Saskatchewan Agriculture

After seven years and $2 million spent in research, a Saskatoon company known for pulse inoculants thinks it has developed a product for the next wave in crop protection – biological pesticides. MicroBio RhizoGen Corp., or MBR, officially opened a new 30,000 sq.-foot plant here last week and introduced Nodulator, a clay-based granular legume inoculant. […] Read more

Dry bean research is at the stage where producers should take a closer look at its production, according to Bert Vandenberg, a pulse crop breeder at the Crop Development Centre at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. “Now is the time to get interested in growing dry beans. At the same time, however, my message […] Read more

Compared to wheat, prices for sunflower are high. This has attracted more interest in growing the crop, especially in southeastern Saskatchewan. But the co-owner of the largest processor of sunflower seeds in Canada, Clarence Leschied of Keystone Grain Ltd. in Winkler, Man., urges caution to those including sunflower in this year’s crop plan. “There are […] Read more

This year’s fall and early-winter conditions have been ideal for mould growth and mycotoxins in forage supplies, said Murray Feist, livestock agrologist with Saskatchewan Agriculture in Saskatoon. “Moulds and fungi are ever present and commonly grow on all types of forages, including straw, hay, silage and swaths for swath grazing,” said Feist. “Conditions such as […] Read more

Ray Gaudet, a Christmas tree producer near Prince Albert, Sask., has respect for the habits of squirrels. The feeling is not mutual. This summer, Gaudet checked the local forest and found a patch of balsam fir with a color and needles he thought perfect for Christmas trees. So he waited until the firs produced but […] Read more

Large sections of Alberta and western Saskatchewan are going into winter with dry soil, according to data from Environment Canada. Ken Panchuk, soil specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture, is encouraging farmers in dry areas to measure the subsoil moisture in all their fields next spring because of the variability of stored soil water. Precipitation is the […] Read more

Common burdock was a problem of increasing severity on the Maple Creek, Sask., ranch of Eric and Ann Lawrence, until some sheep came to the rescue. Burdock is a biennial that reproduces by seed and reaches about one to two metres in height. It thrives in moist habitats such as the two steep and narrow […] Read more

Saskatchewan Management Plus is a voluntary Saskatchewan Agriculture program designed to provide information on crop protection technology based on actual producer data. A similar program, Manitoba Management Plus, has been collecting data for years and has helped generate $8 million to $11 million in additional revenue for Manitoba producers, according to Saskatchewan Agriculture. This program […] Read more

Improving the nutritional quality of canola meal would increase the amount that could be added to pig and poultry feed, says Peta Bonham-Smith, a biology professor at the University of Saskatchewan. But this improvement isn’t going to happen soon, she said. Bonham-Smith, with the assistance of Saskatchewan Agriculture, recently completed a three-year project aimed at […] Read more

Although lower feed grain prices will reduce the cost of beef rations this year, beef producers are wondering if costs can be further reduced by eliminating the processing of grain. The short answer is beef producers can save money by feeding whole oats, but processing is the most efficient way to feed barley. “A summary […] Read more