Crop Management
Clubroot can cause yield losses of as much as 60 to 90 percent in canola, which is one of the most valuable cash crops in Canada, said the statement. Canola exports provided $12.9 billion in 2022 to the Canadian economy, with $4 billion of that total coming from Alberta.
Crop Management
Average pulse yields expected to fall this year
The first Canadian pea and lentil yield estimates are out, and they are not encouraging. Chuck Penner, analyst with LeftField Commodity Research, provided his initial forecast in a July 31 article he wrote for Alberta Pulse Growers’ Pulse Market Insight publication. He based his estimates on crop ratings provided by Alberta Agriculture and Saskatchewan Agriculture […] Read more
Irrigators test direct seeding to prevent erosion
Alberta producers say the practice has its benefits, but challenges include dealing with chaff rows and managing stubble
Irrigation in southern Alberta has proven transformational to the ability to grow crops in the region, but although it has delivered water to the dusty plains, it hasn’t tamed the wind. Direct seeding is a piece in the puzzle to stem wind erosion in the area known for gales that can make it hard to […] Read more
China lifts tariff on Australian barley imports
China has dropped the 80 percent tariff on Australian barley that has been in place since May 2020. That will result in stiff competition for Canada in its top export market. “This is maybe not a bad year for this to happen,” said Peter Watts, managing director of the Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre. Canada […] Read more
Feds ease paperwork to hire foreign workers
Recruiting and hiring temporary foreign workers is almost a full-time job. During certain times of the year, pork producers, beekeepers and others in Canada’s agriculture industry may spend 30 to 40 hours a week on paperwork if they want to hire these employees. That load may soon be reduced, thanks to a new program from […] Read more
Lack of rain to pummel durum yields
Jake Leguee’s durum crop started out promising with plenty of moisture. “Down in our area it was a struggle getting the crop in,” said Leguee, who farms between Weyburn and Fillmore in southeastern Saskatchewan. “We had a tremendous amount of water laying around after that April snowstorm.” But the weather turned hot and dry starting […] Read more
Alta. producer sings praises of hybrid fall rye
Farmer selected the crop when looking for ways to expand his wheat-canola rotation to solve disease and insect problems
GALAHAD, Alta. — The addition of hybrid fall rye to the crop rotation has helped limit disease, control weeds and produce better canola crops, said a Rosalind, Alta., farmer. “Consistently it performs. It is rather remarkable,” said Matthew Enright, who started growing the crop when he moved back to the farm in 2015. Enright said […] Read more
Microarthropods can be your friend
Soil mesofauna can affect nutrient cycling, seed germination, root exudates and plant nutrient allocation and growth
Awareness of soil-borne bacteria benefits is growing. Prairie farmers increasingly incorporate commercially sourced biological agents in their agronomic plans. It’s an area where fresh soil research meets your seed drill. Soil mesofauna have a major impact on at least a half dozen soil processes, which in turn impact crop production: impact soil organic matter decomposition […] Read more
Drought can have an impact on soil test results
The direct damage from drought is obvious, but the real hurt might lie deeper in the soil and affect next year’s crop
The crop-killing drought that’s hanging prairie crops out to dry will have an impact on residual nutrients this fall. What can producers expect to see in their soil tests? That’s the question probed by Karl Wyant, agronomy director at Nutrien. In a phone interview, Wyant said there are several effects that growers may notice on […] Read more
Producers interested in digital integration
LANGHAM, Sask. — For a committed user of the FieldView digital integration system, Mike Ferguson had an unusual observation about himself. “I’m not a big technology guy,” said Ferguson, who with his wife, Regan, farms 3,000 acres at Melfort, Sask. But for him, using the various data-based management tools available in farming today isn’t just helpful, […] Read more
