The garden is ready for a new crop, the fields wait to warm under the sun. Calves are learning to stand on wobbly legs, chicks are growing in the warmth of the coop and the geese have arrived. With light rain starting overhead and the kettle on boil, nothing seems more fitting for Depth of Field, than… Read More
Category: Western Canada
What’s the right choice for nozzle fan angle? 80 degrees or 110 degrees? That’s this Spray Tips’ Question of the Week and that discussion leads very nicely into the topic of this episode — ideal boom height. How do we select the right boom height? Nozzle fan angle does play a role, but so does… Read More
Just as in money management, investments you make in your farm’s soil nutrient bank account may be short or long term. Depending on the nutrient, crop yields, the weather and soil type, nutrient levels and availability may need immediate deposits or a long-term plan to ensure there’s enough “money” there when the crop needs it…. Read More
This week New Holland launched a global customer community platform to provide collaboration, discussions and offer premium services. The new site is MyNewHolland.com, and is now live. Setting up an account appears to be quite easy and it will be very interesting to see how farmers end up using the site over the next couple… Read More
The Canola Council of Canada is alerting farmers that existing genetic resistance to clubroot may not prove effective in all Alberta fields. Dr. Stephen Strelkov of the University of Alberta led the analyses of several field samples, and data suggests that some forms of clubroot resistance are “no longer functioning well” against the disease in… Read More
It’s Earth Day — a day for reflection on our impact on the earth. Invariably, it’s also a day for promoting alternatives to the common way we do things — alternative energy being a main focus. In Ontario, government-funded alternative energy initiatives such as biomass generation, wind or solar energy has stirred controversy. Whether it… Read More
By Karen Lewis As farmers across the central U.S. corn belt scramble to prevent the spread of western corn rootworm resistance to Bt corn, Prairie wheat growers are being urged to be diligent in their stewardship efforts to protect midge tolerant wheat technology. “Resistance to corn rootworm technology is really a cautionary tale for Prairie… Read More
Three months after purchasing Lohmann SE, a German poultry health company, Elanco has announced plans to acquire yet another animal health company, but this time the added reach extends much farther than one livestock segment. Through a YouTube video shared via Tweet, Elanco’s president Jeff Simmons announced the $5.4 billion acquisition of Norvatis Animal Health,… Read More
This week in the Globe and Mail, there a feature piece on the niche dating site FarmersOnly.com. With 1 in 5 couples finding each other online, dating sites are in major growth mode. Farmers are no different than the rest of the world, it can be difficult to find that special someone in today’s hectic… Read More
The factors involved in weed management decisions vary greatly from farm to farm, so many herbicide research projects deal with variances in weather, soil and weed population presence. Products and even rates, for example, will often be catered to a specific soil zone. And, with the growing threat of herbicide resistance, it boils down to more… Read More
Do you remember those Jenga commercials as a kid? You know the ones with the jingle, “you take a block from the bottom and you put it on top!” Come on admit it, you played the game all the time as a kid back when there were no ipods or Playstations. Caterpillar has released video… Read More
Results from a seed test could shape several management decisions made at seeding — from fine-tuning the seeding rate to determining the viability of the seed lot for seed at all. Though damaged seeds and vigour issues can be assessed, arguably the biggest factor for consideration in seed test results is the type and level… Read More
Grains are seeing more premium priced in this week as the complex continues to deal with cold weather in North America and the political unrest in Eastern Europe. Due to depreciating currencies and affordable financing available, it’s expected that grain and oilseed acres and production in the Black Sea will decline significantly from last year…. Read More
Calling them the soybeans of Alberta isn’t being fair to soybeans, but faba beans are enjoying a similar surge in popularity, due in part to the crop’s ability to fix its own nitrogen and broaden farmers’ marketing options. Being a relatively new (or newly popular, depending on how you look at it) crop for many… Read More
CWB and Prairie West Terminal Ltd. (PWT) announced today that they have entered into an arrangement agreement whereby CWB (through a wholly-owned subsidiary) will acquire all of the issued and outstanding common shares of PWT, excluding shares owned by CWB and its affiliates (“PWT Shares”). The deal is worth just over $43 million, according to… Read More