Crop Management
Canadian potato production will decline this year, possibly by six percent or more. A hot and dry summer, especially in Ontario, Quebec and the Maritimes, cut into potato yields across the country. Last year, Canadian farmers produced 106.4 million hundredweight of potatoes. The 2020 crop could be around 100 million cwt. “The biggest decrease in […] Read more
Crop Management
Kenney recognizes energy-climate change balancing act
Alberta must be able to “walk and chew gum at the same time” when it comes to promoting projects such as oil and gas pipelines, said premier Jason Kenney. Access to capital for the energy sector increasingly “requires a demonstration that companies and governments are serious about improving their environmental performance — reducing their CO2 […] Read more
Invasive grasses can hurt pastures
Just because it’s green out there doesn’t mean it will make your wallet that way or keep your cattle happy
For some cattle producers, the positivity of spring’s green grass is just a colourful illusion. Green represents new growth and vitality but if this grass is of the invasive annual cheat grass variety, also known as downy brome, optimism quickly fades. It is a common issue throughout the United States Great Plains, Great Basin and […] Read more
Stripper headers could be on the way back
There is a lower-cost alternative to buying a new swather or a bigger combine; a header that leaves most the plant behind
As the practice of desiccation tumbles into our history books, prairie crop production will dramatically change forever. Farmers are considering flipping that heavy investment in straight-cut headers into swathers. However, a few farmers are bucking that trend. Instead of buying new swathers, they’re instead buying stripper headers. Shelbourne Reynolds Stripper headers were introduced to the […] Read more
Cover crop use on the Prairies not well known
Prairie farmers want more information about cover cropping: its benefits, best variety choices and agronomy. Callum Morrison, a PhD student at the University of Manitoba, learned that much and more from year one results in a three-year project. In 2019, Morrison surveyed 211 farmers who have grown cover crops. In 2020 he wants to double […] Read more
Post-harvest best time to know your canola crop
Now is the time to evaluate how your canola hybrids fared this year and to pencil in the varieties that give you the best chance for the best returns next year. With yield data and overall cost of production in your pocket, growers can compare which varieties provided the best returns under the specific weather […] Read more
Soybean yields recover
After three disappointing years, Manitoba soybean growers finally have something to celebrate. Yields are better than expected in much of the province, with many growers achieving bushel per acre yields in the 40s and 50s. “Yield reports ranged from 35 to 60 bu. per acre with many producers noting that their yield expectations were being […] Read more
Quebec dominates growth in organic sector
Organic acreage in the province increased 65 percent between 2017 and 2019, jumping to 570,000 acres from 314,000
The number of organic farmers and acreage may be flattening in Canada, but not in Quebec. Growth is way up in Quebec, as the province continues to add growers and land that is organically certified. Data from L’Union des producteurs agricoles (UPA) shows that acreage went from 178,980 in 2017 to 243,168 in 2019, a […] Read more
European sprayer gets North American drift
Big booms, big tank, adjustable track and 10-inch, PMW nozzle spacing running less than a foot from the ground
Horsch has produced self-propelled sprayers that met road-width restrictions in European markets for years. Now, its recent offering comes with adjustable axle widths and frame height that will help the company compete in the North American market where big sprayers cover more acres. The company has big plans for expanding into Canada and the United […] Read more
Keeping the gases where they belong: bottled up or working
Compressed gases are delivered to and used in agricultural operations every day across Canada. They may be used for heating, cutting, welding and even directly in food production by, for example, supplementing the carbon dioxide levels in greenhouses. While some very large users will have semi-permanent bulk-storage or mini-bulk tanks installed that contain cryogenic (very […] Read more
