As Canada continues to develop a new seed royalty structure, researchers have been comparing models in other countries to better understand the financial implications to farmers, the effectiveness and ease-of-use of the options, and the eventual impact of changes on plant breeding programs. Richard Gray, professor and Canadian Grain Policy Chair at the University of… Read More
RealAg Radio is back for another week and host Shaun Haney has a great line up for agronomic Monday. Guests for today’s show include: Jessika Guse with the top ag news stories of the day; Aaron Stevanus, of Pride Seeds, speaks with Haney about his perspective on a good start to spring; Steve Shirtliffe, researcher… Read More
A new and timely research network being established this spring will provide the nation’s cow-calf industry with benchmark data to help with planning and management. The Canadian Cow-Calf Surveillance Network is described as “a network of herds across the country that reflects the industry.” The network will involve 175 producers across Canada and a dozen… Read More
Mapping the wheat genome has been a major goal of scientists for decades. Getting it sequenced was a major accomplishment, but it wasn’t the end of the journey – it was, in reality, only opening the door so the journey could begin. Curtis Pozniak, professor at the University of Saskatchewan and plant breeder with the… Read More
It’s the dead of winter — do you know what your cattle’s rumen is up to? Chances are, cattle are wintering mainly on dry hay, with maybe some added straw to stretch hay supplies. When it comes to winter grazing and feeding, it’s important to take rumen pH levels and the impact a low pH… Read More
This month, the University of Saskatchewan awarded more than $8 million towards research projects. Large amounts to the tune of $200K, even $375K surely grabbed most peoples attention, but my eyes shifted more towards Jacqueline Toews’s research. Toews has been awarded $17,500 in scholarship money to continue her research on the efficacy of grazing cattle on… Read More
There was a tremendous amount of relief, and some consternation, when the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) was finally struck. Cleary, many industries are simply happy that things did not get worse. The dairy industry, though, feels that things did get worse for them. Dr. Richard Barichello, professor, food and resource economics at the University… Read More
This week marks the official opening of theLivestock and Forage Centre of Excellence (LFCE), located southeast of Saskatoon. Leadership of the LFCE say that this isn’t just a world-class facility, but it is designed to be world-leading in forage and beef production research. RealAgriculture’s Dale Leftwich attended the grand opening of the LFCE and met… Read More
A professor from the University of Saskatchewan and his Master’s student are causing quite a stir ‘Down Under’ due to some startling revelations contained in a paper published by the two earlier this year. The paper explores the economic and environmental consequences of a moratorium that effectively banned all use of genetically modified (GM) canola… Read More
At one time, there was a thought that wild pigs could be part of a livestock diversification strategy for Saskatchewan farmers and ranchers. After several farmers gave it a try in the early 90s, fences were cut loose and a new pest problem began within the province. There is still debate over the severity of… Read More
Producer groups from both eastern and western Canada are partnering on a research project with the University of Saskatchewan looking to provide information to consumers on consumption of foods made from both whole and enriched non-whole grains. Led by Hassan Vatanparast of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Pharmacy and Nutrition and School of Public Health,… Read More
Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are finding promise in using pre-treated barley straw as an adsorptive material for certain types of antibiotics. The barley straw was subjected to chemical impregnation (phosphoric acid) and microwave heating. Using the Canadian Light Source, the researchers were able to study how the pre-treated barley straw reacted to exposure… Read More
The U.S. anti-GMO activist organization that has targeted several dozen scientists and academics who have published research on the benefits of genetic engineering has set its sights on another researcher at the University of Saskatchewan. On May 18th, the school received a legal request from U.S. Right to Know (USRTK) to review emails sent by Dr. Stuart Smyth… Read More
Livestock and poultry veterinarians involved with extra-label use of drugs for food animals now have an improved – and vitally important – e-resource available to them. Directors of the web-based Canadian food animal residue avoidance databank (which goes by the acronym CgFARAD) have unveiled a new user-friendly and effective database and website for licensed veterinarians… Read More
Heifers are the keystone to improving your herd in the long-term. Carefully selected heifers result in a more productive cow herd, but you’ve got to have clearly defined goals and selection criteria to get there. In this Beef School episode, Dr. John McKinnon, professor with the University of Saskatchewan and Saskatchewan Beef Industry Chair, outlines… Read More