Farmers must be heard by those developing climate change goals and plans, leaders of several farm organizations told COP26 last week. Speaking during the first week of the United Nations’ climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland, Minette Batters, president of the United Kingdom and Wales National Farmers Union, said farmers’ voices have largely been kept […] Read more
Irrigation
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
Coal policy review wraps up in Alberta amid criticism
A public engagement process that gathered input about a new coal policy for the province didn’t go far enough, says an environmental advocate. The review by the Coal Policy Committee will affect the future of the Eastern Slopes of the Rocky Mountains, said Ian Urquhart, executive director of the Alberta Wilderness Association. The region contains […] Read more
Alta. irrigation districts say system passed drought test
Increased efficiencies meant districts didn’t draw their full licensed allocation despite the need for extra water due to heat and dry weather
It’s been a tough year for farmers but leaders in two of Alberta’s largest irrigation districts say they were able to meet demand and continue to do more with less water. “I think the kind of heat we had for the last two weeks of June is something that — speaking with a lot of […] Read more
Lake Diefenbaker water levels drop this year
Projected daily outflows are above the minimum that is required but well below the historical median outflow for August
Outflows from Lake Diefenbaker — southern Saskatchewan’s largest and most important surface water reservoir — will remain at levels well below normal as the province copes with extremely dry conditions and low run-off levels. However, officials with Saskatchewan’s Water Security Agency (WSA) say water levels at Lake Diefenbaker are within the normal operating range and […] Read more
Farmers move to their own or local data for decisions
United States agricultural retailers doubled their use of pooled data since 2017, according to the precision dealer survey recently published by Purdue University. “For instance, with nitrogen back in 2017 about 40 percent of dealers said that there was some influence or major influence on a nitrogen decision. In 2021, 86 percent of dealers said […] Read more
Tour highlights importance of irrigation to southern Alta.
Two Canadian senators learned the importance of southern Alberta’s irrigation system Aug. 12 when they toured a portion of it in the company of various municipal officials. Doug Black from Alberta and Rob Black from Ontario flew in that day over fields greened by irrigation and fields browned by ongoing drought conditions where irrigation is […] Read more
Potato acreage continues prairie expansion
Alberta and Manitoba producers now grow more potatoes than those in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick
There was a time when Prince Edward Island was king of potato production in Canada. But that reign is likely over as acres and production continue to expand in Western Canada. Acreage is up 10 percent in Manitoba and 13 percent in Alberta, compared to 2020. The two prairie provinces now have more acres than […] Read more
Irrigation pivots work overtime this summer
Most irrigators have had adequate access to water during the drought, and many say their crops remain in good shape
Pivots have run nearly non-stop this summer on the portion of Anthony Eliason’s farm near Outlook, Sask., that is irrigated. About a quarter of Golden Dee Farms, or 1,250 acres, is irrigated and typically canola, dry beans, flax, fababeans and wheat are planted on that land. This year, Eliason said he seeded higher value crops […] Read more
UAE plans agricultural smart city
The United Arab Emirates is building a new smart city focused on agriculture and food production for its desert climate. Food Tech Valley will be “an integrated modern city that develops alternative proteins, creates drought-resistant crops, and uses 3D technology and robots to help sustain food production, create super foods and provide answers to global […] Read more
