Canola producers are being urged not to plant unregistered varieties this spring. Varieties that have lost their registration are ineligible for export. The Canola Council of Canada says if even small amounts of deregistered varieties are found in imported batches, entire shiploads will be rejected and Canada’s reputation jeopardized. “It’s hard to believe that even […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Company eyes flax straw for fuel
Flax made its name as an industrial oil crop but less well known is the technology to produce oil from parts of the plant other than the seed. An Ontario company plans to make fuel type oil and other industrial compounds from the straw. Flax straw isn’t high in oil content, but it does contain […] Read more
Fertilizer placement, rates critical in dry conditions
Got drought? Then be careful about your seed row-placed nitrogen. Drought for many parts of the southern Prairies looks possible this spring. Lack of moisture last season led to poor yields in many areas south of the Trans-Canada Highway. Ross McKenzie of Alberta Agriculture and the University of Lethbridge is reminding producers who place their […] Read more
New vending machines offer custom chem mix
They are seven feet tall, four feet wide and three feet deep, and they’re here to help with this year’s crop. They are large vending machines that will be located in farm service centres across Western Canada, dispensing herbicides instead of pop and chocolate bars. On April 18, DuPont will introduce a system that when […] Read more
Barley competitiveness rated against yield loss
Barley is generally considered competitive as a crop but not all varieties are equal. Crop competitiveness can be broken into two categories: the ability to compete and the ability to withstand competition, said Paul Watson of the Alberta Research Council. The agronomist and weed scientist from Vegreville, Alta., said unlike wheat varieties, the competitiveness of […] Read more
Drug approvals slow, redundant
Too little, too late is how many in the livestock industry describe the pace of veterinary drug approvals by Canadian authorities. “It leaves us in an uncompetitive position. Our government is hampering our ability to compete with our American neighbours by denying us the tools of this North American trade,” said Rick Paskal. The southern […] Read more
Care vital for seed-row fertilization
It takes careful planning to properly place fertilizer with the seed. Seed row placement of fertilizer provides advantages but it comes with risks. Rigas Karamanos of fertilizer manufacturer Westco, based in Calgary, said producers should consider all factors that go into the safe use of seed- row-placed nutrients. “Just because it worked last year doesn’t […] Read more
Monitor binned crop for moisture, insects
High commodity prices and a strong winter shipping season have drawn out much of 2007’s harvested grain and oilseed inventory. But what is left needs to be physically protected from nature. Warming spring temperatures and the sun’s increased heat have started an air flow pattern within grain bins. As air moves up the sun-warmed sidewalls […] Read more
Long-time hog farmer quits business
The Canadian flag flying from the porch of John and Donna Germs’ home near Saskatoon is as tattered as the hog industry they have worked in for 22 years. Soon the only pigs likely to be found on the Germs’ farm will be two life-sized concrete ornaments that grace the flowerbeds of their 86-year-old brick […] Read more
The last straw: nine ways to handle flax straw
The problem of what to do with the straw after the crop has been harvested has been slowing producer acceptance of flax for generations. Burning is the traditional method, but there are other options. Allen Kuhlmann of Rouleau, Sask., said he feels the problem gets more attention than it should. “Especially with prices where they […] Read more
