Approaches to tillage have little effect on whether fields have high weed populations. After examining weed population data in 2,046 Saskatchewan fields and correlating it with 1,010 farming practice surveys, Gord Thomas of Agriculture Canada in Saskatoon said the number of weeds in a field doesn’t relate to the type of tillage. “It appears that […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Canadian livestock industry in state of whoa, says report
A livestock inventory report released by Statistics Canada on Valentine’s Day was no treat for the nation’s livestock industry. “It reported what everybody knew,” said Canadian Pork Council president Clare Schlegel. “Farmers are cutting back activities to reduce their losses.” According to the report, the national pig herd has declined by six percent from last […] Read more
Vaccine facility eyes commercialization
A new not-for-profit company has been formed in Saskatoon to identify vaccine research that can be successfully commercialized. Pan-Provincial Vaccine Enterprise, or Prevent, will move early-stage vaccines from lab bench and test pen to consumer production. “There is a gap, a void between discovery and development,” says Andy Potter of the Veterinary and Infectious Disease […] Read more
Dome on the range
Dome wasn’t built in a day. But it is more energy efficient than its traditionally structured counterpart. “That’s more than you can say about most construction projects,” said Rob Phillips, who builds energy efficient concrete buildings. Phillips’ 2,400 sq. foot building needs only 3,600 watts of heat to keep winter out. “A few big light […] Read more
COOL may cost producers cold hard cash
American country of origin labelling (COOL) rules will come into force Sept. 30. Despite the short timeframe, the American meat industry still doesn’t know the rules, how much the new measures will cost or who will pay. Dennis McGivern of Informa Economics in Nashville, Tennessee, told producers attending the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association annual meeting […] Read more
Analyst says fed cattle prices likely to remain low in 2008
Beef markets appear to be stabilizing, but unfortunately for Canadian beef producers, finished cattle prices are levelling out at a low point. U.S. consumer demand for beef is steady and that country’s domestic supplies are down. The American currency is weaker and running close to par with the Canadian dollar. Feed supplies are low internationally […] Read more
Clean machines key in clubroot war
EDMONTON – Clubroot continues to spread in north-central Alberta and has now been found in canola fields southeast of Calgary. While scientists seek genetically resistant lines and new management strategies to minimize producer losses, municipal governments are enforcing a no-canola rule for infected fields. First discovered in a Sturgeon County farm field near Edmonton in […] Read more
Higher inoculant, nutrient rates fill bins
EDMONTON – Getting inoculant rates right might require exceeding recommended rates on the label. Research at the Saskatoon branch of European agricultural giant Novozymes Biologicals, formerly known as Philom Bios, has shown that increasing the number of rhizobium in the field may be necessary for producers targeting high pulse crop yields. Research agronomist Garry Hnatowich […] Read more
Beef groups plan united funding effort
Both of Saskatchewan’s major cattle producer associations have signed on for the creation of a new check-off funded organization. At separate January meetings of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association and the Saskatchewan Stock Growers’ Association, producers chose to establish the Saskatchewan Cattlemen’s Association and approach the provincial government for changes to legislation that will make […] Read more
Laboratories needed to test seed quality
A prairie seed testing lab warns that testing backlogs might be the new reality in Western Canada. Bruce Carriere of Saskatoon’s Discovery Seed Labs recently told Saskatchewan seed growers that a shortage of high quality seed testing facilities could pose problems for them and for commercial growers, under the right circumstances. Those circumstances might occur […] Read more
