Researching variations in how crops absorb light and assimilate carbon dioxide could help make plants more productive
Researchers at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, hope to make plants more productive by looking at variations in how different crops absorb light and assimilate carbon dioxide. They focused on cowpeas, also known as black-eyed peas. “Cowpea is an important legume in Africa, especially West Africa, which is responsible for 80 percent of the cowpea […] Read moreNews
Researchers decode genetics of agriculture pests
Mapping the genome of the screwworm and thrip may help scientists develop new control measures for the insects
Researchers have decoded the genome of two agricultural pests — the parasitic New World screwworm and thrips. The screwworm feeds on the flesh of livestock and thrips are tiny insects that transmit viruses to crops such as tomatoes, soybean, cannabis, and commercial flowers. University of Cincinnati researchers hope to develop new control measures. The New […] Read more
Maple Leaf embraces ESG
Not long ago, corporations would issue straightforward financial reports with data on things like earnings growth and return on assets. Then, an analyst from Wall Street or Bay Street would go through the financials and give the company a thumbs up, or thumbs down, on its performance. That simplistic approach to corporate reporting is long […] Read more
Sask. transload facility planned
A privately owned rail transloading facility at Weyburn, Sask., is expected to open in January. Carter Stewart, operations general manager for Weyburn Industrial Transload, said the required 6,500 sq. feet of rail line has been built and after some test runs and ensuring the computer system works, the facility will open. It’s designed to transfer […] Read more
FCL expands fertilizer hub
Three years after opening, an expansion project is underway at the Co-op Fertilizer Terminal in Brandon that will increase storage capacity by more than 30 percent. Due to increased customer demand, the estimated $5 million expansion project will add 9,000 tonnes of storage capacity to the existing structure for a total of 36,500 tonnes when […] Read more
Ag Notes
Nuffield scholarships awarded The $15,000 Nuffield Canada Scholarships were awarded to four individuals this year: Amy Cronin from Ontario, sponsored by Grain Farmers of Ontario, is a hog and cash crop producer alongside husband, Mike. The pair also farm in Iowa and Missouri. Cronin plans to study risk management strategies implemented by successful farm businesses, […] Read more
Western Canada takes over spud production
Manitoba and Alberta were the number one and two potato-producing provinces in 2020, thanks in large part to hot weather and poor yields in Prince Edward Island. Statistics Canada data, released early December, said nationwide potato production was 104.2 million hundredweight, down 1.3 percent from 2019. However, the data also shows a massive yield gap […] Read more
Lack of detail in U.K. trade deal raises concern
Despite boasting of signing a transitional agreement, Canada may not have a trade deal ready with the United Kingdom by the time 2021 rolls around. Exporters could be forced to pay British tariffs if the deal isn’t ratified into law by the end of the year. Canada’s International Trade Minister Mary Ng has failed to […] Read more
Prairie provinces have AgriStability proposal concerns
Prairie provinces continue to review the federal government’s proposed changes to AgriStability, but already it seems unlikely they will accept them. During the final day of federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers’ meeting on Nov. 27, Ottawa proposed removing the program’s maximum reference margin and increasing the compensation rate from 70 to 80 percent (retroactive to 2020, and […] Read more
Biobed advocate honoured for conservation work
The late Claudia Sheedy, a research scientist with Agriculture Canada, is this year’s recipient of the Orville Yanke award. It is issued annually to recognize leadership and contributions in southern Alberta soil conservation. Sheedy was instrumental in researching and disseminating information on biobeds, a method of eliminating pesticide residue from the rinsate in crop sprayer […] Read more
