Crop Management
Move over crab apples, chokecherries and saskatoons. There are new fruit trees in town and they’re taking over yard space. Traditional fruits remain popular but plant breeders have been working to develop others that appeal to the prairie palate and climate. Dean and Sylvia Kreutzer are at the forefront of some of this work. Their […] Read more
Crop Management
Start your spring tune up in winter
We typically don’t place as much value on our lawn and garden hand tools as our power tools. Take a quick inventory of the hand tools hanging on the garage wall and multiply that number by, say, $40 or $50. All of a sudden, you’re looking at a dollar figure that probably equals the price […] Read more
Value of shelterbelts evident when wind blows
There was a time, during early settlement of the Prairies, that homesteaders believed it was impossible to grow trees and became resigned to a wind-swept existence. Seedlings brought in from Eastern Canada failed to grow because they were non-hardy species. Tenacious farmers using native species had better success in establishing the first shelterbelts. The Canadian […] Read more
Hardy plant varieties make the garden grow
Planning and design
Dry conditions are more common on the Prairies than excess moisture, the last two years notwithstanding. Gardeners are well aware of this and many have embraced the concepts of xeriscaping that include practical ways to use water in yards and gardens. June Flanagan knows all about gardening in dry areas. The Lethbridge author was a […] Read moreLoad above ground causes damage below
The damage is permanent once high axle loads have compacted lower subsoil to the point where it has a hardpan layer. That’s one of the conclusions reached by Penn State researchers after participating in 20 soil compaction studies throughout the northern latitudes of Europe and North America, some of which ran for 12 years. The […] Read more
Double Barrel Pit enables optimal auger capacity
Producers who have trouble keeping their 16-inch auger working at full capacity may want to consider a 22,000-bushel per hour drive-over pit. That’s the capacity of the new drive-over Double Barrel Pit from Pit Express in Quincy, Illinois. “It’s designed specifically for the 16 inch auger market,” Pit Express owner Steve Mast said about his […] Read more
Canadian solar industry promotes solar energy strategies
There isn’t one collective association that represents all renewable energy interests. Renewable energy operates in sectors such as biofuel, biomass, wind and solar, and each sector association is a self-promoter. Each develops goals and objectives that they believe represent themselves positively and uses a variety of means to ensure that its message is heard. Each […] Read more
Hard problems solved with tillage tools
FARGO, N.D. — The old myth about the freeze-thaw cycle breaking up hardpan is just that, according to researchers. “People used to believe there’s no soil compaction on the Prairies because of our cold winters, but that’s not true,” said Todd Botterill of Botterill Sales in Newton, Man. “Penn State studied compaction all around the […] Read more
2,4-D study finds problems with absorbing too much protein
The herbicide 2,4-D has had a sound crop safety record since its introduction in 1945, gaining health and safety regulatory approval in more than 100 countries. However, a recent study threatens to tarnish that reputation if accepted by the wider agricultural science community. Angus Murphy, a horticulture department professor from Perdue University, discovered during a […] Read more
Spraying for fusarium worth its weight
WINNIPEG — Wheat flowering used to be one of the most stressful times of the growing season for Neil Galbraith, who farms 3,000 acres north of Minnedosa, Man. Galbraith would become agitated in the middle of summer when high humidity and other factors created the ideal conditions for fusarium head blight to flourish on his […] Read more
