Reading Time: 2 minutes In the first half of May, temperatures have been the warmest since 1961 in most parts of the province and most areas received less than 10 mm of moisture. This has provided the ideal weather for quick ground thaw and allowed for seeding operations to be in full swing across the province. Provincially, as of […] Read more
Thirty-eight per cent of crops seeded, soil moisture varies
Alberta crop conditions as of May 15, 2018
Pulse weekly outlook: Sector hopes for more fababeans
CNS Canada — While Statistics Canada is predicting a drop in fababean acres this year, an agronomist with Saskatchewan Pulse Growers hopes that isn’t the case. “We had about 50,000 acres for the last three years here in Saskatchewan. And we’re thinking that we’ll be maybe slightly below that,” said SPG agronomy manager Sherrilyn Phelps. […] Read more
New cropping business tools available
Reading Time: < 1 minute The 2018 versions of Cropping Alternatives and the new Crop Budget Calculator tool are now available. They allow producers to project costs, margins, and break-even yields for potential crops. Cropping Alternatives “forecasts margins based on benchmark yields, current cost of production, expected revenues, and costs by soil zone. With this information producers can get an […] Read more
It’s a sure sign of spring — the ‘Blue Book’ is here
It’s 600 pages of info on pesticide products, and an invaluable guide for producers across the province
Reading Time: < 1 minute This year’s edition of the ‘Blue Book’ is now available. “An important part of the annual update includes newly registered pesticide products,” said crop specialist Mark Cutts, co-editor of the book, officially known as Crop Protection 2018. “This year’s edition includes new additions to the four main pesticide types: herbicides, insecticides, seed treatments, and foliar fungicides. […] Read more
Get the lowdown on plant growth regulators and crop varieties
PGR fact sheet looks at lodging and staging while crop fact sheets examine performance in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes New fact sheets on plant growth regulators and crop varieties are now available. Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are synthetic compounds that can modify plant growth and development by altering plant hormonal activity. While PGRs are popular in other regions of the world like Western Europe, their use in Western Canada is relatively new. “The plant […] Read more
Pulse weekly outlook: Manitoba bean acres depend on soy
CNS Canada — After Manitoba in 2017 grew its largest edible bean crop in more than a decade, a downturn could be expected in 2018. However, new-crop pricing opportunities look favourable and industry participants say it’s still too early to get a firm sense on seeding intentions. “The pinto market is long in terms of […] Read more
Dry bean breeder wins Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award
Reading Time: < 1 minute Hans-Henning Muendel is the winner of the fourth annual Alberta Pulse Industry Innovator Award. “Dr. Muendel dedicated his career to developing the dry bean cultivars that now set the standard for small red, black, pinto, and great northern cultivars in Western Canada,” said D’Arcy Hilgartner, chair of Alberta Pulse Growers. In 1996, there weren’t any […] Read more
Peace Country farmers told the time to halt clubroot is now
Workshops are being held across the region to arm farmers with best practices for combating the devastating canola disease
Reading Time: 2 minutes Clubroot was found in the Peace last summer — and that’s prompted an all-out effort to mobilize the farm community to do everything possible to halt the spread of the disease. Officials from the ag research group SARDA and local municipalities along with ag fieldmen are hosting workshops at seven different locations so producers can […] Read more
Pulse levy may be rolled back
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Pulse Growers is considering cutting its checkoff to 0.75 per cent from the current rate of one per cent. If approved by its members at its AGM next month, the service fee levied on sales of pulses would go into effect on Aug. 1 (the start of the next crop year). The one per […] Read more
Persistence pays off in quest to make gin from fabas
Using the beans produced decidedly unappetizing results but fababean flowers yielded a hit for Nisku distillery
Reading Time: 2 minutes Out of failure, you can create something pretty tasty. That’s what the staff at Rig Hand Distillery near Nisku learned when they teamed up with Alberta Pulse Growers to create a fababean-based gin. “We were approached about a year ago by the Alberta Pulse Growers Association,” said Geoff Stewart, owner, president, and distiller with Rig […] Read more
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