Anhydrous ammonia, usually used for crop fertilizer, can also help livestock producers get the most out of their winter feed.  |   Alexis Stockford photo

Anhydrous ammonia boosts forage

If done safely, ammoniated forage can encourage livestock to eat more and result in better nutrition and less spoilage

Glacier FarmMedia – Anhydrous ammonia has long been a critical input for Manitoba’s field crops — now it’s also increasingly finding its way onto livestock operations as a feed enrichment strategy. Molasses has historically been used to enrich lower value forages, but when used safely, farmers are finding anhydrous ammonia can be a better option. […] Read more

Compacted soil from equipment decreases porosity, which will negatively affect root development in crops and the soil’s ability to absorb water. | File photo

Reduce compaction with crop and path planning

Soil compaction can be a persistent challenge for farmers and, much like salinity, it starts with moisture. “When the soil is dry — we have a nice, dry fall and are doing harvest — we’re not really causing a lot of issues,” said Marla Riekman, a soil management specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “It’s when we […] Read more


Grain carts and combines roll onto soybean fields in Manitoba’s Pembina Valley during the first week of October. | Alexis Stockford photo

Man. crops punch above their weight this year

Late season conditions appear to have given crops a boost as yields are higher than Statistics Canada’s earlier forecast

Glacier FarmMedia – Soybean yields could break a provincial record this year. According to the Oct. 8 Manitoba Agriculture crop report, with 70 per cent of the soybean harvest complete, reported yields are between 35 and 60 bushels an acre, with an average of 45. That was also the estimated yield range in the prior […] Read more

Dennis Lange, provincial pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture, recently spoke about Manitoba Pulse and Soybean Growers’ regional variety trials at Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Morden, Alta.  |  Don Norman photo

Dry bean trials in Manitoba focus on improved varieties

Beans a relatively minor crop in Western Canada, and most varieties are developed with other regions in mind, such as the United States

Glacier FarmMedia – Dry bean growers have limited options when it comes to variety selection. “With dry beans, it’s a little different than other crops,” said Dennis Lange, provincial pulse and soybean specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. “For example, in soybeans, we typically rotate varieties based on popularity, and there’s a lot of different companies involved […] Read more


Quick adapting and designed to spread, kochia seems biologically primed to shrug off the punches farmers throw at it. |  Manitoba Agriculture photo

The fall weed control checklist

Glacier FarmMedia – Attention to fall weed control is needed as harvest nears its end. Speaking during a Manitoba Agriculture webinar Sept. 25, provincial weed specialist Kim Brown singled out weeds that thrive in salinity, which concerned many producers this spring. Effective fall weed management is essential to maximize crop yields and maintain soil health. […] Read more

Compared to previous years, said Alireza Akhavan, a provincial plant disease specialist in Saskatchewan, she has received “significantly more” reports of fusarium head blight in cereal crops this season. | File photo

Prairie fusarium levels mixed; some grades take a hit

‘Significantly more’ reports of fusarium head blight seen in Sask. cereal crops this season; Man. also has problem areas

Glacier FarmMedia – Fusarium head blight, a persistent threat to cereal crops across the Prairies, is making a stronger-than-usual appearance this season, but the severity and location varies. Compared to previous years, said Alireza Akhavan, a provincial plant disease specialist in Saskatchewan, she has received “significantly more” reports of fusarium head blight in cereal crops […] Read more

This forage field at the Parkland Crop Diversification Centre near Roblin, Man., is a mix of alfalfa, meadow brome and timothy.  |  Miranda Leybourne photo

Forage nurse crops get another look

Study finds establishing a forage stand without a nurse crop could result in stronger growth and increased production

Glacier FarmMedia – A project at the Parkland Crop Diversification Foundation in Roblin, Man., is studying the impact of different phosphorus rates and use of an oat nurse crop in establishing hay crops. The foundation and Ducks Unlimited Canada launched the study in June last year, aiming to identify best management practices for maximizing forage […] Read more


Researchers work with winter wheat in test plots at Agriculture Canada’s research centre in Lethbridge.  |  Byron Lee/Agriculture Canada photo

Outlook for fall seeding looks positive this year

Soil moisture conditions vary across the Prairies, but crop specialists say winter cereals may be set for a good start

Glacier FarmMedia – Experts expect a lot of winter cereals to be planted this fall despite a wide range of weather conditions across the Prairies. Manitoba, generally the wettest of the three Prairie provinces, lived up to its reputation this year. Above-average precipitation blanketed the province in the first half of summer. At the end […] Read more

Lodging often occurs in headlands, where seeding and nitrogen rates may be concentrated due to multiple passes. |  Alexis Stockford photo

Late-season lodging can flatten cereal crops

Flattened wheat, oat and barley fields across the Prairies promise to create a harvest headache for producers this year

Glacier FarmMedia – Crops don’t easily bounce back from lodging when it happens near the end of the season, says Anne Kirk, a cereals specialist with Manitoba Agriculture. Producers can expect the worst hit to yields if crops have been flat in the weeks following head emergence. Carbohydrate flow to the head can be disrupted, […] Read more