The vaccine developed by researchers at Saskatchewan’s VIDO lab has been given conditional approval by the CFIA
The Saskatchewan discovery of a new vaccine could soon put an end to a killer virus that has been decimating North America’s hog industry. The University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization-International Vaccine Centre recently announced a breakthrough against the porcine epidemic diarrhea virus. The disease has killed more than eight million pigs and […] Read more
William DeKay
Stories by William DeKay
Farmers make the best of a bad situation
What were supposed to be fields of golden canola turned into a sea of blue — so the Keith family got out their surfboards
SOVEREIGN, Sask. — Members of the Keith family were praying for rain last year. Now they’re “surfing” on drowned out canola fields and praying for the rain to stop. Brothers Cody and Justin and their cousin, Grady, of Sovereign have been making waves in fields over the past few weeks after more than 200 millimetres […] Read moreIntercropping: is two better than one? Which two?
Research trials look at different intercrop pairings to determine which combinations grow best and produce profits
SWIFT CURRENT, Sask. — Few farmers have tried it, but Lana Shaw of the South East Research Farm at Redvers, Sask., said the time is right for intercropping to assert itself. Shaw said during an organic field day at the Agriculture Canada Swift Current Research Centre Aug. 9 that that one day intercropping can be […] Read more
Knowing the sire helps producers when culling bulls
LANIGAN, Sask. — Preliminary DNA information is raising more questions than answers about multi-sire breeding, according to University of Saskatchewan researchers working in conjunction with the Western Beef Development Centre. Stacey Domolewski and Crystal Ketel, along with their supervisor, Bart Lardner, recently presented the first of three years of data collected for a DNA parentage […] Read more
Study tracks irrigation timing for soybeans
OUTLOOK, Sask. — Knowing when and how much to water fababeans and soybeans are key questions for Dale Tomasiewicz. The irrigation agronomist with Agriculture Canada is carrying out an irrigation study, and he said the answers are more complex than some might think because of differing soil moisture holding capacities and types of seasons. Pulse […] Read more
Fusarium exciting for pathologist, costly for growers
While recent wet weather is ideal for researchers studying disease resistant durum, growers need to scout fields and consider fungicides
OUTLOOK, Sask. — Recent wet weather should have farmers concerned about a 2014 repeat of fusarium head blight in their durum. However, it has Saskatchewan researchers eager for the chance to carry out more studies of the disease. “Conditions don’t look too great right now for (less) fusarium, but it looks good if you’re a […] Read more
Wood bison research makes bundles of joy
Researchers break new ground with in vitro fertilization and the transferring of frozen embryos in bison
Four healthy Wood bison calves bouncing about in a pasture near Saskatoon marks a big step forward in reviving the species’ population. Storm, Moon, Hope and Fridge are the world’s first successfully produced bison calves using in vitro fertilization. “That is an amazing feat, and it’s taken a long time to get to this point,” […] Read moreGrain monitor says rail movement problems not expected
Railways are prepared to move a potentially big harvest this fall and winter. “The railways, CP in particular, has gone on record saying that they’re ready for it and it would not be my place to second guess what they say,” said Mark Hemmes of Quorum Corporation. The chief executive officer of Canada’s grain monitoring […] Read more
Co-op sees future in fertilizer
Federated Co-op Ltd. has begun work on two high-throughput fertilizer terminals in Western Canada. The terminals in Hanley, Sask., and Brandon will cost $75 million and are expected to be operational in early 2017. “These facilities will warehouse, blend and distribute a full suite of crop nutrient products that will then be available to producers […] Read more
Sask. family remains positive after tornado
Life quickly changed for the Willner family after a tornado touched down and destroyed much of their heritage-designated farm near Davidson, Sask., July 19. “We were literally standing on the front steps after a family barbecue. You could see a funnel cloud starting to form and it literally dropped down in the centre of our […] Read more
