Soil specialist says the nation’s farmland and tillage erosion remains a problem; farmer fatigue might have set in
Soil erosion continues to cost agriculture and the economy substantially and more needs to be done to protect moderately to severely eroded soils. This was the take home message of David Lobb’s video presentation during the University of Saskatchewan’s annual Soils and Crops Workshop that was held virtually this year. “Conservation tillage, no-till and zero-till […] Read moreCrops — page 2
Remote sensing of agriculture reaches new heights
Agriculture Canada has funding to update the Disease Risk Tool (DiRT1) it developed in 2016 to include crops beyond canola. DiRT1 combines information from satellites and user inputs into a prototype web application that can be used to investigate the accuracy of crop-disease forecast models. “In this first prototype we also integrated geospatial data from […] Read more
Is agriculture on the cusp of a health and wellness revolution?
The pandemic has forced farmers to adapt to a new way of living, working, and playing. What once required a trip to the city to go to the gym or attend a group fitness class can now be conducted online. With increased emphasis on distancing and the topic of mental health on the verge of […] Read more
Health Canada changes course on neonics
The final decision has been delayed several times, but today Health Canada’s Pest Management Regulatory Agency announced that neonicotinoid insecticides are not a threat to aquatic insects when used as a seed treatment on canola and in many other instances. “While we are still reviewing the full details of the special review decisions, we are […] Read more
Thunder Bay kicks off new shipping season
The 2021 shipping season is underway at the Port of Thunder Bay, Ont. Tug Sharon M1 and Barge Huron Spirit arrived at the Port of Thunder Bay March 26, signaling the start of the new navigation season. The tug and barge are owned and operated by McKeil Marine of Burlington, Ont. The barge carried a […] Read more
Whole Farm Income Insurance program gains traction
Support for an alternative program to AgriStability continues to gain momentum. Canadian agricultural ministers are continuing to consider replacing AgriStability with a margin-based income protection program as soon as 2023. Complaints of AgriStability being costly and ineffective, particularly on the Prairies, prompted governments in those jurisdictions to explore other options. Talks to reform AgriStability, thus […] Read more
Gene edited crops are safe: Health Canada
UPDATED: March 26, 2021 – 1425 CST – adds audio comments from Erin Gowriluk, executive director of the Grain Growers of Canada Health Canada has declared that gene-edited crops are safe. On March 25, the department launched a public consultation for what it’s calling a “Proposed new guidance pieces for the Novel Foods Regulation, focused […] Read more
Hail hit Sask. farmers hard last year
Saskatchewan Municipal Hail Insurance paid $62 million to producers last year, president Wayne Black told the recent Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities conference. That amount comes from 5,297 claims. “It hailed every day throughout the month of July,” said Black. Early that month, the Assiniboia region was hard hit and crops didn’t recover well because […] Read more
Container crisis hits farmers’ wallets: shipper
A global shipping snafu that has balled up the links in Canada’s supply chain for containerized goods will ultimately mean fewer dollars in the pockets of Western Canadian farmers. Export companies and freight forwarders who spoke with The Western Producer last week said global demand for the shipping containers remains unusually high, particularly among shippers […] Read more
Pulling it around could be bottom line win
For all but fungicide or desiccating tall crops, a pull-type sprayer can have a role on many large, prairie grain operations
A few advanced pull-type sprayers have come onto the Canadian market recently, but do they still fit prairie crop production? The transition to self-propelled sprayers has already occurred on most farms, but these new pull-type sprayers are far more capable compared to what your grandpa used to pull. Application expert Tom Wolf said some of […] Read more
