Crop Management
WINNIPEG — Almost every one of the millions of distinct species that live on Earth has a natural enemy that will consume or destroy it if given half a chance. That biological reality explains why Vladimir Vujanovic, a University of Saskatchewan microbiologist, was particularly excited when he discovered a fungus that could destroy one of […] Read more
Crop Management
Discovery of biological control benefits resistant varieties
Concave designers think inside the box
Changing concaves to match every crop and field condition might improve axial flow combine performance, but it’s a grueling time-consuming task. John Deere STS owners understand the benefits of an aggressive concave for tough conditions and a smooth concave that’s gentle on canola, but it’s hard to justify taking time to change concaves in the […] Read more
Combine owners test Sunnybrook boxes
Sunnybrook put a number of box style concaves into farmer-owned STS combines for real-world field-testing during the 2011 harvest. Each farmer had access to the four types of boxes. Shawn Abel of Calmar, Alta. , installed a box style concave on his 9750. “In wheat, we ran the 45 degree max thresh on the first […] Read more
Is now the right time to move to organic production?
It’s been a rough couple years for organic producers on the Prairies. They’ve been hit hard by factors largely outside their control: weather and markets. Problems with weather are not unique to organic producers nor to the last couple years, but the recent weather problems have been unusual. We are more used to drought than […] Read more
Roof rake safely tackles dangerous snow pack
FARGO, N.D. — Keeping snow off roofs is time consuming and dangerous but also necessary to prevent structural damage and cave-ins. A 60-foot telescoping aluminum arm attached to a front end loader might solve the annual snow removal hassle. Progress Farm and Mechanical Innovations was formed in 2006 to develop new products to make farming […] Read more
Mobility key to fighting remote fires
FARGO, N.D. — It’s no fun watching a $500,000 combine go up in flames in the middle of a field while a $1 million fire truck sits helplessly on the gravel road. Farmers and rural volunteer firefighters who have experienced the frustration of trying to get firefighting equipment to isolated targets may now have an […] Read more
Field experience: a few machines I remember well
I was born and raised on a small mixed farm and started out working on other peoples’ farms. I studied farm machinery in technical school and after graduation in 1970, moved to Steinbach, Man., to work at an Allis and Massey Ferguson dealer. After three years there I became a regional service representative for Massey. […] Read more
Ensure equipment in good order for better canola crop yields
BROOKS, Alta. – This year’s canola crop is in the bin but it’s never too early to start thinking about the next crop, says Troy Prosofsky of the Canola Council of Canada. The agronomy specialist for southern Alberta is spending part of his winter telling growers how to improve their crop stand to increase the […] Read more
Information sharing revives oats
Just a few years ago, oat researchers feared that the crop might disappear from North American fields. However, desperate action and a rare case of co-operation is now leading them to think they have not only stopped oats’ disappearance but caught up to wheat and barley breeders. “The oat community was so far down, we […] Read more
Canola yield potential largely untapped: agrologist
Prairie producers aren’t realizing the full potential of canola, says an expert on the increasingly popular oilseed. With proper management, producers should be able to see an 80 bushel per acre yield on the crop, explained Phil Thomas, a senior agri-coach at Agri-Trend. Thomas presented his case for proper canola management at the Agri-Trend 2011 […] Read more
