Allyl isothiocyanate has been used in a variety of products for decades, and it’s not possible to patent the active ingredient.  |  File photo

Registration sought for mustard-based biopesticide

Allyl isothiocyanate has been used as pesticide for years, but company says new product more applicable to broad-acre crops


A Saskatchewan-based company uses the same burning sensation you get from a healthy heaping of wasabi or horseradish to fight crop diseases including clubroot and aphanomyces. All brassica species, including broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and mustard produce a chemical called allyl isothiocyanate that causes the burning sensation. The toxicity of allyl isothiocyanate is low, and […] Read more

The industry expects a small increase in hemp acres in Western Canada this year, despite the challenges facing the sector.  |  File photo

Hemp pulled in different directions

Western Canada is the country’s most important hemp production region, accounting for 60 percent of Canada’s 1,100 cultivation licences as of 2020, according to Health Canada. But while there are more products on store shelves, more cultivars than ever before and high prices for the crop, demand for hemp has been mixed. “I think the […] Read more

The Alberta government says hemp is part of an agri-food investment and growth strategy developed under its economic recovery plan.  |  File photo

Alta. sees hemp investment

Two companies will receive a maximum of $900,000 to transform Alberta’s hemp industry. “I really mean it when I say I think we really are witnessing the birth of a vertically integrated industrial hemp supercluster,” said David Saltman, chair and chief executive officer of Inca Renewtech. “And I think we can together really help this […] Read more



Growers planted 54,152 acres of hemp in fields last year and harvested 33,480 acres. The top states by area were Colorado, which seeded 10,100 acres and harvested 3,100 acres, and Montana, with 7,900 planted acres and 4,500 harvested acres. | File photo

U.S. hemp reaches $824M

CHICAGO, Ill. (Reuters) — Farmers in the United States produced US$824 million worth of industrial hemp in 2021, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said in a survey-based report last month. Some farmers looked at growing more hemp when commodity crop prices were low during a grain glut and a trade war with China, but prices […] Read more


The funding, which includes commitments from the federal and Saskatchewan governments, will support 55 crop-related agricultural research projects aimed at expanding the province's agriculture sector. | File photo

Governments fund Sask. ag research

Agricultural researchers will receive more than $9.1 million in government funding this year through Saskatchewan’s Agriculture Development Fund. David Marit, the province’s agriculture minister, made the announcement Jan. 11 during Saskatchewan’s Crop Production Week events in Saskatoon. The funding, which includes commitments from the federal and Saskatchewan governments, will support 55 crop-related agricultural research projects […] Read more

The bioeconomy is the industry that uses agricultural, forestry and fishery resources, along with waste, to make a range of products, including crushing canola to manufacture biodiesel and processing oats to make skin lotion. | REUTERS/ AJENG DINAR ULFIANA PHOTO

Bio-economy needs workers

Western Canadian companies that produce biofuel, make nutritional supplements or process hemp fibres into kitty litter have the same problem as hundreds of other businesses on the Prairies — a lack of workers. A Dec. 6 report from BioTalent Canada, a firm that studies the labour market in the bio-economy, says the industry will need […] Read more

Research that has been conducted in Manitoba since 2017 has compared varieties for both fibre and grain production. | File photo

Researchers improve understanding of hemp

The data that is being collected in Manitoba is intended to create a base line and help producers select the best varieties

The Canadian Hemp Trade Alliance hosted its annual conference online Nov. 16-18, where participants discussed the growing role of hemp. James Frey, a diversification specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, reported on research being carried out in Manitoba. “The research of all the crops including hemp is meant to provide base line data for hemp producers as […] Read more


Gord Penner, head agronomist of Kroeker Farms, hopes more information about his company’s potato fields will help it further boost production, stability and long-term viability. | Ed White photo

Drought helps farm measure water impact

Improving the Prairie: Research helps Man. potato farm compare conventional and organic effects on soil and water


Editor’s note: This story is part of an ongoing series that looks at how many farmers are attempting to preserve their soil while increasing profits. Farmers are always running real-world experiments. In crop production systems where a complex rotation, customized management, volatile prairie weather and changing technology are constantly challenging farmers, nobody is short on […] Read more

Inca Renewable Technologies Inc. is developing its hemp-based panelling aimed at the RV industry.
 | Screencap via incarenewtech.com

Hemp processor proposed for Alta.

Proponents of a new business venture want to use western Canadian hemp production to build more environmentally friendly panelling for a range of products. Inca Renewable Technologies Inc. is developing its hemp-based panelling aimed at the RV industry. David Saltman, Inca’s chief executive officer, said the company has secured a deal with Genesis Products, based […] Read more