How producers control the alfalfa weevil depends on how they use the crop. Insecticides are the best bet in alfalfa seed crops, while cutting is the way to go if it is to be used as forage. Manitoba Agriculture entomologist Brent Elliott said the alfalfa weevil overwinters on the Prairies as an adult beetle in […] Read more
Production
Weigh options for weevil control in alfalfa
Summer gatherings foster organic growth – Organic Matters
The summer calendar is filled with opportunities for growth in the organic community. A number of organic groups host field days over the summer, which provide opportunities to tour fields, discuss issues and celebrate the organic community. Steve, Robert and Rosemary Snider of Little Red Hen Mills near Edberg, Alta., hosted an event sponsored by […] Read more
Manure 101: Holland improves what goes in to reduce what comes out
The Netherlands has a population of 16.7 million people living on 34,000 sq. kilometres of land, half of which is below sea level. The country produced 20 million pigs per year in the 1980s and had major dairy and poultry industries. Despite the country’s small size, it was a big net exporter of food. The […] Read more
New sensor monitors plant health
LETHBRIDGE – Farmers have been telling plants’ fortunes for thousands of years by reading their leaves. Electronic tools are building on that experience and a new one is now being tested in Western Canada. Called Dualex and made by the French manufacturer Force A, it adds to two others, the Green Seeker and SPAD meter, […] Read more
Swinging shelf reduces clutter, keeps tools handy
Big, heavy tools can be a pain to store. Rather than have these tools take up valuable space on top of a workbench, Ken and Jason Sawby devised a way to store them underneath yet be easily accessible when needed. “I’ve got the inch and the three-quarter drive sockets, and you don’t use them very […] Read more
Corn-on-corn needs zinc, sulfur
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An agronomist with a major fertilizer manufacturer says fertility is becoming a growing concern as the ethanol-induced boost in corn prices encourages farmers to grow the crop continuously rather than in a multi-crop rotation. “We’ve had a two to three year bad trend, where farmers were cutting back on (phosphorus and potassium) […] Read more
New Products
New Bobcat skid steer The new Bobcat S100 skid-steer loader replaces the Bobcat 553. With a narrow, 50 inch width, including the bucket, it can work in tight quarters. In addition to its 1,000 pound rated operating capacity, the S100 loader features a four cylinder, 33.5 horsepower diesel engine and a lift height of 8.5 […] Read more
Half-rate end nozzles reduce crop damage
HEARNE, Sask. – An overlap during spraying will apply a double rate of chemical on part of the field. That might be OK with a fungicide or insecticide, but herbicides are a different story. A double rate of Sencor, for example, can severely damage or kill young lentil and chickpea seedlings. Darren Watson grows lentils […] Read more
New Products
Low profile poly tanks Free Form Plastic Products has introduced its new line-up of low profile liquid tanks. The poly tanks are available in black, white or an algae prevention design. The exterior of the tank is white to reflect the sun’s heat and the interior is black to block ultraviolet rays. The tank is […] Read more
Put a lid on it, a really big lid
BRANDON – Farmers often find that when they improve efficiency at one point in an operation, a bottleneck is created somewhere else. Bigger combine headers lead to bigger tanks, bigger grain trucks and carts, bigger grain bins and bigger augers. But it doesn’t stop there. The latest 16 inch auger creates a new bottleneck at […] Read more
