Lower than average precipitation last winter followed by a early and hot spring has Prairie producers on their fields seeding early. However there are concerns over drier than normal soil moisture levels, and the short term forecast has hot and dry weather for most Prairie regions this week. However a shift to cooler weather […] Read more
Robin Booker
Stories by Robin Booker
Spraying: night may not be ideal time
In pre-seed burndown, day applications were more effective than night and morning sprays 78 percent of the time
EDMONTON — Herbicide companies complete many trials to prove a product’s worth before it’s registered for use, but none of the trials include night spraying . “The scientists wouldn’t even dream of doing that,” said Ken Coles, Farming Smarter general manager. But as guidance systems improve and fewer farmers cover more acres in a tight […] Read more
Blackleg pathogens studied to rate canola resistant cultivars
EDMONTON — Farmers can no longer rely just on cultivar resistance to combat blackleg, says Ralph Lange of Alberta Innovates Technology Futures. Incidence of blackleg started to increase rapidly in Alberta in 2011 when 80 to 90 percent of the canola in a field near Irma showed symptoms of the disease. “We don’t see hundreds […] Read more
Producer’s spring photo contest underway
The Western Producer holds a spring and fall photo contests every year, and we are now accepting submissions for our #plant16 photo project. Don’s photo will contribute a gift certificate worth $1,000 for first place. The contest caught the eye of the American Agriculture Editors’ Association, which awarded The Western Producer second place in their […] Read more
Video: Antibody detects sclerotinia; nanoparticle counts spores
EDMONTON — Farmers may one day be able to receive text messages telling them how many sclerotinia spores are in their fields. Researchers from the University of Alberta hope the technology will make it easier for producers to time their fungicide applications. The in-field biosensor that they are developing is intended to provide real time […] Read more
Video: Organic ideals swallowed by food giants
KENASTON, Sask. — The organic food sector began as a fringe social movement in the 1960s, a far cry from the global market that today racks up more than US$70 billion in annual sales. Social movements are often appropriated and transformed into profit seeking markets, and when that happens, the movement’s original goals are challenged, […] Read more
Video: Do more bees mean more canola in the bin?
EDMONTON — Up to 95 percent of seed canola yield is attributable to bee pollination, but it’s not known how much pollinators influence yields in commercial hybrid canola crops. “This is where I come in,” Alberta Agriculture researcher Shelley Hoover told Murray Hartman’s Science-O-Rama in Edmonton April 6. “Part of my research program focuses on […] Read more
VIDEO: New organic snack guilt-free
The peas had cooled down enough from the baking process the previous day and were now being packaged by University of Saskatchewan Food Centre by staff. They wear hairnets and white coats with red collars that allow access to the facility’s organic areas. Allen Zak, chief executive officer of Zak Organics, made a 300- kilometre […] Read more
Digital mobs can undermine social media efforts
The British North America Act, now known as the Constitution Act, was introduced in 1867 to create a representative system of government, and the act continues to ground Canada’s laws. However, Canadians today have the opportunity to understand and contribute in the democratic process more easily than could Canadians living in the 1800s. Proponents of […] Read more
Video: Why Ag Matters – Sask. beef industry
account_id=”2206156280001″ player_id=”HJ11Iy7v”] Candidates at the Why Ag Matters Dialogue Left to right: Darrin Lamoureux, Leader of the Saskatchewan Liberal Party; Rick Swenson, Leader of the Saskatchewan Progressive Conservative Party; Ryan Lamarche, Green Party of Saskatchewan; Cathy Sproule, Saskatchewan New Democratic Party Agriculture Critic; Lyle Stewart, Saskatchewan Party Minister of Agriculture. | Robin Booker photo[/caption] Further […] Read more
