The Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC) passed a resolution to pursue a farmer plebiscite to amalgamate with Alberta Barley at their annual general meeting (AGM) January 26. Alberta Barley passed a similar resolution during their AGM in Banff last month, giving the two commissions the ability to conduct a farmer plebiscite on the future of the… Read More
Tag: Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions
You’re out in a piece of new machinery and something in the computer system breaks down. Are you equipped to fix it? Do you have the right to repair it? Geoff Backman, manager of business development and markets at the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, says farmers’ frustrations continue to grow as they don’t have… Read More
As farmers continue to look for answers to questions they are faced with on their farm, the need for on-farm research programs continues. One of these on-farm research programs is the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions Plot2Farm program. Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension specialist with Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions, was at the Prairie Cereals… Read More
Wheat stem sawfly is thought to be native to parts of the southern Prairie provinces, and forecasting maps show that the pest is certainly present this year. “This is the time of the year where we’re starting to see some of those wheat stems topple over from wheat stem sawfly,” says Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research… Read More
There’s no doubt that the heat forecasted for this week will have adverse effects on crops throughout the Prairies, but the full extent of how badly crops are injured will depend largely on soil moisture reserves. “Things are not looking too good heading into this week,” said Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy extension specialist with Alberta Wheat… Read More
Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are used to control or modify plant growth processes. In the case of wheat and barley, PGRs are used to influence the hormones responsible for cell elongation, which results in a crop with thicker, shorter stems. “Right now there are two plant growth regulators available for wheat in Western Canada,” says… Read More
Much of the Prairies has experienced freezing temperatures over the last few days, with a risk of frost not yet out of the forecast. This has growers concerned about cereal tolerance to frost, as well as when and if a pre-emergent application can still happen. Wheat and barley are typically more resilient to cold temperatures… Read More
Face-to-face interaction is even more rare than usual these days. Having the time or ability to schedule an agronomist to come to your field can be tricky, but that doesn’t stop issues from popping up in your field, however. Agronomists can assist us from afar, though, with the help of the little cameras in our… Read More
Early season scouting is underway for some winter wheat crops, plus early emerged wheat and barley. That early scouting brings up questions like what happens to wheat or barley if it gets nipped by frost? What insects are a concern for this growing season? Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy extension specialist with Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions,… Read More
A proper seeding rate can determine the success of an entire season, and even though thinking through seeding rates may seem boring, the effects of too low of a seeding rate compound. It’s not too late to send a sample away to get all the numbers needed to calculate an optimal seeding rate. According to… Read More