Spring has been a nightmare and the toll it has taking on farmers in Western Canada is huge. With a speculated 10 million acres being left unseeded, many farmers are wondering what they should be doing with their bare land. Many people are talking about winter wheat to try and get some cover for winter… Read More
Earlier this week I published an interview with David Sippell the President of CSTA regarding Bill C-474. Some people emailed me with positive and negative responses to the bill. I decided to find out more by interviewing the man that has initiated this private members bill. This also answers criticism from some of you that… Read More
Whether you farm in Ontario or the west it is time to start thinking about spraying your winter wheat with fungicide to protect it from leaf diseases like septoria or powdery mildew. When spraying fungicides there are many considerations that need to be taken into account. Nozzle selection, nozzle position, water volume, and sprayer boom… Read More
Many people think that if farmers get moisture you are ensured success. Well this year is proving that moisture can also bring challenges. One of those challenges is crusting (see picture below). Canola has a hard time penetrating any crust. This year the crust in many areas seems to be worse than usual and growers… Read More
The stress of spring has been brutal in many parts of the west. It does bring to my the saying, “if farming was easy everyone would do it!” The weather is definitely testing the nerves of everyone that is involved in this chaos. With some farmers not having turned a wheel yet in 2010, the… Read More
At the ISF 2010 World Seed Congress last week I had the chance to talk to Dave Sippell, President of the Canadian Seed Trade Association about the potential impacts of Bill C-474. Dr. Sippell discusses the Canadian Seed Trade’s position and why they think this bill would be putting the future of Canadian seed innovation… Read More
As we mentioned last week, we are dealing with abnormal rainfall and cool temps in Alberta and Saskatchewan and that has pushed canola seeding back further than desired. Now that the calendar has entered June, many farmers have started hiring floaters to broadcast seed the canola seed. This is not ideal but the unfortunate reality… Read More
We have no shortage of farmer led groups in Canada. Almost every crop has a growers association that represents their interests in Ottawa, tries to create demand for the commodity with end users and consumers, supports the agronomics of the crop and provides services to the members. Many times this can feel disjointed and does… Read More
This week I attended my first ever International Seed Federation World Seed Congress which was held in Calgary. This was a great honor and privilege for the Canadian seed industry to host such an event. There was just short of 1000 delegates from around the world in attendance and in Calgary for the week. In… Read More
Okay I will say it…..this spring has been a real challenge. Crop staging is quite varied. We have plants battling frosty conditions and there is thousands of acres that have not been planted yet. If have crop up it feels like it is standing still in the water or colder temperatures and if you are… Read More
Septoria can have a nasty impact on your wheat crop yield and overall plant health. Found across Canada, Septoria must be scouted prior to the flag leaf emerging. The disease favors wet windy conditions so the impact will be less in drier years. Leaf disease can have major impact on your overall crop health because it… Read More
In more humid climates, powdery mildew can have a real negative impact on your wheat crop. It is actually known as one of the easier diseases to spot but needs to be sprayed with fungicide to ensure proper control. In the below video chat with Luc Bourgeois, Research and Development at Bayer Crop Science Eastern… Read More
Across the country we continue to see winter like conditions. Corn has suffered significant frost damage in Ontario and farmers in the western provinces continue to battle snow drifts. In-climate whether sometimes forces farmers to crowd suggested spraying windows and gamble on the effectiveness of the product or risk unwanted damage to the crop itself…. Read More
It is easy to talk about seeding depth pre-planting but it is even more critical to review planting depth after emergence. It is no different than any other business process. PLAN – EXECUTE – REVIEW – IMPROVE – REPEAT THE CYCLE. The stand above ground tells only part of the story though. You also need… Read More
As you all know the debate around food safety continues to rage on. As we have discussed on this site before, the debate many times comes down to the discussion around combating the theory by many consumers that organic food is more healthy and better for the environment. What we see on tv is people… Read More