canada’s regulations need “modernizing, amending and streamlining of processes”. While there isn’t a monetary figure attached to… Read More
All of us have bad days at work, good days at work and then there are awesome days at work. Today it is clear that Dave Hansen had a great day at work. Not only did Gerry Ritz hold his Agricultural Growth Act press conference at the Canterra Seeds office but the inclusion of UPOV91… Read More
Agriculture minister Gerry Ritz was in Winnipeg, Man., today to announce the tabling of Bill C-18, the Agricultural Growth Act. The act covers a host of agriculture-related regulations — a total of nine — with an eye to “amending, streamlining and modernizing” Canada’s regulations as they relate to several areas of agriculture. From plant breeding… Read More
The ability to measure, track and vary inputs and other agronomic data far exceeds most people’s comfort level with data analysis. And if you’re all, whoa, what the heck is she talking about? You’ve made my point. Any new(ish) equipment comes with the fantastic built-in capability to track what its doing, and as farmers add… Read More
More replications of research trials equals more bankable results. This can mean more reps in a field, or more reps across an entire geographic area. The North Central Soybean Research program spans a huge area of the United States, and the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food hosts co-operative research trials with the group as… Read More
Can you imagine hand harvesting your corn crop? How about drying and storing corn in an orphanage? Farming in North America and farming in Africa do share some similarities such as crop type, but that’s about where the similarities end. It’s hard to even imagine a fraction of the challenges farmers face there. In this… Read More
Micronutrients may be needed in tiny amounts, but that doesn’t mean they’re unimportant. When needed, a micronutrient is just as necessary as nitrogen or phosphorus, albeit in much smaller volumes. That difference in volume creates a few logistical issues, as spreading only three to five pounds of any given product over an acre means the… Read More