Reading Time: 3 minutes Alberta researchers are using the power of native plants to turn manure-fouled water into something so clean it could perhaps be used to water crops or livestock. “We’re using plants to clean water of contaminants. In this case, we’re using them to clean contaminants that exist in feedlot holding ponds,” said principal investigator Daniel Karran, […] Read more
Small islands could deliver a big payoff in feedlot holding ponds
Native, riparian plants can filter out organic matter, nutrients and heavy metals
Rollercoaster doesn’t begin to describe today’s markets
Don’t expect a return to normal anytime soon, says panel of market watchers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Supply-chain lions and interest-rate tigers and market bears, oh my! That could have been the theme for a recent webinar featuring a host of market analysts, all of whom highlighted just what a volatile time this is. “You have to figure out what is going on in this world, because so much of what is […] Read more
Nutrien cuts 2022 profit forecast again on lower potash prices
Reuters – Nutrien Ltd NTR.TO on Wednesday cut its full-year adjusted earnings forecast for the second time this year as potash prices decline, sending the shares of the world’s biggest fertilizer maker down nearly 5 per cent in extended trading. The company also missed third-quarter profit estimates, hurt by cooling prices of crop nutrients as farmers cut fertilizer application […] Read more
The era of uniform application is ending as data drives change
The tech behind precision application isn’t the finished article yet, but it’s getting close
Reading Time: 3 minutes The days of applying fertilizer and other inputs in a blanket fashion across entire fields are coming to an end. With the advent of GPS integrated data loggers and yield maps, farmers no longer need to guess when it comes to applying expensive inputs, said precision agriculture expert Alex Melnitchouck. “Yield is an integrated result […] Read more
Crystal balls are even more wonky this year
The uncertainty factor is as high as fertilizer prices right now
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farmers face tough choices about purchasing fertilizer for next year. Buy now? Or roll the dice and hope prices fall? There are reports of price dips in some countries because farmers are balking at the high cost. But the fundamentals aren’t good, said one American fertilizer analyst. “I think prices are going to see continued […] Read more
Unions rip supply chain report’s language on strikes
Task force calls for 'new labour relations paradigm'
Recommendations from the federal government’s National Supply Chain Task Force to strengthen the country’s supply chains have drawn a cheer but also one significant jeer from unions in the transport sector. The task force’s final report, released Oct. 6, offered up 21 recommendations aimed at easing congestion in Canada’s ports, filling labour shortages and improving […] Read more
Arbitration leads to deal for CN signals staff
IBEW held 17-day strike in summer
Canadian National Railway (CN) has labour peace with its signals and communications workers through to the end of 2024 coming out of binding arbitration. The 750-odd workers, represented by International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) System Council 11, had agreed to take their dispute with CN to arbitration in early July, ending a 17-day strike. […] Read more
Richardson makes first entry in branded crop inputs
Company launches new N stabilizer, CirrusX
Prairie grain handler and agribusiness Richardson Pioneer has launched itself into self-branded crop inputs with a nitrogen stabilizer, CirrusX. Steve Biggar, associate vice-president of fertilizer and energy products for Winnipeg-based Richardson, said it was the right time for the company to launch CirrusX because of new treaters the company has installed to allow liquid products […] Read more
Federal climate cash gets a welcome from producers here
Many farmers had rotational grazing, cover crops or nitrogen management on their to-do list
Reading Time: 3 minutes Federal climate cash is flowing out the door and being put to work on rotational grazing, cover cropping or nitrogen management projects on Alberta farms. “We’ve been out on a couple of farms to see projects and talk to people,” said Fiona Briody, program manager for RDAR (Results Driven Agriculture Research). “There are just really […] Read more
A new rural economy emerges in Ukraine
There have been creative responses to depressed grain prices but no field will go unharvested
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – When we first heard the sounds of rocket explosions on Feb. 24, we were most alarmed. It took my entire credit card limit to fill up my car and buy a supply of groceries. At the time, I thought only a few hours remained until the end of normal life. Many Ukrainian […] Read more