Excellence award offered to agricultural students
Farm Management Canada and the Canadian Association of Diploma in Agriculture Programs have launched the 2016-17 Excellence Award for agricultural students.
The national competition is designed to encourage agricultural students to improve their critical thinking, communication and leadership skills.
Three winners will be awarded with scholarships toward furthering their education in agriculture. First place is $1,500.
Students need to submit a multimedia presentation, a video, a Twitter chat, a blog or a Wiki, responding to the question: “Certain segments of the general public question the way food is produced, and have misgivings about the use of new technology. What concrete steps would you, as a future member of the agricultural industry, propose to bridge the information and awareness gap?”
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All applications must be received no later than May 5.
For more information, visit fmc-gac.com.
B.C. greenhouse peppers sold in Japan
The federal government has secured new market access in Japan for greenhouse peppers from British Columbia. Exports could reach $20 million a year, according to the B.C. Greenhouse Growers’ Association.
Japan is a key destination for Canadian agricultural products, and the new market access will allow B.C. greenhouse growers to take advantage of the many opportunities.
International exports of fresh peppers were valued at $330 million last year, while B.C. exports of fresh peppers totalled $90 million.
Japanese imports of fresh peppers from all countries were valued at $169 million last year.
High school students connect with agriculture
Ag for Life and Monsanto Canada are collaborating to provide in-class agriculture programming to Alberta high school students.
The new Agriculture 101: Food and Farming Junior/Senior High education program allows students to interactively explore aspects of where their food comes from.
Teachers can select a comprehensive theme, such as environmental sustainability, or they can choose from a list of topics such as genetic modification, pesticide use, technology or agriculture marketing.
Students will explore how the current food production system affects human health, the environment, society and culture.
The program aims to bridge the widening gap of agricultural awareness and understanding as more families are disconnected from the agricultural community.
For more information, visit www.agricultureforlife.ca.
Swede midge survey results released
Alberta Agriculture staff surveyed 42 canola sites in central Alberta in late July and detected very low density Swede midge larvae.
Researchers would typically find one to five single bell-shaped flowers on 100 canola plants or 250 canola racemes
At each site, racemes (flowering stalks) on canola plants were assessed for typical bell damage to the flowers. These flowers were then dissected, either in the field or later in the laboratory, to confirm whether or not Swede midge larvae were present.
The survey looked at 10 plants at 10 sites in each field for the first 20 fields and then switched to 25 racemes at 10 sites for the last half of the survey. Results of the survey were described and mapped as being one of the following:
- Swede midge found — flowers with Swede midge-type damage and containing larvae
- Suspect damage due to Swede midge — Flowers with Swede midge-type damage but containing no larvae
- No Swede midge found — No flowers showing Swede midge-type damage
Results are shown on the Swede midge survey map on Alberta Agriculture’s website. The survey will be repeated next summer.
