What the heck are we going to do about China? The country has become increasingly threatening in recent years, especially since Xi Jinping became leader in 2012. But China is not the Soviet Union during the last Cold War. The Soviets may have been a military superpower but they certainly weren’t an economic powerhouse. China’s […] Read more
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Flax processor to close in Man.
A flax-processing plant in southern Manitoba will shut its doors at the end of 2021. Schweitzer Maudit, SVM, a materials company that manufactures papers, adhesive tapes, resins, nets and other products, has operated its Manitoba plant since 1985. A company representative confirmed it will close in four months. “We have made the decision to close […] Read more
Ag deserves election focus, say hog producers
Election ’21: Pork council wants African swine fever action plan to be at the top of the agenda for federal politicians
Canada’s pork producers say their industry and agriculture as a whole should have already been a focus of the current federal election campaign. Canadian Pork Council chair Rick Bergmann said he hasn’t heard agriculture mentioned at all and hopes party leaders will step up and recognize the importance of a safe and secure food supply. […] Read more
SARM asks for infrastructure assistance
Saskatchewan rural municipalities continue to push for more infrastructure funding from the next federal government. Ray Orb, president of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, said he is making the familiar requests for better broadband and bridge-repair programs because there is much more work to be done. Federal governments always pledge to spend more to […] Read more
Summer holidays on the farm were never dull
Engineering, marine biology and art projects kept these youngsters occupied through the long days of summer so long ago
I sat cross-legged on the tingling grass, my hands laid palms up on my lap so the warm sun and cool breeze could work their salve on them. I had just chopped down another slim poplar and now my brother, James, worked at cutting it into pieces. On this day, we were into the second […] Read more
British scientists experiment with gene editing
CRISPR-Cas9 technology has been used to determine that increasing glucosinolate levels in crops can improve nutrition
When United Kingdom Prime Minister Boris Johnson came to power in July 2019 during the country’s Brexit transition to separate from the European Union, he pledged to sidestep Europe’s grip on curtailing development of genetically modified and gene-edited foods. Since then, field trials of gene-edited brassica crops conducted by scientists at the John Innes Centre […] Read more
Cannabis firms catch a whiff of opportunity in Brazil
The government approved import, sale and manufacturing of hemp products in 2019; cultivation is the next goal
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) — International cannabis companies are showing interest in Brazil, both its large consumer market for medicinal products and a proposal that could legalize planting of the crop. Major producers like Colombia’s Clever Leaves and Canada’s Canopy Growth are developing and selling medicinal cannabis products to a Brazilian consumer segment estimated at […] Read more
Research explores fungi’s effect on rangeland
U of S scientist wants to know if inoculating forage crops with mycorrhizal fungi can increase growth and salinity tolerance
University of Saskatchewan researcher Jonathon Bennett is researching fungi, forage grasslands and the relationship between the two. The research is looking specifically at mycorrhizal fungi. “And basically, what these fungi do is they trade nutrients from the soil to the plant in exchange for carbon that the plant fixes during photosynthesis,” Bennett said. “So they […] Read more
Sask. boosts power line funding
SaskPower has doubled funding for the Farmyard Line Relocation Project from $2 to $5 million. Established in 1995, the Farmyard Line Relocation Project subsidizes the cost of moving or burying farmyard power lines. “Obviously farm safety is a huge concern for everybody,” said Bill Prybyliski, vice-president of the Agricultural Producers Association of Saskatchewan. “The amount […] Read more
Wheat and more wheat, multiple varieties in one field
Researchers have found that several wheat varieties mixed in the same crop offer disease and insect protection
Growing multiple varieties of wheat together can reduce disease pressure as much as a fungicide application does, according to research out of Pennsylvania State University. Julie Baniszewski led the research project that compared a wheat crop composed of four different varieties, to a single wheat variety that received a fungicide application, as well as a […] Read more
