Likely the most prominent question on most farmers’ minds is, “what impact will COVID-19 have on my farm business?” With so many unknowns, the impacts will be immediate and multifaceted, yet also long-standing from an economic, environmental, and social perspective. The largest mobilization since the Second World War prompts important questions. What unaccounted for positive […] Read more
Crop Management — page 338
Alberta releases COVID-19 projections
The Alberta government projects cases of COVID-19 will range from 800,000 to one million in the province, with deaths ranging from 400 to 6,600. The numbers come from the government’s modelling and analysis. The number of infections include confirmed and non-confirmed cases. It means mild, undiagnosed and detected cases were taken into account. The numbers […] Read more
Potato acres expected to plummet
The situation changes every day, but potato acres in Canada and the United States could take a dramatic hit in 2020. Potato production may drop by 25 to 30 percent because of closed restaurants, a sharp decline in french fry consumption and the economic fallout from COVID-19. “I would say across North America … the […] Read more
Pandemic causes french fry demand to collapse
Tens of thousands of restaurants are closed in North America, which means Canadians and Americans are eating fewer french fries than usual. The downturn in consumption has had an immediate impact on french fry processors in Canada and could alter how many potatoes are seeded in 2020. “It doesn’t take a great scientist to figure […] Read more
Canada, U.S. farms face crop losses due to foreign worker delays
WINNIPEG, Manitoba/CHICAGO (Reuters) – Mandatory coronavirus quarantines of seasonal foreign workers in Canada could hurt that country’s fruit and vegetable output this year, and travel problems related to the pandemic could also leave U.S. farmers with fewer workers than usual. Foreign labor is critical to farm production in both countries, where domestic workers shun the […] Read more
Farm, trucking groups call for carbon tax break
Give us a break. That’s the message Saskatchewan farmers are sending to Ottawa following a 50 percent increase in the federal carbon tax. Effective April 1, the federal carbon tax that’s applied to consumption of non-exempt farm fuels in Saskatchewan increased by 50 percent to $30 per tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent, up from $20 […] Read more
Tilled soils can be as healthy as no-till ground
Martin Entz knew he was saying something controversial. But he said it anyway. “We have vilified tillage, in the Prairies, for years. (But) if you have to choose between tillage and growing plants, you would choose a good crop rotation before no-till, anytime; and the data supports that,” said Entz, University of Manitoba plant science […] Read more
New corn variety copes better with cold
Corn is the third largest grain crop in Canada and the number one crop in Ontario in terms of production. Nationally, yields vary depending on weather, and 2019 was a particularly challenging year. Heavy rain and colder than normal temperatures made planting conditions difficult in Eastern Canada. Very dry conditions persisted into the growing season […] Read more
Building biobeds benefits Alberta agriculture
MEDICINE HAT — The gauntlet has been thrown. After building a biobed on its site near Lethbridge and a portable model on a trailer, Farming Smarter wants to see 50 biobeds built by farmers in southern Alberta within the next two years. Biobeds are systems used to process and neutralize leftover pesticides and sprayer rinsates […] Read more
Nokian introduces new technology for ag tires
The Nokian Tyre company is introducing two new tires to Canada. The Ground King is a multi-use tire for road and field. The Tractor King is for heavy-duty field work. A multi-use implement can create a good financial return if it finds a variety of different uses. A mid-range tractor, for example, can be kept […] Read more
