Researchers suggests producers could split fertilizer applications if weather is excessively wet before the growing season
Given the soaring cost of nitrogen fertilizer, farmers want to make informed decisions on application rates to maximize yields. Researchers at the University of Illinois recently examined the role of the pre-growing seasonal weather in relation to nitrogen. “When farmers plant corn in spring they already know what happened (with the weather) during the pre-growing […] Read moreStories by Freelance writer
Research explores personality traits in dairy cows
Cows’ personalities will define how they behave, such as those that are confident enough to explore their pasture for food
Most farmers working daily with dairy or beef herds recognize personality traits in individual animals. That knowledge is helpful for herd management and it is also a key indicator linked to productivity, health and the welfare of those vulnerable to stress and at greater risk to sickness. Recognizing the importance of personality profiles, researchers at […] Read more
Producers can take steps to protect their wool quality
“Blue paint is the worst,” says Lisa Surber from the front of a makeshift classroom. She’s pointing at a slide where a smudge of white fleece is smeared with the remains of blue marking paint, now greenish after a prolonged wash. “The packaging may say it’s scourable but the second you cut that paint or […] Read more
Antique tractor lovers put machines through their paces
Volunteers donate hours of their time to help show what these old implements can do at a recent vintage machinery show in Alberta
LACOMBE, Alta. — Peter Ewaskow and William Mitchell lean against an old Caterpillar 60 tractor. The 1930s-era machine had been running earlier but ran out of fuel and the pair were letting it cool down so it would be easier to restart. Starting the machine is an art and a science. A metal rod is […] Read more
Bat poop research gets to the bottom of pesticide residue
Alberta researchers look for information about how insecticides may be affecting bats by poking into what remains from their diets
The Alberta Community Bat Program is looking for bat homes near crops to test the bat poop for insects and lingering pesticide found in the guano. “The insecticide project ties in well with our bat-friendly farms initiative, which aims to promote bat stewardship on farms and improve practices for how bats are managed in these […] Read more
Rural residents fight to protect their pine trees
Landowners in western Alberta put no-vacancy signs on their pines in hopes of keeping mountain pine beetles at bay
WETASKIWIN, Alta. — Just down the road from Rocky Cartier’s Road Apple Ranch are dead, red pine trees in fields, along roads and in shelterbelts. A few years earlier the mountain pine beetles flew into the area and the trees slowly died. With the help of a small, white package of pheromone stapled to the […] Read more
Direct marketing can pay off
Phil Veldhuis asks his students in the University of Manitoba’s agriculture diploma program to think about ways to add value to a farm through direct sales. “It’s a bit of a passion of mine to see farms diversify,” said Veldhuis, who is also a beekeeper near Starbuck, Man. “A new enterprise is a good way […] Read more
Achievements went on, recognition returns
4-H members’ activities continued despite COVID-19, and achievement days went virtual, but normal is back
BASHAW, Alta. — After two years of 4-H achievement days modified by COVID-19, the Camrose District’s Interclub Show and Sale is “back to normal,” said beef committee member Christy Van De Voorde. “It feels great,” said Van De Voorde, leader of the Bashaw 4-H Beef Club and mother of members at the show. “The kids […] Read more
Research shows a bacterial feeding frenzy in corn crops
Bacteria force plants to produce a feast of nutrients that support pathogens before they kill corn cells
Corn crops face a variety of bacterial threats but one species of bacteria, Pantoea stewartii, which causes Stewart’s wilt, takes that threat further than most. In a gorging frenzy, they feed themselves by forcing the plant to produce a feast of nutrients that keep the pathogens alive before they kill the corn cells. In addition, […] Read more
Massey Ferguson reaches millionth tractor milestone at Beauvais
As Massey Ferguson celebrates its 175th anniversary, the AGCO brand has reached another milestone by producing its one millionth tractor at its Beauvais plant in France. Massey Ferguson tractors have been produced at Beauvais since November 20, 1960. Speaking at a special event to mark the occasion Thierry Lhotte, president of AGCO in France, said […] Read more
