Glyphosate-resistant kochia is spreading quickly across the Prairies, but right now farmers are only seeing the “tip of the iceberg”, according to the weed specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. Kochia populations showing some level of glyphosate resistance in Manitoba rose from one per cent in 2013 to 59 per cent in 2018, according to the latest… Read More
Category: CropConnect
Although there are still talks happening behind closed doors, progress of the business risk management program (BRM) review feels as though it’s slow-moving. At this year’s CropConnect conference held at Winnipeg, Man., the topic was acknowledged by federal Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau, but there was no mention of action — which is what most are… Read More
After last year’s sudden switch to wet weather, forecasting into 2020 is proving challenging says Scott Kehler, chief scientist for Weatherlogics Inc. And with no clear patterns in the oceans, and even prediction models for seasonal weather showing little indication of what to expect, this summer’s forecast is even more challenging. Still, Kehler has some… Read More
There are three key insect pests of field crops for Manitoba farmers to keep an eye out for this year, says John Gavloski, extension entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture. And the message you should walk away with, regardless of what crops you’re growing? Scout early, and scout often. Continues below video player. Flea beetles While there… Read More
Farm groups across the country have ramped up pressure on the federal government to address the impact of the federal carbon tax and to recognize agriculture’s positive contributions in capturing greenhouse gases. Both Keystone Agricultural Producers (KAP) in Manitoba and the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan (APAS) have released studies quantifying the cost of the… Read More
The new code of practice being developed for grain farms across Canada is aimed at proactively building public trust, potentially mitigating the need for increased paperwork and regulations down the road, according to the vice-chair of the Canada Grains Council. The voluntary code of practice — being created by the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Crops… Read More
There were celebratory handshakes and hugs among staff and farmers on the steering committee after the results of the Manitoba farm group amalgamation vote were announced last week at CropConnect. Among the crowd, standing nearby with a relieved grin on his face, was a farmer from southern Manitoba who led a public campaign to unite… Read More
The last of the major Prairie crop conferences — the CropConnect Conference — was held at Winnipeg, Man., this week, with a sold-out crowd braving some quintessential Manitoba farm show season weather to hear from several dozen speakers, and discuss opportunities and plans for 2020. Here are some of the takeaways from the two-day event:… Read More
Five Manitoba farm groups have voted in favour of amalgamating into one entity known as the Manitoba Crop Alliance. Farmer members of the Manitoba Corn Growers Association (MCGA), Manitoba Flax Growers Association (MFGA), National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC), Winter Cereals Manitoba, Inc. (WCMI), and the Manitoba Wheat and Barley Growers Association (MWBGA) passed a… Read More
Protesters standing in solidarity with Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s protest of the Coastal GasLink pipeline project have set up blockades in three provinces — Ontario, B.C., and now Manitoba — significantly impacting rail movement and precipitating CN Rail to cancel hundreds of train movements. Many in the agriculture industry are nervous about what this means for… Read More
The federal agriculture minister isn’t ruling out the introduction of additional measures aimed at softening the financial impact of the federal carbon tax on farmers across the country. Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau has repeatedly said she’s looking for more data outlining how the carbon tax is affecting farm profitability. Depending on those numbers, she told reporters… Read More
Two projects aimed at reducing risk for exporters and improving the sustainability claim of Canadian grain are moving forward with announced federal funding of $1.2 million. The projects are headed up by the Canada Grains Council. More than $430,000 will be used to develop a pilot insurance product for grain exporters to address the risks… Read More
After several years of discussions around a possible farm group merger, it’s time for Manitoba farmers to make a major decision regarding the future of provincial commodity organizations. The five groups that administer check-offs for funding research and market development on spring wheat and barley, corn, sunflowers, flax, and winter cereals will each vote on… Read More
Herbicide resistance will sneak up on you if you don’t change up your management practices from time to time. Steve Shirtliffe works to help farmers develop strategies to keep resistance issues at bay. He is a professor at the University of Saskatchewan, and I caught up to him at the recent CropConnect conference at Winnipeg,… Read More
Corn is moving into new territory — mainly west and north — but the agronomic information farmers in these new areas rely on is still largely based on data from places such as Illinois and Iowa. This has provided a basis for new corn farmers to get started, but there are a lot of differences… Read More