Bill Strautman

MOOSE JAW – One high clearance sprayer can use a lot of water in a day. Add a second sprayer and it can be a challenge to get enough water to the field to keep them going. When the Babich family expanded their acreage a few years ago, they bought two 1,200-gallon high clearance sprayers […] Read more

REGINA Ñ The 80 foot Seed Master air drill attracted a lot of attention at this yearÕs Farm Progress Show. As possibly the largest direct seeding drill available commercially for sale in North America, the size means it comes with some unique design concerns. Norbert Beaujot, president of Straw Track in Regina, said such a […] Read more

PERDUE and KINDERSLEY, Sask. – With concerns about high nitrogen fertilizer prices, low commodity prices and early season moisture conditions, some producers have been trying to hedge their input risk. They have been applying only a basic fertility program, then topping up their fertilizer when the crop is up if moisture conditions improve. Research by […] Read more

When it comes time to scout fields for disease, insects or other pest concerns, Ron Howard recommends developing a scouting kit to take into the field. Howard is a plant pathologist with Alberta Agriculture in Brooks and part of his presentation at the recent Crop Diagnostic Field School organized by the Southern Alberta Research Association […] Read more

REGINA – Piles of grain on the ground are becoming a more common sight across Western Canada. In years where crop yields are high and bin space is tight, wheat, barley and oats often end up on the ground, to be picked up through the winter or next spring. Getting that grain off the ground […] Read more

REGINA – For farmers concerned about plugged seed hoses and seeding rates, Agtron Enterprises from Saskatoon has recently introduced a stainless steel population and blockage sensor. “This represents the state of the art in this technology,” said Bill Baker, president of Agtron, during the product launch at last week’s Farm Progress Show in Regina. “Each […] Read more

An old product has a new registration in the weed control industry. LI700 was first introduced to the Canadian market as a penetrating surfactant and a pH reducer. Recently, the Pest Management Regulatory Agency has approved LI700 as a deposition aid and drift reduction agent for use with glyphosate in Canada. With advances in herbicide […] Read more

If this year’s wheat crop develops an orange tinge, farmers could be dealing with a stripe rust infection. Kelly Turkington, a plant pathologist with Agriculture Canada in Lacombe, Alta., said stripe rust is a concern in Western Canada. “It seems to be increasing in incidence and severity over the last five to 10 years,” Turkington […] Read more

As stripe rust advances across the Canadian prairies, researchers report it can drastically affect cereals by causing defoliation and shriveled kernels. Stripe rust, or yellow rust, is primarily a disease of cool climates and has been found in southern Alberta and British Columbia for years. Recently, it has increased in central Alberta in wheat, barley […] Read more

RED DEER – Aerial application technology has advanced rapidly in the past 15 years. “Aircraft GPS systems can have fairly sophisticated LCD screens and with current light bars, (spray planes) can fly within a couple of feet of their swath,” Agriculture Canada scientist Tom Wolf said during an agronomy update conference this winter in Red […] Read more