WINNIPEG – A Bourgault advertising campaign proclaiming the “Fork in the Road” and “Results Are In!” has touched off a debate between researchers and the company and left farmers wondering which seeding system is best. The campaign, which ran this winter, stated that “In a dry year, side banding has been proven to reduce canola […] Read more
Production — page 95
Side band vs. mid row: debate generates controversy
New Products
Half-top trailer Featherlite’s new Model 8131 livestock trailer is a half-top gooseneck design. The first of its kind at Featherlite, the trailer has an open roof for optimum airflow from the centre gate to the rear of the trailer. It is manufactured with premium, corrosion-resistant aluminum that is light to tow yet strong enough to […] Read more
Organic agriculture and biodiversity: is there a link? – Organic Matters
Organic farming can increase the diversity of plants and animals, according to a recent analysis of more than 180 studies. The analysis showed that on average, the number of species increased about 30 percent in organic systems and the number of individual plants and animals was 50 percent greater on organic farms. These results were […] Read more
Give seeding system spring overhaul
Agricultural engineer Lawrence Papworth doesn’t think there’s any magic involved in getting the best possible performance out of an air drill or air seeder. Papworth, with the Ag Tech Centre in Lethbridge, says it’s a matter of doing a whole bunch of things right. In the past, Papworth said, growers have tried installing seed brakes […] Read more
Pea-barley mixture produces high silage yield
Growing peas and barley together for silage produced the highest dry matter yield in a two-year study in central Alberta. In the study, which was conducted in 2004 and 2005, barley, faba beans, lupins and peas were grown alone and the results were compared to intercropping barley with each of those crops. No commercial fertilizer […] Read more
New Products
Irrigation scheduling tool An updated version of the M.K. Hansen AM400 soil moisture data logger provides enhanced graphic display. Farmers can view a display on the built-in LCD screen that shows a graph of the average soil moisture reading from selected sensors for the previous five weeks. The display helps a producer identify critical soil […] Read more
Seed damage caused by air or error?
If 100 canola seeds are planted, slightly more than half survive and mature into viable plants. The remaining seeds succumb to the many perils they encounter from the time they leave a seed bin back at the yard until the combine rumbles over in August. If a farmer is seeding his own bin-run canola, it’s […] Read more
Seed early for best shot at malting barley
RED DEER – The most beneficial agronomic practices for malting barley production in southern Alberta are early seeding and appropriate rates of nitrogen fertilizer. “My simple rule of thumb is, if you target what your yield potential is, what you probably need is around 1.2 pounds of nitrogen (per bushel per acre) – soil nitrogen […] Read more
Field pea trials predict ascochyta:
Ascochyta blight is a fungal disease that under favourable conditions can severely reduce field pea yields and cause crop lodging. In 2005, field trials were conducted in north-central Alberta to evaluate pea yield response, thousand-kernel weight, standability and level of ascochyta infection of seeds when the fungicide Headline was applied. Five sites were chosen in […] Read more
New Products
Wild oats herbicide The Gowan Company recently introduced X-tra Strength Avadex BW for wild oat control. This is a more highly concentrated form of Avadex BW herbicide in an easy to handle formulation. X-tra Strength Avadex has more active ingredient per litre, which means lower use rates and logistical and warehousing advantages not enjoyed by […] Read more
