May is likely to throw a little bit of everything at prairie farmers trying to get the 2020 crop in the ground, say weather experts. “A little bit of rain, some sunshine, some more cold weather,” said Drew Lerner of World Weather Inc. “It’s going to be kind of just a general mix of weather […] Read more
Flax
Spring-harvested canola program suspended
Grain commission temporarily suspends a research project examining crop quality due to COVID-19 safety concerns
Concerns over employee safety during the COVID-19 pandemic have prompted the Canadian Grain Commission to temporarily suspend a research project examining the quality of spring-harvested canola. The CGC’s spring-harvested oilseed program has been “suspended because of our decision to only have critical services provided during the pandemic,” CGC spokesperson Remi Gosselin confirmed earlier this month. […] Read more
Farmers mentally prepare for hectic six weeks
Many producers will have to deal with unharvested crops before applying fertilizer and seeding new crops this spring
Roberta Galbraith has a long to-do list this spring. The first item on the list is dealing with a section of unharvested crops on her 4,800-acre grain farm near Minnedosa, Man. Galbraith and her husband, Neil, were unable to harvest 650 acres last fall, mostly wheat, because snow fell in early October and flattened the […] Read more
There’s room for optimism as demand for crops grows
Agriculture might be the right business after all, at least for now. Three months ago, farmers planning the coming season found projected costs were higher than expected returns among most crop choices. Many growers were also concerned about financing a big crop and some still had harvest to complete. The outlook wasn’t that rosy in […] Read more
Is gene editing being properly used?
It would be inaccurate to say that plant breeders in Canada are a dime a dozen. A rough estimate places the number of professional plant breeders in Canada at 500. Given the recent innovations, we thought it would be informative to survey this select group about their technology perspectives and uses. As a result, we […] Read more
Apply last fall’s missed nitrogen this spring
It’s not too late to apply last fall’s N this month, if you missed your regular 2019 window there are spring solutions available
According to the Agriculture Canada precipitation map, large areas of all three prairie provinces received 115 to more than 200 percent of normal rainfall in September and October last fall. Created on Nov. 1, the map was prepared in conjunction with Natural Resources Canada, Environment Canada and provincial and private agencies. It tells farmers what […] Read more
Testing for mycotoxins just got faster
A new process developed by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan will significantly reduce the amount of time required to detect harmful mycotoxins in grain, including deoxynivalenol or DON. The process, developed by U of S researchers Lipu Wang and Randy Kutcher, involves a simplified one-step mycotoxin extraction process that uses the chemical solvent acetonitrile. […] Read more
Organic growers now talking about yield
Crop yields depend upon a long list of factors. Producers control some of those factors and Mother Nature controls the rest. For years, organic farmers in Western Canada didn’t worry a whole lot about yield and the agronomics within their control. But that low-key, low-input approach is fading away. “I’m really happy that we’ve got […] Read more
Organic producers looking at slim profits
This year could be one of slim profits for organic producers. Over the last several months, organic grain prices have dropped and data from Manitoba Agriculture suggests that organic farmers could lose money on certain crops. Farmers that produce decent yields will still make a profit. But farmers with sub-par yields could struggle this year. […] Read more
Sask. researcher sees intercropping on the rise
Three of last year’s top crop combinations were canola and peas, peas and oats (for silage), and flax and chickpeas
An old farming practice is winning new adherents across the Prairies. Intercropping — the growing of two or more types of plants in the same row or field, such as peas and canola — is catching on as good yields and lower production costs improve the bottom line. Crop specialists say healthier soils are another […] Read more
