A creek in southern Manitoba may soon be a hub of watershed research in Canada. The Tobacco Creek Model Watershed (TCMW) is one of eight finalists to become a research node for the Canadian Water Network, a national initiative with the goal of connecting research to hands-on watershed management. If the watershed is selected as […] Read more
Robert Arnason
Stories by Robert Arnason
Manitoba watershed may attract research – for Feb. 18, 2011
A creek in southern Manitoba may soon be a hub of watershed research in Canada. The Tobacco Creek Model Watershed (TCMW) is one of eight finalists to become a research node for the Canadian Water Network, a national initiative with the goal of connecting research to hands-on watershed management. If the watershed is selected as […] Read more
Wheat board announces plan for moving stored grain in flood zones
With flooding forecast for parts of the Prairies this spring, the Canadian Wheat Board has developed plans to move grain out of farmyard bins in parts of Manitoba and Saskatchewan. The CWB announced it would move additional rail cars to several regions to ensure there is enough space in elevators for producers to deliver grain. […] Read more
Syngenta disputes research findings
A U.S. government study that shows insecticidal seed treatments have no effect on soybean yields in South Dakota runs contrary to other research, says a Syngenta spokesperson. Palle Pedersen, Syngenta technical manager for development of seed treatments for corn and soybeans, said field trials on seed treatments have proven that the product does increase soybean […] Read more
Seed treatment not worth cost: study
An American entomologist has concluded that insecticidal seed treatments do not reduce aphid numbers or increase soybean yields. Jonathan Lundgren, who works for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in Brookings, South Dakota, said two years of field trials have shown that soybean growers are worse off if they plant seed treated with insecticide because the […] Read more
Animal neglect case remanded
The case against two Manitoba hog producers charged with animal neglect won’t be resolved until spring, says the farmers’ lawyer. Martin and Delores Grenier of Notre Dame, Man., were charged last fall with 23 violations of the Manitoba Animal Care Act and six offences under the Criminal Code of Canada. The charges include failing to […] Read more
Hemp prices vary
A representative of Hemp Oil Canada, a hemp processor in Ste. Agathe, Man., says hemp growers around Dauphin, Man., may be signing contracts this year for 90 cents per pound but those prices only represent a fraction of the entire industry. Kevin Friesen, seed production manager for Hemp Oil Canada, said the majority of contracted […] Read more
Number of herbicide resistant weeds keeps growing
Canadian farmers are facing some of the worst herbicide resistant weed conditions in the world, says a weed expert. “Canada is probably number three in the world, as far as severity of problems,” said Ian Heap, lead organizer of the International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds, a collaborative effort by 850 weed scientists. “Wild oats […] Read more
Time to improve biodiversity above ground
Increasing biodiversity is the next step in zero tillage, says a former Agriculture Canada researcher. Jill Clapperton, who was a rhizosphere ecologist in Lethbridge before moving to Montana, where she runs a soil consultancy and operates a farm, said tillage destroys the soil’s biological habitat. She compared a plow ripping through soil to a tsunami […] Read more
Hang onto hemp until price is right, producers advised
The president of Parkland Industrial Hemp Growers advises western Canadian hemp producers to hold out for the best price before signing a contract in 2011. “With $600 canola and $350 wheat, you should be pricing your hemp, non-organic commercial hemp, at 90 cents per pound, said Chris Dzisiak, a grower from Dauphin, Man. “If you’re […] Read more
