Insects don’t pay attention to borders so entomologists have been given more funding to also breach those boundaries to monitor and research pests in Western Canada. Owen Olfert of Agriculture Canada’s Saskatoon Research Centre said the addition of $10,000 of producer contributions to funding and support from federal and provincial sources has made the Insect […] Read more
Production
Western bug watch focuses on key areas
Farmers’ blues strike positive note
ABBOTSFORD, B.C. – Blueberries have become a major agricultural crop in British Columbia and new research funding is expected to aid the industry. The federal government has allocated $185,000 in funding to the B.C. Blueberry Council for three projects. The funding will support two research projects that will prevent the introduction and spread of blueberry […] Read more
Straw’s nutrient value in question
Your 2008 straw is no different from your 2005 straw, except your new straw cost a lot more money to grow because of soaring input costs. That presents a dilemma: Do you chop the straw and leave it on the surface to recover long-term nutrient value, or do you bale and sell it to recover […] Read more
New Products
Big grass cutter John Deere expands its rotary cutter line with addition of the MX15 mower designed as a pasture management tool or for farms where larger areas of grass require precision cutting. The 15 foot wide cutter is aimed at smaller horsepower yard and utility tractors and can cut material up to two inches […] Read more
Finding ideal combine settings requires work
It’s important that producers set their combines correctly before heading onto the field this harvest season. Threshing is a key area. It is accomplished by rubbing unthreshed material between two rough surfaces: the concave and the rub bars on the rotating cylinder. Material enters the front of the concave from the feeder chain and travels […] Read more
Slow seeding helps canola make debut
LACOMBE, Alta. – Speed doesn’t just kill drivers; it also kills canola seed. Canola seeded fast and deep had 40 to 45 percent reduction in emergence than canola seeded shallow and slow in test plots near Lacombe. “It’s pretty dramatic,” said Neil Harker, a research scientist with Agriculture Canada’s Lacombe Research Centre. A trial comparing […] Read more
Fertilizer tanks go vertical
ROSENORT, Man. – If a new piece of farm equipment pays for itself within two years, you can be pretty sure it is a wise investment. Last year, in an attempt to avoid big nitrogen price hikes, a lot of farmers made that investment, buying new fertilizer tanks to allow early delivery of their 2008 […] Read more
Weather, input cost hurt Manitoba hay production
Manitoba hay production could end up being much lower than last year, and the resulting higher prices are likely to inflict even more pain on the province’s cattle producers. Hay jumped from 2.5 cents per pound in 2007 to 3.5 cents this spring, and that was for last year’s leftover bales, according to Manitoba Agriculture […] Read more
Hungry beetle takes on canola crop pest
LACOMBE, Alta. – It is estimated root maggot in canola costs farmers $100 million in crop losses each year, but researchers are hoping a tiny pest with a voracious appetite can help reduce the damage. Lloyd Dosdall, entomologist with the University of Alberta, said he’s hoping Aleochara, a beetle that can eat up to 23 […] Read more
New Products
Rotor rake Kuhn has released a new large capacity, twin rotor rake. The centre delivery unit will turn and speed drying for high capacity haying. The GA 7501 has a 24 1/2 foot width. The nearly 11 foot rotors are fitted with 11 tine arms, which are adjustable for building four foot, seven inch to […] Read more
