Glacier FarmMedia – Intercropping can have significant benefits for extended grazing cattle on shoulder seasons, says Emma McGeough, associate professor in the department of animal sciences at the University of Manitoba. She and her research team of graduate students have been working for the last number of years on the intercropping of corn for fall […] Read more
Tag Archives intercropping
Caution needed when feeding brassica forages to cattle
Polycrops have become a more commonplace method of feeding beef cattle in Western Canada over the past number of years. They may also be known as intercrops, cover crops or cocktail crops but all involve a mixture of plant species that may range from three to more than 20 species. Polycrops can provide grazing when […] Read more
Weed management sees new future
Intercropping, predictive weed control could redraw the battle lines in the fight against herbicide resistant weeds
Herbicide resistance in weeds is rising and there are no new chemistries on the horizon, so farmers will need fresh approaches to integrated weed management strategies. “I think the best management practice that someone could do for weed resistance is the one you’re not currently doing on your farm,” said Rory Cranston, technical strategy lead […] Read more
VIDEO: Study tackles corn’s protein problem
CARMAN, Man. — Standing on a patch of bare soil and next to a plot of corn in south-central Manitoba, Talyia Tober delivered a two-minute explanation of her research on corn grazing and seeding high-protein forage crops between the rows of corn. Then the questions started. A group of agronomists, scientists and others touring the […] Read more
Innovation in intercropping saves time
Infield separator allows crops to be sorted before leaving the field to simplify both on-farm storage and sales
MIDALE, Sask. — The long winter’s work of separating mixed crops is getting easier on Rosengren Farms. Colin Rosengren has been intercropping for 20 years and staff used to spend months cleaning and separating grain after harvest. So, he designed and built an infield separating system to do exactly what it says: separate each crop […] Read more
Pollinator strips experiment underway
Customers of Regina-based Avena Foods see how their ingredients are grown on south Saskatchewan farms
GRIFFIN, Sask. — Organic farmer Shannon Knibbs took a leap of faith this year. She seeded nine quarters to intercrops and tried a pollinator strip. The five-acre pollinator strip is supported by Once Upon a Farm, an American organic company in which actress Jennifer Garner is involved that produces, among other things, oat bars and […] Read more
Trip to Rwanda shows conservation ag benefits
Foodgrains bank employees found that applying techniques to Africa’s challenging production conditions tripled yields
An image of two plants is imprinted in Luke Lorentz’s mind after his recent trip to Rwanda. They’re either sweet potatoes or cassava. One was grown with conservation agriculture techniques and one was grown without. The latter plant produced a few stringy vines and two small tubers. The other one, grown using conservation agriculture techniques, […] Read more
Sask. crop trials focus on intercrops, humic acid
The South East Research Farm continues its chickpea-flax work and is trying to determine the facts on humic acid
Glacier FarmMedia – The next round of trials and intercrop mixes are in the ground at the South East Research Farm in Redvers, Sask. Lana Shaw, research manager at SERF, has a few projects she deems particularly noteworthy, among them tests of humic acid application with nitrogen fertilizer. Winter and spring camelina genetic mixes are […] Read more
Corn-soybean intercropping put to grazing test
Brett McRae is spicing up his corn grazing system this year. He’s got more than one variety growing — a grazing-oriented option and the typical silage corn — but the real experiment is happening beneath the canopy. This year, the corn shared space with forage soybean and hairy vetch. The beans were “very impressive,” he […] Read more
Companies collaborate on intercropping research
The program seeks to learn the impact of regenerative farming on soil health, biodiversity and nutrient density. The hope is to create a blueprint for farmers.
