Crop Management
Innovations Planters and drills are expected to adopt more precise electric drive systems
PORTAGE LA PRAIRIE, Man. — Electric drive systems will gradually become the norm as farmers demand greater precision in their seeding systems, says independent agricultural consultant Bill Lehmkuhl. Lehmkuhl said when Kevin Anderson first installed Norac electric motors on his metering systems 15 years ago, he introduced a technology that will eventually become the standard […] Read more
Crop Management
A harrowing experience at 10 m.p.h.
BRANDON — It’s late June, past the crop insurance deadline. Eight thousand soggy acres still need to be seeded to canola. Tractors move but drills and carts sink. That’s the situation Morris Feduk of Melville, Sask., faced 11 months ago. Always one to try pulling a magic rabbit out of his hat, Feduk floated on […] Read more
Weed of the Week: dandelion
Like many plants we now call weeds, dandelion was brought to the new world as a useful plant. It has a history of being used as a medicinal herb and as food and feed for people and livestock. It might be an annoyance in a lawn, but it causes significant yield reductions in grain and […] Read more
Dairy farm biodigester will be the first to operate in Manitoba
Manitoba’s first dairy-based mesophillic anaerobic digester is in the final stages of testing and is expected to be ready for operation this fall. It is on the Sweetridge dairy farm south of Winkler. It is a pioneering project that must withstand the cold Manitoba winter, which many people say will kill the sensitive bacteria critical […] Read more
Singulation and spacing are not the same thing
Planting corn | Don’t ignore tube errors, says seeding expert
PORTAGE la PRAIRIE, Man. — People new to the nuances often assume that singulation and uniform spacing go hand in hand. “Not true,” corn planter guru Bill Lehmkuhl told a corn planter school sponsored by Pioneer Seeds earlier this spring. “Singulation and uniform spacing are two totally different issues,” he said. “The word singulation refers […] Read more
Producers can salvage a crop with shallow seeding
Drill setup | A late start and poor conditions leave growers with little room for error
Late snow melt? Cold soil? Too much rain? Tough seeding into mud? Short growing season? It doesn’t mean this year’s canola crop necessarily has to be a crop failure. Agronomists say there’s one opportunity to rescue the canola season, and if it isn’t done right the first time, there won’t be another chance until 2014. […] Read more
Weed of the Week: White cockle
It might look like other night flowering weeds, such as catchfly, but this invasive pest is expanding rapidly through reduced tillage fields in Western Canada. The pest typically shows up as white flowers amongst a yellow canola crop, where it competes for water and fertilizer resources. It is a tough weed to control for many […] Read more
Digesters unlock manure’s potential
There’s no doubt anaerobic digesters work, but making them economically viable in Canada’s extreme prairie winter is another matter. Anaerobic digesters use heat to convert biomass, whether it’s for generating electricity or producing environmentally friendly materials. There are two types of digesters: the more common mesophillic digestion system that functions at 35 C and thermophillic […] Read more
Seed treatments for 2013 offer several changes and some new products
Seed treatments have taken a step forward this year with the addition of new fungicide Group 7 products. The new products, along with expanded labels, mean producers have new options for controlling soil borne pests and early season insects. The new products also reduce reliance on existing fungicidal seed treatments and in some cases enhance […] Read more
Better water makes better glyphosate
Better burn off | High quality water provides a strong foundation for spring weed control
Farmers need to pay attention to their water when spraying glyphosate, says Chelsea Norheim of Rack Petroleum in Biggar, Sask. “With all spray solutions, 99 percent of what you spray out is water,” the agrologist said. “It only makes sense that water should be the first thing you should be looking at in terms of […] Read more
