Saskatchewan Agriculture

Aster yellows is a pretty name for a serious disease of herb and spice crops. In the 1999 growing season, it was also found at higher levels in canola crops. So named because it was first discovered on asters and because it turns the leaves of some plants a brilliant yellow, the disease is caused […] Read more

Wet weather this year led to an increase in crop diseases, causing many crops to be cut for silage or baled for forage. Are these diseased crops safe to feed to beef cattle? “There is limited research on the effects of various crop diseases on the performance and health of beef cattle. But it is […] Read more

Proper inoculation of chickpeas can save farmers the expense of applying nitrogen starter. “Chickpea must be inoculated properly so that it can fix adequate amounts of nitrogen for crop growth,” says Ken Panchuk, soil fertility specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture “If inoculated properly, chickpea will fix all the nitrogen it needs, as shown by a recent […] Read more

A flower used for insect control scored well in recent research, but results weren’t good enough to justify growing painted daisy in Saskatchewan. University of Saskatchewan researchers grew, harvested and analyzed the pyrethrin concentration of two pyrethrum species from 1996 to 1998. Pyrethrum has been cultivated for its insecticidal properties since 1828. The insecticidal components […] Read more

Farmers considering grazing cattle on swaths this fall should set up electric fences. Field trials at the Western Beef Development Centre’s research farm near Lanigan, Sask., late last fall showed that swath grazing can be a low-cost way to extend the grazing season. “The key to the economic viability of swath grazing is to maximize […] Read more

Flax producers should pay attention to nitrogen recommendations in soil tests. They should also reject the myth that flax uses little nitrogen and other nutrients. Those are the main messages of a report called Enhancing Flax Production Through Better Plant Nutrition. This two-year project, supported by Saskatche-wan Agriculture’s agriculture development fund, was conducted in Saskatchewan’s […] Read more

Rye, wheat and barley contaminated with ergot can be fed to cattle if producers are cautious. “Current recommendations indicate that ergot may be present in a beef cow’s diet at levels up to 0.1 percent of its daily dry matter intake,” said Bryan Doig, livestock agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in North Battleford. “For example, a […] Read more

Pulse growers can maintain the value of their crop by checking it during storage. “Because pulse crops have large seeds, it takes some time for the moisture within the seed to equalize throughout,” said Ray McVicar, a special crops specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “The process is known as ‘going through a sweat.’ ” He said […] Read more

A new do-it-yourself solar grain dryer cuts relative humidity in half and reduces costs as well. “Two years of testing data shows that our solar grain dryer raised the temperature of the air coming in by 10 degrees C every sunny day through to October,” says Leroy Bader, an extension agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in […] Read more

The removal of the Crow rate has many farmers, especially those with marginal land, considering forage production as an alternative to grains and canola. But an increased supply of forages will depress prices unless the local market for feed is expanded, said Morley Ayars, farm management agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “So traditional farmers entering forage […] Read more