Crop Management
Certified seed guarantees varietal purity, but specialists recommend testing all seed for germination, vigour and disease
Does certified seed mean guaranteed seed? Not necessarily, says a seed testing expert. Certified seed goes through a battery of tests to ensure vigour, germination and disease-free status, but every seed – certified or not – should be tested for the basics before it goes in the ground, says the lab manager of an Alberta […] Read more
Crop Management
Kochia in pulse crops a growing concern
Concerns about the spread of kochia continue to grow for Saskatchewan pulse growers. Michael Brown, agronomy manager for Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, and Martin Carr, agronomy manager for WinField United, have seen the pesky tumbleweed spread throughout Saskatchewan, Alberta and the United States. The weed is resistant to some herbicides, among them groups 4, 9 and […] Read more
It may be a little early to consider lupins
The pulse offers natural resistance to root rot, but agronomic, yield and weed control options limit their potential
With their natural resistance to aphanomyces root rot, lupins may seem like a no-brainer pulse to plant. But hold on, says Robyne Davidson, a pulse specialist with Lakeland College in Vermilion, Alta. Having worked with them since 2004, she says lupins are not ready for prime time and should only be seeded under special circumstances. […] Read more
Making sure crop protection products don’t cause problems
Spring seeding is just around the corner, so to help producers lessen the potential market risks associated with certain crop protection products the Keep it Clean initiative has released its 2024 product advisory. With 90 per cent of Canadian canola, 65 per cent of Canadian wheat, barley and oats and 85 per cent of Canadian […] Read more
Flax acres down amid hope for renewed EU interest
SASKATOON — Canadian flax growers could regain some of the market share they have lost in the European Union in 2024-25, says a commodity broker. The European Commission has proposed higher tariffs on imports of cereals and oilseeds from Russia and Belarus. In nearly all cases, duties would rise to either $139 per tonne or […] Read more
U.S. wheat intentions exceed expectations
SASKATOON — Growers in the United States intend to plant slightly more spring wheat and a lot more durum than last year. They plan to seed 11.34 million acres of spring wheat, a 1.2 percent increase over last year and 2.03 million acres of durum, a 21 percent bump, according to the U.S. Department of […] Read more
India extends exemption on pea import restrictions
The southwest monsoon is expected to deliver good rainfall this year
SASKATOON — India is extending its exemption on pea import restrictions to June 30. It had been set to expire on April 30. Farmers in that country are in the midst of harvesting their winter or rabi crop of pulses and it looks like another disappointing crop. The government estimates that growers will harvest 12.2 […] Read more
Manitoba farm group takes aim at two noxious weeds
Keystone Agricultural Producers will set its sights on two emerging noxious weeds: waterhemp and Palmer amaranth. A resolution brought forward by University of Manitoba agriculture diploma students during KAP’s March advisory council meeting March 27 aims to give more support to farmers to beat back Manitoba’s growing problem. The resolution would see KAP fund testing […] Read more
Sask. farmer pans move to individual premiums
Crop insurance changed last year and consecutive drought years have pushed premiums too high, he says
REGINA — Saskatchewan’s move to individual crop insurance premiums was widely welcomed when introduced last year but at least one farmer said he preferred the program the way it was. Don Tremblay, who farms south of Moose Jaw and is reeve of the Rural Municipality of Hillsborough, said he believes the change has not been […] Read more
Seeding will require financial strategy this year
Farmers urged to prepare for spring by knowing their costs and their soil and leaving room for flexibility in their rotations
Glacier FarmMedia – Commodity prices are at least a third lower than last year and input prices are stubbornly high, so farmers will need a spring strategy to squeeze every dollar from every acre, experts warn. “There’s going to be pressure on the margins for pretty much most of the crops that we grow in […] Read more
