Livestock waterer SPI Livestock Waterers has added a new electric waterer to its line of products. The EE10NG livestock waterer can be wall or floor mounted and requires no tools for installation. The double walled, non-corrosive, moulded polyethylene waterer is insulated and non siphoning and it contains a 250 watt submersible heater to protect against […] Read more
Production
New Products
Triticale may have industrial uses
LETHBRIDGE – Triticale made its reputation as a good silage crop but 130 researchers across Canada are investigating its suitability as a source for plastics, fibre and energy. The triticale initiative is a federal-provincial program to accelerate development of the crop for industrial purposes including ethanol production. “The goal is to have an industrial biorefining […] Read more
Early burnoff hikes wheat yields
EDMONTON – Winter annuals are forget-me-nots. This weed type has been ignored with the move to crops seeded directly into stubble. Most producers do a simple spring burnoff ahead of the seed drill and the problem is solved. Or is it? Plant researcher Ken Sapsford of the University of Saskatchewan found that winter annuals need […] Read more
Pre-seeding service pays
LETHBRIDGE – Spring servicing of air seeder carts and drills has become more complex and important with each new model and its new technology. However, barring any leftover fertilizer hardened to the consistency of concrete in the tanks, most air carts have become easier to service, say the companies that build and sell them. Don […] Read more
New weapons for weed control
EDMONTON – Ken Sapsford says weed control has never been more challenging, nor have producers had better tools to deal with unwanted plants. The plant science researcher from the University of Saskatchewan told producers attending the Farm Tech Conference in Edmonton last month that new herbicides and more awareness of weed control strategies are helping […] Read more
Biofuel plant hinges on co-products
WINNIPEG – When the founders of Milligan Bio-Tech first set up the company in the early 1990s, one key fact of Canadian life was pivotal to their business plan. Canada is a net exporter of petroleum products. Farmers and biofuel developers here are unlikely to ever see the level of government incentives available in Europe […] Read more
New Products
Hydraulic oil Shell Canada has launched a new hydraulic oil that can help industrial companies and equipment operators reduce downtime and improve productivity. Shell Tellus is designed to extend maintenance intervals, protect equipment and provide flexibility in maintenance and operating schedules. The company said its new formulation reduces corrosion, contamination, sludge buildup, filter blocking and […] Read more
Test seed before it’s planted
LETHBRIDGE – The sins of the fall will be felt by the seedlings of spring. Tough harvest conditions in many parts of the Prairies last fall are creating challenges for producers this spring, say seed labs and seed growers. Bob Mastin of Mastin Seeds in Sundre, Alta., said producers should treat their seed this year. […] Read more
Select pulse fields based on moisture
MOOSE JAW, Sask. – Moisture is the limiting factor for most pulse crops in the brown and dark brown soil zones of southern Saskatchewan. Provincial soil specialist Ken Panchuk said producers should select fields on which to grow pulses based on moisture availability, not nitrogen. Since pulses don’t require additional nitrogen fertilizer, moisture is the […] Read more
Weed problem severity unaffected by farmers’ tillage system
Approaches to tillage have little effect on whether fields have high weed populations. After examining weed population data in 2,046 Saskatchewan fields and correlating it with 1,010 farming practice surveys, Gord Thomas of Agriculture Canada in Saskatoon said the number of weeds in a field doesn’t relate to the type of tillage. “It appears that […] Read more
