Saskatchewan Agriculture

When planning next spring’s crop rotations, producers should pay particular attention to the herbicides used on last year’s crops. “Most herbicides degrade through the activities of soil microbes and, like other living things, microbes need moisture to survive,” said Clark Brenzil, a weed control specialist with Saskatchewan Agriculture. The drought likely means less residue than […] Read more

A new computer program is now available to producers thinking of diversifying into forages and livestock. The Land Use Planner allows the user to compare the economics of current crop rotation patterns with a proposed change to forage rotations and livestock production. “The low returns from crop commodities have increased the attractiveness of adding value […] Read more

Scientists at the University of Saskatchewan’s Crop Development Centre continue to look for ways to improve spice production. “Spices such as coriander, caraway, dill, anise and fenugreek are often grown from non-pedigreed seed of undetermined origin and unknown performance because brokers and producers bring in seeds from all over the world,” said Al Slinkard, professor […] Read more

Members of a herb and spice company liked their new dryer so much that they ordered another one. The Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute designed and built the bulk dryer for the Northern Lights Herb Corp. The seven herb and spice growers from the Prince Albert, Sask., area who formed the corporation in 1998 were looking […] Read more

A research project in southwestern Saskatchewan shows pulse crops can be used as an annual forage or hay crop. The three-year project was carried out by Wheatland Conservation Area Inc., an applied research and demonstration farm near Swift Current. “We began the study with the introduction of five treatments: Grande normal-leaf yellow pea, Carneval semi-leafless […] Read more

Kochia is a common, non-native weed that can be baled for feed during times of feed shortages, but producers must be aware that it is a good news-bad news option. “If kochia is baled at later stages of maturity, it may comprise up to 40 percent of the diet for cattle. If baled at an […] Read more

It is often cheaper for producers in drought areas to ship cows to feed than to move feed to cows, says Bob Wolfe, a Saskatchewan Agriculture farm management agrologist. The challenge is to find a custom-wintering feeder who can put together rations at a significantly lower cost than that of buying high-quality feed with relatively […] Read more

More than ever, producers with excess straw should consider alternatives to burning. The drought has caused a feed shortage and increased the danger of fires getting out of control. “More and more producers are working straw into their winter feeding program as a means of lowering their feed costs,” says Kathy Martin, a beef development […] Read more

Livestock producers with drought-stressed pasture and hay land who are looking to eastern Saskatchewan or the United States for feed may get more than they bargain for, says Clark Brenzil, Saskatchewan Agriculture’s weed control specialist. “When buying hay and other feeds from a distance, it is difficult, perhaps impossible, to inspect the field for weeds […] Read more

The recent discovery of spotted knapweed in Regina has prompted efforts to raise awareness of this noxious weed. It is a scourge of forage lands in Montana, Alberta and British Columbia. Unless controlled early, it has the same potential in Saskatchewan. “Spotted knapweed is not commonly known in Saskatchewan at present, but is considered to […] Read more