Prairie producers can safely store canola seed over the summer with minimal effort, provided it starts the season in the right condition, says a Saskatchewan researcher. The results of a summer-long canola storage study conducted this summer took Joy Agnew by surprise. “We got some great, interesting data, but it did not validate my hypothesis […] Read more
Stories by Dan Yates
New trade deal era sees countries playing favourites, says report
International trade isn’t as simple as it used to be, conclude the authors of a new paper, who say an aggressive trade agenda is paramount to Canadian competitiveness. Countries are increasingly competing for preferential access to markets, said David McInnes, president of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute and one of the authors of Leveraging Trade […] Read more
Uniform development important for straight combining canola
While research continues to show that farmers can successfully straight combine canola, less-than-ideal conditions may hinder growers this fall. A well-knit crop and even establishment are important factors when straight combining to reduce shattering losses, which can also increase with weed growth and disease. The Canola Council of Canada recommends swathing over direct harvesting in […] Read more
Exploding combine shocks Sask. farmers
James Zimmer was combine shopping earlier this week after his old one blew up. The fiery scene, which occurred in the Zimmer family’s farmyard near Major, Sask., on Sept. 6., destroyed the machine with flames and explosions hot enough to melt aluminum. “It was a close call.… The flames were probably 50 feet in the […] Read more
International collaboration to sequence canola genome will benefit variety development
Western Canada’s king cash crop is the latest plant to have its genome sequenced. An international team of researchers recently published the canola genome in the journal Science. “We’ve had access to the sequence for about a year and a half, and it’s already being used by some of the seed companies in their work,” […] Read more
Canadian science adds to cattle genome database
Improving genetics | International collaborators sharing information
Canada plays a major role in the international effort to catalogue and share the DNA sequences of cattle, says a researcher. A database of 234 dairy cattle genomes was recently used to identify genetic mutations that hamper dairy production. Similar collaborations are ongoing in the beef sector. A recently published paper highlighted the effort. The […] Read more
Goats chew their way through chores
Tansy control | Goats devour invasive weeds to allow grass to grow in cattle pastures
Lynn Colyn spent more than a week last month living in a pasture alongside her goat herd — and she says she’d do it again. For the commercial goat producer, it was an extreme form of intensive management she regularly employs on her ranch near Naicam, Sask. Colyn manages 200 meat and dairy animals, regularly […] Read more
Producers could have new grazing tool
Grazing response index | The index was designed for native pasture in the U.S., but Canadian researchers take it for a spin
Officials are confident that an American pasture health assessment tool can assist prairie ranchers in Canada. However, the grazing response index created by Colorado State University researchers has never been tested in tame pastures, such as those commonly found in eastern Saskatchewan. “In the parkland (region) we don’t have a lot of native pasture left,” […] Read more
Details on mustard lines needed for PBR application
The Canadian mustard industry is getting ready for a big change. Officials are carefully monitoring plots at trial sites in Saskatchewan and recording details about unreleased condiment mustard varieties for their plant breeders’ rights application. “We have to show at least a couple differences between each line to get plant breeders’ rights for that particular […] Read more
Experts explore options for new weed controls
Mustard growers shouldn’t expect a silver bullet to help them fight weeds, says a weed biologist. However, ongoing work should provide new additions to a limited list of registered herbicides for the crop. “There are fairly limited options because the companies really don’t try to develop a product for a small crop like mustard. Even […] Read more
