Prevention and control | If you don’t need it, don’t use it, says a plant pathologist, who stresses proper crop rotations
A cereal pathologist with the Crop Development Centre in Saskatoon says conditions in Saskatchewan are ideal for cereal diseases this year. Randy Kutcher said in addition to well-known pathogens, growers should be on the lookout for fusarium and stripe rust, which were not even on the radar for many Saskatchewan producers a few years ago. […] Read moreNews
Fusarium, stripe rust strengthen as crop threats
2013 seed supply safe
GEORGETOWN, Ont. — Producers worry that the drought that has gripped the United States and Eastern Canada may threaten next year’s seed supply. But there is no cause for alarm, according to Canada’s largest seed supplier. DuPont Pioneer, which claims it sells twice as much seed in the Canadian market than its next largest competitor, […] Read more
Canola’s yield potential still to be tapped
GEORGETOWN, Ont. — Canola acres may be reaching a plateau in Western Canada, but yields are nowhere near their potential, according to a leading seed company. “We’re really just in the beginning, the early stages,” Dave Charne, global canola research director for DuPont Pioneer, told a group of journalists touring the company’s Georgetown Research Centre. […] Read more
Power line route opponents question need
Hinged on wind farm project? | Residents want to know if the transmission line is required if the wind project is nixed
TWIN BUTTE, Alta. — Southern Alberta residents in the path of a potential 240 kilovolt electrical line project are not convinced the line is needed for Alberta’s future electrical needs. They are also convinced the line is not wanted in their area south and east of Pincher Creek, on a route that skirts Waterton Lakes […] Read moreSaskatchewan funds CWD research
New funding from the Saskatchewan government will help officials continue to monitor the spread of chronic wasting disease, says the executive director of the Canadian Cooperative Wildlife Health Centre. The province recently announced a research grant of up to $170,000 for the centre. The CCWHC, with the co-operation of the environment ministry, operates a surveillance […] Read more
Alberta sheep make historic trip to Vietnam
It is an arduous trip by any standard: drive from Bowden, Alta., to Vancouver, board a commercial Lufthansa flight to Frankfurt, Germany, stop briefly before flying to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and then travel another 440 kilometres to Nha Trang. Fifteen sheep arrived in Vietnam July 9. They also made history as the first […] Read more
Farmers welcome plastic, twine recycling service
EDSON, Alta. — Farmers may soon have a solution to a nagging environmental problem. A pilot project in Yellowhead County in western Alberta allows producers to recycle unwanted twine and used agricultural plastic. “This is quite exciting because we know it’s going somewhere,” said George Wadey, who has started gathering the kilometres of twine from […] Read more
Experts thirst to find best barley for Japanese beer
Finding the right barley for a discriminating shochu drinker has been a long-term project for Japanese and Canadian researchers. Almost as popular as sake, sochu can be made from a variety of products, including sweet potatoes, rice and barley. Researchers are looking for suitable barley varieties because the alcoholic beverage’s distinct aroma and flavour depends […] Read more
Rural, urban Sask. boundaries shift
Provincial electoral boundaries are shifting in rural Saskatchewan under a proposed new electoral map released last week. The boundaries are being redrawn after the government passed legislation to add three seats to reflect the growing population. The total number of seats will rise from 58 to 61. When the legislation was introduced last December, the […] Read more
Lending agency has record profits
Strong market returns in a number of farm sectors last year helped the federal agricultural lender Farm Credit Canada to boost business and to post record profits. The Regina-based federal crown corporation reported last week that it recorded net income of $565 million in the fiscal year ended March 31, a 23 percent increase over […] Read more
