A three-year pilot project aimed at reducing plastic waste within Alberta agriculture will soon roll out. Alberta Agriculture and Forestry have approved $750,000 in funding for the Agricultural Plastics Recycling Group’s (APRG) pilot program to recycle grain bags and twine. “Making agriculture more efficient and environmentally sustainable is a win for everyone,” says Oneil Carlier, Minister of… Read More
Tag: Alberta Agriculture And Forestry
Alberta Pork has notified pork producers that a 400-head hog operation has tested positive for porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED) virus. According to a news release, this is the first-ever reported case of the deadly disease in Alberta. Once hogs come into contact with the disease, it causes severe diarrhea and vomiting in pigs, often fatally…. Read More
Individual and joint membership loans are being increased within Alberta’s Feeder Associations Guarantee program, the provincial government has announced. Producers will now be able to access $2 million versus the previous $1 million limit, under the guaranteed loan program. Announced changes also allow an increase in the amount member associations can receive in advance, based on… Read More
Some people are bean counters, but Scott Meers chose instead to be a bug counter. Now, let’s start off by saying that Meers, insect management specialist for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry, absolutely knows that not all insects are bugs. But when it comes to extension and making insect management accessible, Meers knows full well that… Read More
When a field is confirmed infected with clubroot, it’s recommended that producers implement (or continue) strict sanitation protocols, crop rotations, and the responsible use of Plasmodiophora brassicae-resistant canola varieties. There may be further options, however, like the use of fumigants traditionally used in horticulture. “The first fumigant I look at is Vapam, and the Vapam is… Read More
A group of four crop commissions in Alberta has launched an online farm sustainability readiness assessment tool today, in an effort to advance on-farm sustainability in the country. Through their new website, Team Alberta (made up of Alberta Barley, Alberta Canola, Alberta Pulse Growers and Alberta Wheat Commission) provides three self-assessment questionnaires, learning and action-planning… Read More
Although it’s been proven that high pH soil will not stop the spread of clubroot disease, liming has been used as a tool to curb the disease in other parts of the world. Early results from a research project underway in Alberta show raising the pH of acidic fields with lime could potentially aid in… Read More
If drought concerns, disease pressure, or low commodity prices have you scratching your head on crop rotation tweaks, Alberta farmers have access to two, free crop planning and profitability programs offered by the provincial agriculture department. The first program, Crop Choice$, allows farmers to input their own costs and yield expectations, and is also fully… Read More
Wet conditions in parts of Western Canada — especially in the central and northern areas of Alberta — meant some acres went unseeded this spring. Winter cereals are an option for farmers eager to get a crop growing in those unseeded fields (or in early harvested fields in more southern areas), but there are some… Read More
Update: The Canola Council of Canada has developed online calculators to determine your target plant density based on your individual field conditions, abilities and appetite for risk, as well as optimum seeding rate. You can find them at CanolaCalculator.ca. While the official industry recommendation for an optimal canola plant stand remains 7 to 10 plants per square… Read More