ST. JEAN, Man. – Red River Valley farmers didn’t have a problem with soybean aphids last summer. “We almost didn’t see one,” said Manitoba Agriculture oilseed specialist Bruce Brolley. That’s bad news for this year, because soybean aphids tend to have a two year cycle. Brolley spoke to a roomful of eager farmers at St. […] Read more
Production
Soybean aphid could affect Manitoba crop
New gene, strategy to fight midge
New midge tolerant wheat will be available to all farmers in 2009 and 2010. Federal seed regulations must first be amended to allow varietal blends to be certified for sale and the grain industry must decide how to protect the insect resistance within the plants. Orange wheat blossom midge damage costs Canadian farmers more than […] Read more
Survey gathers agricultural data
For a little of their time and some information about their farm’s setup, producers at the Crop Production Show last week in Saskatoon had a chance to win a 1:32 scale miniature Caterpillar combine. “Producers are a little tired of filling out surveys, so I needed something to draw them in,” said Leigh Anderson with […] Read more
Meeting organic research needs in Sask. past and future – Organic Matters
The Saskatchewan agriculture ministry will highlight organic research at a workshop it is hosting in Saskatoon Feb. 8. The workshop will bring researchers and producers together to discuss the types of organic research that have been done in the past, recent findings and the types of research infrastructure that already exist. It will also begin […] Read more
New Products
Tarp mounts The Grabbit Tool Co. has developed a new collection of tarp management products. Tarp mounts come in three sizes: the Long Grabbit is 20 inches long, the EZ Grabbit is six inches long and the Mini Grabbit is 1.5 inches long. Grabbits can be used to mount tarps to structures, seam multiple tarps […] Read more
Resistant weeds stalk zero till
Robert Stevenson hitched up his cultivator in 2007. It was only for a 10 acre patch of bothersome foxtail barley, but it was the first time in years that the farmer from Kenton, Man., had needed to till for weed control. The pedigreed seed grower put half of his farm into zero till in 1974. […] Read more
One molecule runs the zero-till show
Zero tillage hinges on the effectiveness of one molecule – glyphosate, says Rick Holm, a weed specialist from the University of Saskatchewan. “If we lose glyphosate for whatever reason, the system is in big trouble.” Holm said he does not see a problem in the foreseeable future, but emphasizes that producers must be as prudent […] Read more
Strategic tillage possible in zero-till fields
Is strategic tillage a step backward for zero-till agriculture? Many would say yes, but others argue it’s the next logical step forward in the evolution of zero-till science. What began in the 1970s as a seed drill experiment to address wind and water erosion has become the accepted way to grow crops on the Prairies. […] Read more
Residual glyphosate can lurk in soil
Producers need to be aware of the side effects that can occur in their soil when they use glyphosate, says a professor emeritus in botany and plant diseases at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. “We need to recognize that any time we have a major change in agricultural practice, we’re going to change a […] Read more
Glyphosate affects roots
Drip rates of glyphosate can reduce root uptake of manganese to less than 20 percent, but have little effect on root uptake of iron and zinc, says an American crop scientist. Drip rates are 2.5 percent of the recommended herbicide rate. “But when you look at translocation from the root to the rest of the […] Read more
