Keeping alfalfa leafcutting bees healthy is crucial for two important Saskatchewan industries, and a provincial study is trying to make that job easier. About 125,000 acres are devoted to alfalfa seed production in Saskatchewan, all of it dependent on the alfalfa leafcutting bee. Not only is this bee an important pollinator of alfalfa grown for […] Read more
Stories by Saskatchewan Agriculture
Study compares alfalfa inoculants
Granular inoculants for pulse crops are increasing in popularity. They tend to be easier to handle and apply than liquid or seed-applied, peat-based inoculants, and there is some evidence that in fields seeded to pulses for the first time, they result in better nodulation and nitrogen fixation and sometimes higher seed yields. Granular inoculant formulations […] Read more
RM makes the most of its grass
Like most rural municipalities, the RM of Craik cuts the grass and weeds in its ditches every summer. Unlike most RMs, however, it is now making a profit from this annual operation. “We were looking at a number of projects in 1999, one of which was to build a machine that would cut the grass […] Read more
Dry bean crop good in southern Sask.
It’s been a bean year in southern Saskatchewan, says Ray McVicar, a special crops specialist with Sask-atchewan Agriculture. It appears that irrigated bean farmers in the Lake Diefenbaker area will have another successful year. “Dry bean is not frost tolerant, so the dryland crops in the Saskatoon and Rosthern areas were lost because of a […] Read more
Grasshopper bits cause problems
The manager of Notukew Processing in Vanguard, Sask., recommends pulse producers aerate their crop before binning to reduce grasshopper bits. “Either that or scalp the crop – pass the seeds through a screen – before binning,” Trevor Hyde said. “If they don’t, they’re just asking for trouble.” The Canadian Grain Commission has set a 0.02 […] Read more
Timing key when fall seeding
The date of seeding is an important factor in successful forage establishment, says Michel Tremblay, a forage specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. “Early-spring seeding results in the greatest establishment success, but seeding late in the fall is a common practice because of several advantages: optimal use of spring soil moisture, reduction of spring work load, avoidance […] Read more
Spice research yields results
Drought has played havoc with spice research trials the past couple of years, but the work has still produced valuable information for growers. An estimated15,000 acres of coriander and 22,000 acres of caraway were planted in Saskatchewan this year. Figures for dill, fenugreek and anise are not available. The Spice Breeding and Agronomic Research project […] Read more
Controlling leafy spurge
Leafy spurge is a persistent perennial weed that grows well in dry weather because its deep taproot is able to access subsoil moisture. “Leafy spurge is a problem weed because it out-competes all other vegetation in the prairie landscape, and it is not grazed by cattle due to the irritating effects of the white latex […] Read more
Shelterbelt program uses plastic mulch
The Prairie Farm Rehabilitation Administration is accepting applications for next year’s shelterbelt trees. The application deadline is Sept. 30. “The PFRA Shelterbelt Enhancement Program is a five-year program designed to capture greenhouse gases through increased shelterbelt planting on prairie agricultural lands,” said Bob Turnock, at Agriculture Canada’s Shelterbelt Centre at Indian Head, Sask. The program […] Read more
Cabbage shows promise in northern Sask. tests
It appears commercial cabbage production under irrigation is viable in northeastern Saskatchewan, says a final report on the Nipawin-area project. However, there are some concerns about harvesting, storage and marketing if acreage grows, says Larry Lee, Saskatchewan Agriculture extension agrologist in Nipawin. Saskatchewan now supplies about 40 percent of its in-season requirements for cabbage. Demand […] Read more
