Alberta farmers who want to receive a cash advance on their crops or livestock through the federal Advance Payments Program (APP) will soon have the option of applying through the Alberta Wheat Commission (AWC). The AWC announced this week that it will serve as an APP administrator beginning Sept. 1. Alberta growers who wish to […] Read more
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Synthetic DNA may stimulate chicks’ immune systems
The Canadian poultry industry could soon have a new and improved way to protect newly hatched chicks from potentially deadly diseases, thanks to the work of researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. Doctoral student Kalhari Goonewardene and her academic adviser, Susantha Gomis, at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine have been working on a project […] Read more
Fresh water management remains major food issue
Scientists gather for the International Commission of Irrigation and Drainage conference to talk about water
Water experts from around the world are gathered in Saskatoon this week to discuss one of humanity’s most pressing long-term issues: how to manage the planet’s dwindling fresh water supplies more wisely. “In Canada, our water … is at risk,” said University of Saskatchewan water expert John Pomeroy, who addressed delegates attending the International Conference […] Read moreSask. crop insurance examines intercropping
Intercropping, a practice where two or more crop types are grown on the same farmland simultaneously, is becoming more popular in Saskatchewan. So popular that the Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. (SCIC) is stepping up efforts to gather more intercropping data so yield potential, producer returns and production risks can be assessed more precisely. SCIC officials say […] Read more
CN releases grain plan for 2018-19
Canada’s largest railway company says it’s confident it will be able to move Western Canada’s 2018-19 grain crop in a timely fashion, despite surging demand from Canada’s crude oil shippers. “We are focused on getting it right for farmers and our grain customers, regaining the confidence of Canadian business and enhancing Canada’s reputation as a […] Read more
Wild parsnip: not your garden variety weed
This weed is not worth messing with because its sap can cause festering blisters capable of leaving permanent scars
There’s a nasty weed on the loose in Saskatchewan. And if you come across it, your best course of action is to steer clear and call the authorities. Wild parsnip has been around since at least the 1920s, but lately it’s been showing up in more locations across the province. If you stumble upon the […] Read more
Intercropping canola and peas shows increased net returns
Saskatchewan farmer Sheldon Dowling describes his first experience with intercropping as interesting. In fact, the results from his pea-canola experiment in 2017 were so interesting that he decided to try it again this year. “Interesting is the key word,” said Dowling, who farms near MacDowall, Sask., near Prince Albert. “It’s pretty counter-intuitive to apply no […] Read more
Farm groups balk at CGC’s plan to spend surplus
The Western Canadian Wheat Growers Association wants the surplus returned to farmers, calling it an illegal tax
The Canadian Grain Commission has come up with a plan on how to manage a $130 million surplus accumulated through the collection of excessive user fees from the Canadian grain industry. However, the CGC plan has fallen flat with some western Canadian agriculture groups, including one outraged organization that says the commission surplus is equivalent […] Read moreShorter clubroot rotation OK: Sask.
Saskatchewan Agriculture continues to recommend that the province’s canola growers follow a one-in-four-year rotation. However, the province and other industry groups say a one-in-three-year canola rotation is acceptable in cases where visible clubroot symptoms are evident. On the surface, that might seem like the province is preaching one thing and practicing another. However, officials from […] Read more
Sask. to demand clubroot plans
The province shares details of the management plans it will require when surveys find the disease on farmland
First-year results from Saskatchewan’s new and expanded clubroot survey should be available in early 2019, giving the province’s canola growers a more complete view of where the disease is and where it’s most likely to show up in the future. Errin Willenborg, research manager with the Saskatchewan Canola Development Commission (SaskCanola), told growers at a […] Read more
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