Saskatchewan Agriculture

The high cost and short supply of seed for many perennial forage crops has some farmers looking for annual pasture alternatives. Traditionally, these alternatives have been oats and barley that, if conditions warrant, can be easily harvested for green feed or grain. However, these crops do not re-grow well after being grazed. “For grazing over […] Read more

Low prices for ginseng have cooled some of the initial excitement about growing this medicinal herb in Saskatchewan, but a few growers and researchers continue to learn more about its production. John Kort, a biologist with the federal Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration Shelterbelt Centre in Indian Head, Sask., has completed a report called Winter Survival […] Read more

Poplars have long been a source of shade, beauty and most importantly wind protection on prairie farmsteads. But now another role has been added to the tree’s resume – a potential form of crop diversification, a renewable and sustainable source of wood for pulp and wood products. “With the significant increase in world demand for […] Read more

Farmers are encouraged to replace cereals and oilseeds they now grow on marginal cropland with perennial forages. Zoheir Abouguendia, program manager for the Saskatchewan’s grazing and pasture technology program, said the environmental and economic benefits of this conversion are many, with the most important beneficiary being the soil. “Not only do perennial forages arrest further […] Read more

At least one million Saskatchewan acres will be seeded to lentils in 1999, a first for the province. This should come as no surprise in a country now established as the leading exporter of green lentils, said Ray McVicar, crop development specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Of greater significance is the province’s diversification into red lentils, […] Read more

Producers considering shifting to a spring calving schedule must weigh the convenience against potential lower returns. “Some advantages of early-spring calving are the warmer, longer days,” said Jim Armstrong, livestock agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Tisdale. “Cows would also calve on grass instead of in a corral, which should reduce the risk of scours.” Cows […] Read more

An option for cattle producers with hay and pasture land has recently been developed by research scientists at Agriculture Canada’s Saskatoon Research Centre, said Michel Tremblay, crop development specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Dr. Bruce Coulman has taken the most promising crosses between smooth and meadow bromegrass to produce a hybrid with the characteristics of a […] Read more

Most sheep producers can’t say enough good things about their guard dogs. “I used to have about 350 ewes, but the coyotes discovered them and were eating me out of house and home. They’d kill 50 to 60 lambs a summer,” said Linda Simington of Hazenmore, Sask. “But the dogs have almost eliminated the problem. […] Read more

An intense scarlet glow warns of extreme heat applied to the grain flowing along the conveyor belt. Infrared energy radiating from ceramic tiles, just like on the space shuttle, precook the grain so the consumer has to boil peas for only 20 minutes instead of the usual two hours. In a world increasingly obsessed with […] Read more

Grocery stores already have high omega-3 eggs on their shelves and soon they might have omega-3 poultry. Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan recently confirmed that feeding flaxseed oil to broiler chickens increases the amount of omega-3 in the meat and fat. Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked with protection against cardiovascular disease and hypertension. […] Read more