Granular phosphorus fertilizer recovered from liquid hog manure could be a viable alternative to traditional 11-52 monoammonium phosphate (MAP) fertilizer for growing wheat and canola, according to research done at the University of Manitoba. Struvite “looks like a fantastic fertilizer,” says Don Flaten, U of M soil scientist and one of the authors of a… Read More
Category: CropConnect
The number of herbicide-resistant weed cases is growing while the list of modes of action available for controlling these weeds is not, so farmers in Western Canada have shifted back to soil-applied herbicides, including some old chemistries, like Edge and Avadex. “We’re going full-circle here. These are older chemistries, but they’re coming back in and growers… Read More
Responding to rapidly climbing demand from consumers and food companies, a Saskatoon-based company is quadrupling its contracted acres of quinoa production this spring. Northern Quinoa owns the lone Canadian-developed variety of quinoa and is one of only a few buyers of the pseudocereal crop in the country. The company has been growing and producing a small… Read More
The number of soil tests in Manitoba with phosphorus concentrations below the critical level for crop production grew by 7 percent between 2010 and 2015, according to the new North American Soil Test Summary published by the International Plant Nutrition Institute. Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Quebec, as well as 13 U.S. states, all saw more… Read More
While sunflowers often pencil out well, concerns about quality and yield risk at the end of the year are all-too-common when it comes to growing them. “It’s a high value crop and if you treat it that way, it’s going to pay,” says Troy Turner, agronomist for the National Sunflower Association of Canada, in the… Read More
Farmers are dealt a hand of cards each year. There are cards of fortune and cards of misfortune. Maybe it’s a wet spring or corn prices below $4/bu or skyrocketing fertilizer costs. Maybe you get all three in the same hand. A farmer can’t always choose what they’re dealt, but they can choose how to respond…. Read More
How confident are you that your pea and lentil seed is not limiting yield potential before you even put it in the ground? With rising acres leading to a shortage of certified seed, there are serious concerns about the quality of the seed that will be used this spring. Sarah Foster of 20/20 Seed Labs joins our own Kelvin Heppner… Read More
Move over Ellen, Dr. Phil and Dragons’ Den. A cooking show about food and farming is ranking higher than many network television shows on CTV in Manitoba. Currently airing its 26th season, “Great Tastes of Manitoba” is a partnership between eight commodity groups representing Manitoba farmers, Manitoba Agriculture and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. Each episode features… Read More
There’s a cloud of uncertainty hanging over the Trans-Pacific Partnership, with President Obama running tight on time and the frontrunners in the race to replace him — Trump, Clinton, Sanders, Cruz — voicing their opposition to the proposed trade deal. Both the U.S. and Japan, due to the size of their economies, must be part… Read More
As drones have gained mainstream popularity over the last year or two, they’ve become easier to fly, cheaper and safer than ever before, making them more practical and obtainable for use in agriculture. “The technology is so refined, a lot of producers now are starting to see the benefits,” says UAV specialist and pilot Chad Colby of Colby… Read More
Satellites are helping depict a clearer picture (literally) of what Canadian farmers grow each year. Accurately predicting and measuring production of each crop grown in Canada has been an ongoing quest for the grain industry and government agencies since farming began in North America. Or at least since the start of the 20th century when E.Cora… Read More
The administration of cash advances has become a competitive business following legislative changes to the federal government’s cash advance program last year. With the passage of Bill C-18, each producer group that serves as an Advance Payments Program administrator (find a list here) can issue the short-term loans for all 45 crops and livestock types covered in… Read More
While the number of CWRS wheat acres on the prairies is expected to drop by around 1.5 million, the trend toward more growing more high-yielding wheat varieties will continue, according to the general manager of FarmLink Marketing Solutions. Meanwhile, pea and lentil acres are expected to rise dramatically (surprise!), but seed supply will be a… Read More
With not a lot of snow on the ground in Western Canada and mild conditions expected to continue through the rest of the winter, it’s looking like there will be an early start to seeding on the prairies this spring. Speaking at CropConnect in Winnipeg in the video below, consulting ag meteorologist Andy Nadler says above-normal temperatures… Read More
Oat futures in Chicago have fallen steadily since early December, dropping to their lowest level in over five years. “They just happen to be one of the uglier (markets) at the moment, both old crop and new crop. We’ve seen oat futures collapse quite quickly,” says Lorne Boundy, oat trader with Paterson Grain. “They’ve actually been… Read More