The bulls and bears are fighting for dominance in this fresh calendar year — and there are some major factors at play weighing down some markets, but fuelling others. Wendy White, grain marketing manager with Viterra, says there’s no shortage of news and reports feeding in to the grain markets. From last week’s WASDE report,… Read More
Category: CropWeek
Anybody thinking of growing lentils or peas in Western Canada this year? Syngenta is introducing a new fungicide to help growers protect pulses from foliar diseases such as anthracnose, ascochyta blight, mycosphaerella blight and powdery mildew. Elatus features two modes of action — a combination of Syngenta’s new Group 7 fungicide known as Solatenol (benzovindiflupyr) and a… Read More
For many farm families, building a farm business that the next generation can take over is a top priority. There’s great pride and value placed in keeping a farm “in the family.” While it’s important to have a viable business worth passing on, a successful farm transition also requires individuals in the younger generation who are interested… Read More
Optimal seeding rates for faba beans can vary from less than 3 bushels per acre to over 6 bushels per acre due to a wide range in seed size. With spring around the corner, Sherrilyn Phelps of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers stresses the importance of knowing the thousand kernel weight of faba bean seed. “Depending on variety and… Read More
SeedMaster has rolled out a new tablet-based platform to help growers with seeding operations this spring. The Axis mobile monitoring system features up to eight wireless, magnetic-mount cameras for monitoring what’s happening during planting or on the road between fields. “The quality of our cameras is very sharp. It’s a 720P camera,” explains Tim Ottenbreit,… Read More
When it comes to flax, farmers want to see two things: higher yields and easier straw management, says the chair of the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission. While flax grower organizations have invested significant resources over the last few years in researching agronomic practices for higher yields, Erwin Hanley, who farms south of Regina, says they’ve realized they also… Read More
It’s another year of opportunity for barley, says the barley merchandising manager for Viterra. After declining for much of the past decade, the number of barley acres in Western Canada rose slightly in 2015 and is expected to grow again in 2016. Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s preliminary projection has barley acreage rising by two percent…. Read More
In theory, the application of a plant growth regulator to wheat should result in shorter, stronger plants that are less prone to lodging, enabling higher yield potential. In reality, it’s not that simple. “I wish it was a nice black and white, straightforward story, but it certainly isn’t,” says Sheri Strydhorst, who’s done extensive work… Read More
A new report commissioned by SaskCanola says there would be no net benefit to producers from implementing a component pricing system that offers premiums or discounts based on canola’s oil content. “There was some discussion a few years ago when crush margins were widening — are farmers receiving a fair amount for the canola they’re growing… Read More
Wheat and barley grower organizations from across Western Canada are trying to figure out how to move forward with farmer involvement in variety development. The transitional Western Canadian wheat and barley check-offs implemented by the federal government with the end of the Canadian Wheat Board’s monopoly in 2012 are set to expire in 2017. The majority… Read More
There were plenty of lessons to be learned about growing faba beans in 2015, as the number of acres covered by crop insurance in Saskatchewan tripled from just under 20 thousand in 2014 to around 60 thousand last year. “When you increase acres, there are definitely things we gain more information on,” notes Sherrilyn Phelps,… Read More
Technology that enhances how we view and experience information is always changing. Whether it’s John Deere’s combine simulator or Magic Leap’s proposed “cinematic reality” device, companies are trying to create interactive life-like experiences for users or potential customers. You might think it’s the kind of stuff you have to go to a tech show in Las… Read More
Agriculture is poised to play a much larger role in the Canadian economy thanks to impacts of climate change and declining revenues from oil extraction, says well-known author and economist Jeff Rubin. “Climate change has fatal implications for our previous ambitions of becoming an energy superpower, but it’s going to make other assets and resources in… Read More
Versatile sparked plenty of buzz on social media with news the tractor company is going back to its old colours for a run of 50th anniversary models in 2016. The online hoopla moved into the real world at the Western Canadian Crop Production Show in Saskatoon last week as the first retro-looking model to roll out of the… Read More
I was fortunate enough to attend the Wednesday night VIP Premiere of the new documentary License to Farm. The film focuses on the agriculture industry’s need to maintain social license. The attendees were very excited about the film. I was able to talk to many of the attendees and get their immediate reaction to the film… Read More