A large population combined with late podding equals a second chance for canola’s greatest enemy. However, research indicates agronomy may be able to solve late season flea beetle damage. When it comes to canola pests, none is more damaging than the tiny flea beetle, and western Canadian producers had their fill of them this year. […] Read more
Stories by Michael Raine
Expert advice for wintery canola harvest
Producers should do all they can to harvest their canola now rather than let it sit out over winter. Derwyn Hammond of the Canola Council of Canada in Brandon said canola that sits out over winter will shell out. Overwintering also shifts the fatty acid profile of the oil, which may result in the crop […] Read more
Powerful engine chews through forage
WATERLOO, Iowa – Modern agriculture’s biggest engines aren’t found in the tractors expected to pull 100-foot seed drills. Nor are they found in combines with 45 foot draper headers. The biggest engines are found in machines that aren’t that wide, don’t generally pull a load and do only one job – cut. Forage harvesters chew […] Read more
Getting corn silage right
Making corn silage is about more than chopping it at the right lengths to ensure it packs evenly at the proper density. Yield and starch increase as corn matures from dent to black layer, and starch and fibre digestibility decreases along with fibre content. Nutrition researchers with Ontario Agriculture recommend not taking silage over 70 […] Read more
New borage herbicide
There is a new registered dim-class herbicide for grassy weed control on borage. Weed control in most minor crops is difficult because of the lack of registered products available. Herb and spice producers often run into problems getting effective weed control chemicals registered in Canada. Without a budget to run trials and testing, producers must […] Read more
Air coulter designed for uneven ground
Coulter drills are known for precisely placing seed and fertilizer, but they are also known for their difficulty in heavy stubble, heavy clay soil and uneven ground. To answer these concerns, Bourgault Industries of St. Brieux, Sask., set out to build a better air coulter. Robert Fagnou of Bourgault said designers worked to take the […] Read more
Bale tracker provides inside info
Commercial hay production is about more than building nice looking bales that pass a feed test. That is why New Holland is offering an automated bale tracking system that allows producers to store information with each bale. The company has added the $8,500 US option to its large square balers. The New Holland CropID system […] Read more
Drought tolerance breakthrough
Drought tolerance in grain and oilseeds is a tough genetic cell to crack, but Chang-Jui Liu thinks his lab has one of the answers. Brookhaven National Laboratory in Upton, New York, is working with suberin, an enzyme that creates the basis for the woody, wax-like material that makes cork tough and water resistant. It also […] Read more
Study rekindles use of green manure
LETHBRIDGE – Cover crops have been part of nutrient management in North America for more than two centuries. However, low-cost nitrogen fertilizer and changing agronomics prompted conventional agriculture to largely abandon the practice. The few exceptions included its use to control soil erosion and to grow crops organically. Now, cover crops are poised to make […] Read more
Canola best crop to salvage
Winter and canola don’t mix well. While the crop can endure winter-like conditions in the short term better than cereals and pulses, it doesn’t like to get up close and personal with the white stuff for too long. Winter’s early arrival in the first week of October has stalled harvest for 20 percent of the […] Read more
