While most canola producers in western Canada are still keeping an eye out for wireworms and cutworms, there are more reasons to scout on the horizon. Those reasons? Cabbage seedpod weevils and lygus bugs. For each species, there are a series of factors that might influence the susceptibility of a given canola crop to infestation…. Read more »
Tag: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Satellites Helping Understand and Predict What Happens in the Field
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 »
Lower Loonie Supports Record Canadian Farm Income in 2015, Slight Drop Coming in 2016: AAFC
Canadian farm income hit a record high in 2015, and is expected to drop slightly in 2016, according to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The impact of a weaker Canadian dollar supporting domestic prices is evident throughout the department’s 2016 Canadian Agricultural Outlook, which was published on Friday. Here are some highlights: Net cash income on Canadian farms is estimated to… Read more »
Canola School: Thinking Differently About Stand Establishment
7 to 10 plants per square foot is still the target plant population when seeding canola. That hasn’t changed, but some of the practices used and the way we think about achieving an ideal plant stand might need to be re-evaluated. For example, research has shown that stand establishment is generally higher with a lower seeding speed, so… Read more »
Wheat School – Spotting Herbicide Resistant Wild Oats
Herbicide resistant wild oats are pretty easy to identify, says Neil Harker, a research scientist in weed ecology and crop management at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s Lacombe Research Centre. “You generally see them in patches. If you see [wild oats] in real straight lines, then you suspect a sprayer error, but if you just see them in… Read more »
Over $1.8M Announced for Western Canada Sunflower Varietal Development
Fairfax, Manitoba – An over $1.8M contribution to the non-profit National Sunflower Association of Canada (NSAC) was announced today, by Member of Parliament Larry Maguire (Brandon-Souris), on behalf of Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz and the Honourable Ron Kostyshyn, Manitoba Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development. The funding will support the development of new seed varieties and boost sunflower acreage… Read more »
Canola School: Post-Harvest Spraying and Mitigating the Risk of Carryover
Post-harvest spray applications are an effective way to deal with hard-to-control perennial and winter annual weeds like Canadian thistle, foxtail barley and dandelion. But, whether you’re dealing with frost, labour shortages or incredibly dry conditions, spraying in the fall can be a challenge. A dry fall can not only limit the active growth of weeds,… Read more »
Winter Wheat: Pre-Plant Considerations
The benefits of growing winter wheat are vast. In addition to providing an efficient use of both early and late-season moisture, winter wheat also creates habitat for upland birds, decreases soil erosion, reduces the need for pesticides (and also the selection pressure for herbicide-resistance in weed populations) and increases the diversity of a crop rotation. Still,… Read more »
Flax & Swine: Bringing Home the Omega-3 Bacon
There’s no denying the flax market tanked following the discovery of CDC Triffid in exports to Europe in 2009. The Flax Council of Canada set out a testing protocol for Triffid, but many farmers balked at the idea of sowing flax seed again. It’s been four years now —will we see a gradual shift back… Read more »
What’s the Most Cost Effective Way to Control Wild Oats?
According to Neil Harker, research assistant with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, wild oat management through herbicide application costs western Canadian producers around $500 million annually. Herbicide resistance in many weed biotypes is cropping up — resistance within wild oat populations has been nagging at farmers’ fields for years and is spreading. How can we combat… Read more »
Sask. Ag Minister Weighs in on the Canadian Wheat Alliance
The Canadian Wheat Alliance was announced on May 16 and will provide $97M worth of funding over five years for wheat research. The effort will combine expertise from each of: the National Research Council, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the province of Saskatchewan and the University of Saskatchewan. “Wheat research has lagged a bit,” says Lyle… Read more »
Q & A: More on the Three Growing Forward 2 “Agri” Programs
Last week, the federal government announced three new Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada-based programs under the Growing Forward 2 banner — AgriInnovation, AgriMarketing and AgriCompetitiveness. While the press release outlines some details about the programs, the supplied information was a little light. RealAgriculture.com asked AAFC for further details. Below is the Q and A exchange (unedited)…. Read more »