Crop Management
SASKATOON — A country that emerged as a surprise competitor to Canadian durum growers last year will likely be at it again in 2024-25. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) is forecasting that Turkey will produce 4.4 million tonnes of the crop, a 10 percent increase over last year. Related stories: Adequate […] Read more
Crop Management
Large southern Alberta water users agree to reduce water use in severe drought
Users include participating irrigation districts, municipalities and industries
Thirty-eight of the largest and oldest water licensees in southern Alberta — including irrigation districts — have agreed to reduce their water use if severe drought conditions develop this spring or summer. Described by the province of Alberta as “the largest water-sharing initiative in Alberta’s history,” these agreements are intended to ensure Albertans receive the […] Read more
Plentiful barley supplies may pressure prices
SASKATOON — Canadian barley supplies are likely to be burdensome in 2024-25, according to a market outlook published by the Saskatchewan Barley Development Commission. Supplies are forecast to be in the range of 10.7 to 11.7 million tonnes. Related stories: “This is well above the 2023-24 supplies at 9.65 million tonnes and the five-year average […] Read more
Rail strike looms
Glacier FarmMedia – Another rail strike could be drawing near. Members of the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference (TCRC) are in the middle of a strike vote. The vote comes after three collective agreements, covering CN and CPKC engineers and conductors as well as rail traffic controllers at CPCK, expired December 31. The TCRC electronic strike […] Read more
VIDEO: WP 100 Webinar Series – Biologicals in Crop Production
As part of The Western Producer’s 100 Farmers, 100 Questions 100 Years Series, we asked farmers for their thoughts and concerns, and explored the management practices they are using on their farms. In the second session of this webinar series, which was broadcast live on April 18, 2024, The Western Producer’s Robin Booker chats with […] Read more
Plasma shows promise in grain decontamination
Glacier FarmMedia – Alberta researchers are harnessing a high-tech concept to decontaminate grain. They’re using cold plasma, which is created by electrical discharge in a low-pressure gas. One of the most common uses is in florescent lighting, which creates light with little heat. Cold plasma is the fourth state of matter, alongside solid, liquid and […] Read more
Farmers have the chance to guide seed sector
Glacier FarmMedia – As farmers enter one of their busiest times, they’re being asked to help shape Canada’s future seed regulations via online survey. The survey (found here) closes May 1 and is part of the seed regulatory modernization (SRM) process launched in September 2020 by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), which administers the […] Read more
Seed potatoes early to avoid verticillium
Pushing a problem field to the front of the planting queue may reduce infection pressure later in the season
Verticillium wilt is a problem for a lot of crops in Manitoba, including canola, sunflowers and alfalfa. In potatoes, the fungus Verticillium dahlia is the main cause of potato early die complex. In a 2021 interview with the Co-operator, Mario Tenuta, University of Manitoba soil scientist and main investigator with the Canadian Potato Early Dying […] Read more
Can you cut fertilizer rates with EEFs?
Enhanced efficiency fertilizers deliver nitrogen to the plants more effectively, but weather patterns effect optimal rates
This is the fourth of a four-part series on enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Links to the other stories in this series are below. For the last two years, researchers from the University of Saskatchewan and Agriculture Canada evaluated the impact enhanced efficiency fertilizers (EEF) have on crop yields for wheat and canola. Related stories in this […] Read more
Harvest Academy teaches how to set a combine
The new training program offered by Bushel Plus teaches growers how to address common problems inside the combine
When the weather is good during harvest, every grower wants to run the combine and cover as many acres as possible at whatever threshing performance it offers. But without attention to combine settings, many dollars can be left in the field. “When a combine sits there for two minutes it feels like three hours for […] Read more
