A pedigreed seed grower from Delisle, Sask., has agreed to pay restitution of $120,000 for his involvement in the illegal sale of seed protected under plant breeders’ rights. SeCan announced today that it has resolved a legal action against Leonard Junop and Junop Bros. Seed of Delisle, about 30 minutes west of Saskatoon. The case […] Read more
Crop Management — page 613
SeCan resolves plant breeders’ rights violation
Canola acres expected to double in southern U.S. Great Plains
Canola acres in Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas could reach 500,000 this year, say growers in the region. Great Plains Canola Association president Jeff Scott said farmers are scrambling to plant canola before the Oct. 10 crop insurance deadline. Acreage could double from last year if the weather holds. “Our estimates right now are somewhere between […] Read more
Manitoba canola crop 70 percent harvested
WINNIPEG (Reuters) — Manitoba farmers have harvested 70 percent of canola after favourable weather in the past week, according to the most recent weekly crop report from the government of the Western Canadian province. The spring cereals harvest is estimated at 85 to 90 percent complete. Flax is 25 percent complete, soybeans 50-60 percent complete […] Read more
Low pH diagnosis a cause for concern
Soil naturally becomes more acidic as it ages, gradually losing the capacity to grow crops as the pH drops. The question is, what can be done about it? “It’s a natural process,” said Don Flaten, a soil scientist at the University of Manitoba. “Soils acidify with age as water percolates through them.” Flaten said old […] Read more
Soil acidity: is the culprit nitrogen or zero till?
Levels of pH are gradually dropping where nitrogen is applied
Fields that become acidic almost overnight aren’t science fiction. Corn land around Bismarck, North Dakota, has become acidic in just a few years. It’s due to high rates of nitrogen fertilizer in combination with zero till practices, said local independent agricultural consultant Bob Amstrup. “We are creating an artificially low pH problem because of the […] Read moreAdding lime not feasible on large scale
Using lime to raise pH levels and rehabilitate acidic soil provides a major benefit for some crops but doesn’t affect others. Some of the top canola growing areas around Edmonton have been hit hard by clubroot. In addition to the usual list of tools used in fighting such a disease, researchers at the University of […] Read more
Video: First they took on milking, now robots run the barn
WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Producers often say part of farming’s appeal is that it gives them a direct, working relationship with land and livestock. However, some farm chores are best not tackled by people. The first robots began to handle commercial milking on dairy farms about 12 years. Earlier this month, half a dozen companies were […] Read more
Techs & Specs editorial opportunity
Techs & Specs is a premium editorial opportunity in Canada’s largest agricultural publication. Techs & Specs appears twice annually as a magazine supplement to The Western Producer. The Spring 2014 Edition, appearing April 4, will feature spraying and application equipment. Most self propelled machines have been updated for 2014. There are some new products and […] Read more
Research project leads to converting manure to energy
A green project at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) near Lanigan, Sask., turning solid manure into energy through their solid state anaerobic digester. The digester uses organic waste, such as manure, livestock feed or grass clippings, to produce gases. PAMI was contracted by the Saskatchewan Stock Growers Association, which received $51,000 from Agriculture Canada […] Read more
Food Safety Group Demands U.S. Probe In Tainting Of Alfalfa Crop
Sept 27 (Reuters) — A food-safety advocacy group demanded on Friday that the U.S. government investigate how a Washington state alfalfa crop became tainted with a genetically modified trait that was illegal when the seed was purchased. The Center for Food Safety said it was basing its legal petition on evidence that the seed used […] Read more
