African swine fever is a highly contagious hemorrhagic viral disease in pigs with a mortality that can reach 100 percent on a farm and can spread rapidly. Infected pigs may not show symptoms before they die, making transmission even more dangerous and costly. Symptoms include fever, diarrhea, vomiting, blotchy skin, loss of appetite, weakness, coughing […] Read more
Stories by Freelance writer
Ranchers wary of scant feed supply
Prairie cattle producers are nervous heading into winter as grain harvest continues. Kyle Hebert, District 1 director for the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association and owner of Hebert Livestock Ventures, does custom silage work in the southeast corner of the province. He’s seen tonnage between three and nine tonnes per acre for barley silage this year. “We […] Read more
Senior horses may one day require end-of-life decision
Living conditions for retired horses vary widely and can be inhumane but they still need appropriate care
SASKATOON — At more than 20 years old, senior horses come with joys and challenges. Senior horses in good health can still be ridden, keep younger horses company and be used in lessons or therapeutic riding programs. Dr. Valentina Ragno, an internal medicine specialist at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, said owners of senior […] Read more
Harvest conditions favourable in most regions
Precipitation has impacted some regions and crops including malt barley that has experienced some chitting
Some Prairie grain producers had to deal with rain last week, but managed to make hay when the sun did shine. Areas in southeastern Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba received the most moisture, with more than 40 millimetres in the Corning, Sask., area and more than 21-24 mm in Glenboro and Arborg areas of Manitoba. Mitchell […] Read more
Farmers can select for methane-efficient cows
World-first approach could reduce a herd’s methane emissions by 20-30 per cent by 2050, help meet industry’s GHG goals
A world-leading approach to creating a methane-specific breeding index has been developed by Lactanet. Not content to wait until “sniffer” technology for measuring bovine methane emissions eventually becomes more affordable, the Canadian dairy data collection and genetics analysis organization developed the index based on milk samples. “Canada will be the first country globally to offer […] Read more
Owning young horses can be challenging
Weanlings, yearlings and two-year-olds require attention, protection and quality hay for long-term health
Canadian horse breeding ramped up during the pandemic when demand for horses increased. Now there are a lot of yearlings and two-year-olds around. Weanlings, yearlings and two-year-olds are curious, feisty and accident-prone. These young horses are particularly at risk for lacerations, eye injuries and becoming tangled in fencing. Dr. Nora Huaman Chavarria is a clinical […] Read more
Gene discovered that controls ‘weeping’ growth in apple
Incorporating weeping properties would be an additional economical and labour-saving advantage for apple growers
The practice of tying down apple tree branches to improve productivity has been done for more than a century. How the practice works has not been fully understood, however studies have shown that bending the branches helps the trees provide more nutrients and carbon toward flowering and fruiting rather than toward leaf and branch growth. […] Read more
Displaced Ukrainians find jobs in agriculture
New Canadians from the Ukraine are often educated and eager to work but find it difficult to navigate language barriers
Many Ukrainian newcomers have arrived at Regina International Airport over the last year and half clutching onto bags packed with the only belongings they have left from their former homes. The Russian invasion carries on in Ukraine, while these select few, after having passed multiple health exams and other legal hurdles, have made it to […] Read more
Study examines how competing microbes access plants
Bacteria that demonstrate positive effects on plants in the lab often can’t compete in field conditions
The goal is to find a strain, or several strains, of bacteria that offer maximum benefit to the host crop and can successfully compete against local bacterial strains already in the soil.
Forage tests inform harvest strategy
A recent webinar by Lactanet’s expert in forage production and nutrition offered tips on how to interpret analyses of ensiled forage. Jean-Philippe Laroche asked participants to have copies of analyses for grass or legume silage so he could relate “what your forage analyses have to tell you and provide solutions” to address shortfalls or problems. […] Read more
