This fellow’s ancestors hailed from Serbia, but the Rhinusa pilosa — a.k.a. stem-galling weevil — now makes its home in Alberta and B.C., where it feeds on yellow toadflax, a weed that infests pastures.

There’s foreign workers in the bug world, too — and they attack weeds

Bringing in weed-attacking pests is a laborious process but it’s often the only option for pastures

Reading Time: 3 minutes There are many ways to control weeds. Rose De Clerck-Floate’s favourite is to reunite them with their longtime enemies from the old country. “All of the weeds here can come from other parts of the world, mostly Europe and some from Asia, and establish here without the organisms that keep them in check in their […] Read more



In normal times, farmers like John Guelly can look forward to a bountiful crop. The Westlock farmer hopes to have a crop after getting a much-needed inch of rain in mid-July but he fears for those who won’t have a harvest but have sold a portion of their crop.

Heatwave wreaks havoc on Alberta crops

Governments are rushing to help but fears are mounting as the crisis grows

Reading Time: 6 minutes July’s devastating heatwave has destroyed crops and pastures across Alberta, leaving producers in all corners of the province wondering what their options are at this point of the growing season. “It’s been pretty hard,” said Valerie Ehrenholz, who runs a mixed operation near Barrhead with her father. “I haven’t been farming that long — the […] Read more



Prairie barley growers can learn a few lessons on grain drying from Ireland, where the crop generally comes off at 15 to 21.5 per cent moisture, said Drew Sharp, a manager with Boortmart who outlined Irish drying methods in a webinar earlier this year.

Damp Ireland offers some grain drying tips for the dry Prairies

Farmers here can learn a few lessons about drying malt barley from the Emerald Isle

Reading Time: 3 minutes What can malt barley producers on the Prairies learn about grain drying and storage from a country like Ireland, where the climate almost couldn’t be more different? Quite a bit, says an expert familiar with both. The weather is very different but Ireland and the Prairies share some similar challenges, notably dealing with high-moisture malt […] Read more



(Doug Wilson photo courtesy ARS/USDA)

Feed weekly outlook: Heat reducing potential yields, raising prices

MarketsFarm — The hot and dry summer that has enveloped all of Western Canada is already bringing down projected yields for feed grains, creating an inverse effect on prices. “We’re losing the crop here right now with the heat and lack of moisture across the Prairies and the northern Plains of the United States,” said […] Read more

Farmer and Grainews columnist Toban Dyck inspects wheat on July 6, 2021 near Winkler, Man., where hot and dry weather has led to thin, uneven stands. (Photo: Reuters/Rod Nickel)

Saskatchewan raises salvage threshold for parched crops

Stock watering program also boosted; APAS, Tories' ag critic had called for more drought aid

Saskatchewan’s provincial crop insurance agency is raising the yield threshold at which drought-damaged crops can be grazed, baled for greenfeed or cut for silage with no penalty on future coverage. Saskatchewan Crop Insurance Corp. said Wednesday it would double the “low yield appraisal” threshold values on cereal or pulse crop acres put to feed. SCIC […] Read more



In-person events last year (such as WheatStalk, top left) were rare, and limited in attendee numbers. But this summer, things will be much more like the old days including at AgSmart (bottom) and on Farming Smarter field tours (top right).

Having a field day: Everyone’s excited about return of in-person learning

Remember when you’d leave home to attend events and get together with experts, friends and peers?

Reading Time: 5 minutes After a year of too many Zoom meetings to count, ag organizations across the province are gearing up for a summer of in-field learning. “I’m so excited — there’s only so many online meetings that you can stay engaged with,” said Jamie Puchinger, assistant manager of Farming Smarter. “I cannot wait to get back out […] Read more