An Alberta college noted for its cutting-edge smart farm plans to launch the first certificate program of its kind in Canada for indoor agriculture. There is a rising demand for skilled workers who can go beyond traditional horticulture to use advanced technologies, such as automation and robotics, said Jay Steeves, dean of the Werklund School […] Read more
News
Oat genomics: catching up to wheat and barley
Breeders can now connect individual genes in oats to desirable traits like water-use efficiency and beta-glucan in the grain
Canadian oat breeders could be entering a new era of innovation. Oats were lagging behind other cereal crops when it comes to genomic information, but the work of researchers from Canada, Australia, Europe, the United States and elsewhere is paying off. A global team of scientists have developed a reference genome for oats, which should […] Read more
Genetic modification happens often in nature
Researchers show that grasses frequently incorporate DNA from other species in a process called lateral gene transfer
When many people think about genetically modified crops, they think of altering plants in the lab so they can better cope with drought, disease and pests or be able to grow quicker. However, genetic modification is actually a natural occurrence, and research led by the University of Sheffield is the first to show the frequency […] Read more
Alberta, Sask. regions prepare for continued drought
The smaller St. Mary Reservoir has seen its levels rise to four percent of capacity from a low of two percent
The continuing drought across Alberta and parts of Saskatchewan are prompting warnings from the two provincial governments as precipitation remains elusive and moisture deficits extend into winter. “We need to make sure we have a plan in place to address these water shortages,” said Alberta’s Environment Minister Rebecca Schulz, warning of El Nino, which weather […] Read more
Trade panel rejects U.S. dairy complaint
OTTAWA (Reuters) —A trade dispute settlement panel set up under a major North American free trade agreement has rejected a U.S. complaint that Canada is improperly limiting access to its dairy market, an official report showed Nov. 24. The United States had accused Canada of not meeting obligations under the 2020 United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement to […] Read more
Genetics and management help herd efficiency
Improved genetics aren’t the entire solution to beef improvement, but they give producers better control over production systems, says a beef genetics professor. Bob Weaber of Kansas State University, spoke at Canadian Western Agribition during the Canadian Beef Breeds Council (CBBC) annual general meeting about how genetics correlate with sustainability.“I think that the challenge for […] Read more
Junior Beef Extreme winner at the end of junior career
The BMO Junior Beef Extreme at Canadian Western Agribition has 70 classes and about 100 junior exhibitors
At the interbreed female beef show at Canadian Western Agribition, the animals shown must be owned by the junior or their family. The champions from each breed return on the last day of the show for the announcement of extreme female champion, in the BMO Junior Beef Extreme. This year it consisted of 70 classes […] Read more
Mustard bio-fertilizer introduced to U.S. market
WINNIPEG — A Saskatoon company that specializes in bio-fertilizers and bio-controls is poised to expand into the United States. In November, the department of agriculture in Washington state granted a registration for a product called TerraSanteTM. MustGrow Biologics Corp. is the company behind TerraSante, a bio-fertility product that’s suited for high-value crops like potatoes, strawberries […] Read more
U.S. to release fuel subsidy guidance
Reuters — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said he was confident the Treasury Department would release guidance by the end of the year that would make it easier for sustainable aviation fuel made from corn-based ethanol to qualify for subsidies. The Biden administration faces a strong lobbying push from stakeholders in the U.S. Farm Belt […] Read more
Winter has been unusually warm and dry
Fall is officially over and we are starting meteorological winter, so let’s look at the fall weather numbers. Alberta had a very warm month compared to the long-term average. The Peace River region saw a mean monthly temperature around -1.2 C, which was a remarkable 6.5 C above average. The Edmonton region reported a mean […] Read more
