The standard rule of thumb for polite dinner conversation is never talk religion or politics. When it comes to the topic of biotechnology and GMO crops, it may be a good idea to make another addition to that list. Depending on who you talk to the opinions can range from ” those companies are raising… Read More
Category: Research
By Dr. Cami Ryan, University of Saskatchewan Currently on hiatus in Perth and working on a research project with the Institute of Agriculture at University of Western Australia (UWA), I had the opportunity to the attend Crop Updates 2011. Crop Updates 2011 is Western Australia’s premier agronomic event and is sponsored by the Department of… Read More
The Triffid flax export issue with Europe was a major story of 2010. All stakeholders in the flax value chain were impacted with great severity. Farmers couldn’t move inventory, prices plummeted, and exporters had cargo in limbo. The finger pointing was intense as everyone searched for the reasons that the previously approved trait had worked… Read More
Can you imagine 300 bushel corn? I asked an industry person this question this week and he said, “I didn’t think that 200 bushel corn was possible.” After being at the South West Ag conference this week, it might surprise you that all the discussed yield increase is not just in genetic advancements. Several different… Read More
In November Syngenta celebrated its 10 year anniversary. I’ve been President for nine of those years, and have seen first hand the rapid pace of change taking place across the agricultural landscape in Canada. And change, while often feared, can be a good thing – it can bring with it opportunity. Since 2000, the Canadian… Read More
The National Farmers Union (NFU) has been throwing stones at Federal Agricultural Minister Gerry Ritz this week about the EU / Canada Free Trade Agreement that should be finalized by the end of the year. In a recent Better Farming story, NFU President Terry Boehm is quoted as saying……. These measures are so draconian that… Read More
In agriculture we are always looking for different uses of the commodities that we produce. Farmers continue to try and diversify the uses of their products with the help of researchers. Ethanol and bio -diesel are good examples of this but it does just end with bio-fuels. Along with several other stakeholders, the Grain Farmers… Read More
It is that time of year when farmers are placing their orders for soil sampling with fertilizer retailers and professional agronomists. When you decide to soil test it is essential that you request the proper depths and analysis of those depths in order to make the right fertilizing decisions. Many producers fall into the trap… Read More
Globally, we€™re in a position where demand for wheat is surpassing supply. Figures from the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Centre (CIMMYT) show wheat demand growing by 1.5 per cent per year, while annual production is increasing by only 0.9 per cent. With the global population expected to rise to over 9 billion by 2050,… Read More
Distiller dried grains (DDG’s) have quickly become a very important part of a beef ration and increasingly at dairies. Created by the ethanol industry DDG’s have allowed many livestock feeders to diversify the feeding ration. When DDG’s first came to the market the supply and delivery logistics of corn DDG’s to Canada was a major… Read More