Crop Management
The organic industry is often asked, “but can organics feed the world?” The question seems to imply that “organic” is a warm and fuzzy idea or a trendy menu item, but certainly not a realistic system for addressing world hunger. As the world population hits seven billion, perhaps it is time to give the question […] Read more
Crop Management
Can organic production feed seven billion people?
Bin sight offers producers insight
FARGO, N.D. — The J-Mac is a simple grain level sight that made its debut at the Big Iron farm equipment show in Fargo this fall. It consists of a white nylon box that’s open to the grain bin on the inside and sealed on the outside with a clear, unbreakable polycarbonate window. Grain shows […] Read more
Flax grower remembers day of the Triffid
Allen Kuhlmann remembers when the Saskatchewan Flax Development Commission got the call that Triffid had been found in a Canadian shipment. “We didn’t believe it,” said the former chair of the commission. “As far as we felt, there was no Triffid.” Kuhlmann and the rest of the industry were convinced the European labs must have […] Read more
Barley takes quick action when disease begins attack
Quick reflexes aren’t generally associated with field crops, but new research indicates barley combats disease invaders within as little as five minutes of an attack. The discovery gives researchers new information that they hope will lead to development of long-term durable plant resistance to disease. Andy Kleinhofs, a plant geneticist and professor of crop and […] Read more
Flax honours war vets
Every year in November, millions of Canadians adorn themselves with a bright red poppy to honour the nation’s war veterans. Gordon Rowland, a former Saskatoon resident and University of Saskatchewan plant scientist, chose a different flower to recognize Canada’s war heroes. In a plant breeding career that spanned nearly 40 years, Rowland developed and named […] Read more
Canadian Wheat Board bill moving rapidly toward law
As early as next week, the House of Commons could end decades of debate by approving legislation that will abolish the Canadian Wheat Board wheat and barley single desk. On Nov. 3 after just three nights of committee study and debate on the historic legislation, a special legislative committee voted to send the bill back […] Read more
Poor crowds at pro-CWB rallies not sign of lack of support: professor
The poor turnouts at pro-Canadian Wheat Board rallies could be a sign of resignation, dejection and worry rather than proof of a lack of interest among farmers, says a leading expert on co-operatives. “If you’ve been a board supporter and you go to one of these things, it’s a reminder that it’s gone, or it’s […] Read more
Think-tank predicts bright future after single desk ends
The market-oriented George Morris Centre says the end of the Canadian Wheat Board monopoly will be good for the prairie grain economy, spurring investment and expanded acreage. The report last week from the Guelph, Ont.-based agricultural think tank was manna from heaven for Conservative MPs who were rushing a bill that will end the CWB […] Read more
Supply management dodging CWB
A leader in Canada’s protected supply managed sector is urging politicians not to drag supply management into the raucous debate over the future of the Canadian Wheat Board single desk. “We are urgently writing you today in response to the discourse that has been taking place and is having an unintended negative impact on supply […] Read more
Diesel price tops gasoline
It’s hard to imagine that a modest molecule of carbon and hydrogen can be sexy, but diesel is one of the sexiest investments on the planet at the moment, says an American petroleum analyst. “Everybody right now, if you talk to all the investment bankers and traders, they’ll tell you, ‘we love diesel, diesel is […] Read more
