Pathologists say more rainfall has led to more disease pressure, and producers should consider multiple modes of action
Glacier FarmMedia – Spring rain and cool conditions reawakened concerns about cereal leaf infections, say plant pathologists in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Variable rains in May and June in Manitoba, particularly in its central region, may have encouraged crop diseases, said David Kaminski, a field crop pathologist with Manitoba Agriculture. Some growers got enough rain to […] Read more
Jeff Melchior
Stories by Jeff Melchior
Leaf diseases dry up in Alta.
Glacier FarmMedia – A July heat wave in Alberta may have minimized crop damage from cereal leaf diseases. Variable precipitation this spring had pathologists and producers braced to handle the leaf spot complex of diseases but that may not be necessary, says a prominent plant pathologist. “With the weather that we’ve had over the last […] Read more
Seed growers prove new varieties
By the time a new variety becomes available to farmers, it’s been through up to 10 years of trials and the registration system for three years
LANGHAM, Sask. — It’s become commonplace to buy things that aren’t complete right out of the box. There’s probably no better example of this than the software industry, where products are often released to customers and released again when the “bugs” have been removed. Todd Hyra can’t speak for the entire grain industry, but as […] Read more
Herbicide resistance flirts with crisis mode
Integrated weed management includes many approaches that take the pressure off of commonly used herbicides
They’re big numbers underscoring a big problem. In Saskatchewan, over 15 million acres of weed patches are resistant to Groups 1 and 2 herbicides. Of 31 known herbicide sites of action, 21 have confirmed resistance to a weed species. And, with 56 confirmed cases, Canada is third in the world for herbicide-resistant weeds. These are […] Read more
Beef sector has plans for recent federal funding
Indo-Pacific, Middle East regions are identified as priorities for $6 million in new marketing and beef promotion money
Glacier FarmMedia – Canada Beef and the Canadian Cattle Association have plans for the recently announced boost to marketing budgets, meant to promote Canadian beef around the globe. In early July, federal agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay announced more than $6 million for the two industry organizations under the AgriMarketing Program, an initiative of the Sustainable […] Read more
Seed growers offer proof that new varieties will work, says SeCan manager
Many of us have become used to buying things that aren’t complete right out of the box. There’s probably no better example of this than the software industry, where products are often released to customers and released again when the “bugs” are out. Todd Hyra can’t speak for the entire grain industry, but as far […] Read more
Corn stover studied for pregnant cows
Farmers must balance waste-not, want-not approach with proper prep and take specific steps before and while grazing
Glacier FarmMedia – Corn stover isn’t a common feed source in Western Canada, but a study suggests there’s potential for cattle if it’s managed correctly. In the study, bred cows were fed high-moisture corn residue or stover in an extended winter grazing system. “In drought years, corn stover can be less expensive to feed than […] Read more
From AIM: Sawfly and midge-resistant wheat named AAC Oakman VB
Glacier FarmMedia – A new solid stem spring wheat variety featuring both wheat stem sawfly and midge tolerance now has a name: AAC Oakman VB. The variety, which is in its first year of seed grower increase and marked for a 2026 release, is a surprise even to its future seed supplier. This is because […] Read more
Feds announce $6 million beef marketing boost
The Canadian beef industry is getting a more than $6-million national boost from the federal government promote Canadian beef abroad. “Canadian beef has earned a top spot on the world stage because of the commitment to quality and sustainability that our producers hold themselves to,” said agriculture minister Lawrence MacAulay in a news release today. […] Read more
High moisture corn shows promise
A study from the University of Saskatchewan finds that lower heat unit corn could displace some barley in feed rations
Glacier FarmMedia – A University of Saskatchewan study has found encouraging results from feeding high moisture corn to finishing cattle. It also identified corn “snaplage” as a potential fill-in for barley grain and silage diets. The project saw researchers replace a portion of barley with high moisture corn (HMC) in finishing diets. The latter revealed […] Read more
