Crop Management
EDMONTON — A DNA sequence is like a script describing what an animal might become. How it actually turns out is dependent on its environment. Sequencing of the bovine genome and subsequent research is revealing new ways to find more efficient, productive cattle. One of the more practical traits is selecting those that eat less […] Read more
Crop Management
Hemp research delves into new varieties for new uses
Research trials underway across Canada are designed to learn more about hemp agronomy, varieties and production. Mike Gretzinger, research manager at Farming Smarter in Lethbridge, said various research groups are focusing on different aspects of the versatile crop, which can be used for seed, fibre, cannabinoid production and potentially livestock feed. Plots in Lethbridge include […] Read more
Canada proposes its own COOL regulations
It might seem hypocritical for Canada to be proposing country-of-origin labelling regulations at the same time it is railing against them in other countries. However, there is a subtle but important difference between the two, say senior officials of a couple of Canadian farm groups. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has published its proposed new […] Read more
Winter honeybee losses improve on Prairies
An average loss of 24 percent is lower than the previous year but still higher than what beekeepers would like to see
About 25 percent of Canadian bee colonies did not survive this winter. That’s average for the last decade or so, but higher than the deal losses of around 15 percent. “The national winter loss, including non-viable bee colonies, was 25.7 percent, with provincial losses ranging from 19.8 to 54.1 percent,” the Canadian Association of Professional […] Read more
Pea boom pressures prairie sector
Will Western Canada and its farmers be able to surf atop the tsunami of demand for plant-based proteins washing over grocery stores and restaurants? With a second pulse protein plant being built in Manitoba and Western Canada having a long-established track record as being a leading world producer and exporter of non-meat proteins, the region […] Read more
Too soon to count out Indian pulse crop
Seeding of India’s summer pulse crops is well behind normal and monsoon rains have been disappointing. But it is too soon to be counting on a short crop and increased imports, said Carl Potts, executive director of Saskatchewan Pulse Growers. “We’ve had other years where they were seemingly very far behind on getting the crop […] Read more
Soybean drop larger than expected in Manitoba
CARBERRY, Man. — Soybean acres in Manitoba are down 500,000 acres from 2018. Data from the Manitoba Agricultural Services Corporation, the provincial crop insurer, indicates that soybean acres will be 1.39 million in 2019. In comparison, Manitoba farmers planted 1.89 million acres of beans in 2018 and nearly 2.3 million acres in 2017. The 500,000 […] Read more
Austrian parliament backs EU’s first total ban of weedkiller glyphosate
VIENNA, (Reuters) – Austria’s lower house of parliament passed a bill earlier this month banning all uses of the weedkiller glyphosate, the first time a European Union country has taken such strong action against the chemical over concerns that it can cause cancer. Other EU countries have passed partial bans of glyphosate, developed by Bayer-owned Monsanto, although […] Read more
Canola maintains, soy loses
Despite soybean’s retreat, canola remained in positive territory. The bigger oilseed has remained in surplus as the Sino-American trade frictions wear on. Monday’s USDA crop condition report put half the American crop in good-to-excellent range, 35 percent in fair and 12 percent in poor-to-very-poor condition. The American soybean crop has seen significant weather delays. USDA […] Read more
Heat, shorts and covering raises crops
Canola rose on American soybean trades as the market in Chicago appeared to be busy covering short positions on the big oilseed. Combined with hot and dry weather in the region and the coming forecasts for the Midwest soybeans were up 20.25 US cents per bushel for August, September and November contracts. Soybeans finished the […] Read more
