The need to fund research is generally accepted by farmers, but spending by various commissions is under scrutiny
It’s annual general meeting season, and as usual, these meetings give growers a chance to scrutinize the priorities and spending habits of organizations that collect tens of millions of dollars annually through producer levies. Saskatchewan farmers now pay levies on almost every crop they grow. The amount farmers pay in producer levies has increased steadily […] Read moreBarley
Combine calibration made easy
Two companies offer remote controlled drop pans that allow growers to safely collect samples of material blown out the back of combines. Both products are powered by electromagnets that disengage at the push of a button. The pans then fall from their mounted position under the combine and collect a representative sample of how much […] Read more
Research aims to take guesswork out of pulse storage
Prairie pulse growers could be flushing millions of dollars down the toilet every year by “over-drying” peas and lentils. Joy Agnew, project manager with PAMI Agricultural Research Services in Humboldt, Sask., says the cost of over-drying pulse crops in the bin can be as high as 20 cents per bushel. Agnew is leading a two-year […] Read more
Weed pioneer pushed new ideas on resistance
Neil Harker retires from Agriculture Canada after 33 year career, which included a shift in focus to non-herbicide alternatives
When Neil Harker began his career in weed science, most of the conversations revolved around one topic: herbicides. Back then, in the 1980s, weed scientists studied what to spray and how to spray it but little else. “I kind of fell in line with everybody (in weed science) and just started looking at herbicide options,” […] Read moreAg Notes
FarmLead boosts APAS’s youth leadership program FarmLead has announced a charitable partnership with the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan’s youth leadership and mentorship program. The online grain marketplace founded by Brennan Turner will donate $25 to the program for every farmer who registers for a free FarmLead account using the APAS referral code. Turner, who […] Read more
Managing fields could soon move to plant level
CHICAGO, Ill. — One of the pioneers of the big data movement is ready to take the next step. “We want to go from field-level data to plant-level data,” said Keith Soltwedel, marketing manager with John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group. “I know we might all laugh today, but I think that’s coming, where we’re going […] Read more
Farm wi-fi connectivity opens new world of possibilities
A technology company based in the United Kingdom has developed a new product that monitors temperature and moisture levels in stored grain and sends wireless data to a smartphone, laptop or home computer. BeanIOT is a bean-sized remote sensing device that can monitor conditions in stored grain and warn the user of potential spoilage inside […] Read more
The discovery that could shake up the beer industry
Jaswinder Singh can hardly contain his excitement when talking about TLP8, a useful protein he discovered in barley. “It could revolutionize the brewing industry,” said the associate professor at McGill University’s plant science department. Maltsters despise beta-glucan, a key sugar found in barley. If it is not properly degraded during the malting and germination process […] Read more
Barley suffers ‘dramatic decline’
BANFF, Alta. — Better yielding and higher paying crops like canola, wheat, oats and durum have displaced barley. “Farmers are businessmen and they are going to grow crops that have the greatest rate of return. The return on barley is lower than other crops,” David Simbo, research manager for Alberta Barley, said during the commission’s […] Read more
Thriving cash market survives wheat board demise
This year felt like the year the prairie cash grain market came of age. As with all situations of life, growth and aging, this one contains elements that have flourished and prospered and those that have weakened and died. While marketing platforms, marketing advisers and price competition grew more transparent and robust, some post-Canadian Wheat […] Read more
