MarketsFarm — Canada’s Prairies are looking at normal temperatures over the next month to three months, according to Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC). The federal department on Tuesday issued its temperature and precipitation probabilistic forecasts, which also called for normal precipitation for most of the region. “The forecast is really neutral for the Prairies, […] Read more
‘Normal’ spring ahead for most of the Prairies
Below-normal rains expected for southern Alberta, western Saskatchewan
Acclaimed Manitoba stored grain researcher now Alberta bound
Digvir Jayas named president at University of Lethbridge
A leading Canadian researcher and expert in safe storage of grain is headed westbound and up to the head office at another Prairie university. Dr. Digvir Jayas, currently on sabbatical as professor and vice-president (research and international) at the University of Manitoba, will become president and vice-chancellor at the University of Lethbridge effective July 1 […] Read more
Pest survey results and maps now available
There’s extensive information available on high-risk insect pest species in Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Alberta’s agriculture ministry has begun posting 2022 insect population maps and 2023 forecast information. The counts are based on extensive sampling by agricultural fieldmen and applied research groups across the province last year, and the reports from Alberta Agriculture highlight survey findings by region. They also provide info on identification, life cycle, damage and pest […] Read more
Venture capitalists urged to check out Alberta ag tech
Hempalta and Livestock Water Recycling are two companies featured on influential Top 50 list
Reading Time: 3 minutes Two Alberta companies — one making hemp products and the other recycling livestock manure — are among the most investable clean tech ventures in the country. Hempalta Inc. and Livestock Water Recycling, both headquartered in Calgary, are two of eight ag-focused technology companies on the 2022 Foresight 50 list. The list is compiled annually by […] Read more
How do you manage resistant pests?
Reading Time: < 1 minute Farmers are being asked to share their strategies on how to manage weed, insect and disease resistance. The contest offers prizes (iPads and Tim Hortons gift cards) for winning entries. “The Pest Management Challenge is an opportunity to get people talking and to encourage the adoption of resistance management best practices,” said Jennifer Hubert, an […] Read more
French insect-based ingredients maker Ynsect to expand in North America
U.S. plant would use Ardent Mills' flour milling byproducts
Paris | Reuters — French company Ynsect said on Tuesday it had signed deals to build insect ingredient production sites in the United States and in Mexico as the firm kicks off what it says will be the world’s largest insect farm. Ynsect breeds mealworms that produce proteins for aquaculture, livestock, pet food, fertilizers and […] Read more
Getting the facts on pesticide residues
Independent testing gives 15 watersheds a clean bill of health for pesticide concentrations
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alberta farm groups have done their homework to prove that farmers are good stewards of the province’s watersheds. Using an independent testing company and lab, the project extensively sampled 15 watersheds in central and southern Alberta for a panel of 129 pesticides. No instances of pesticide residues above prescribed limits were found. Team Alberta Crops, […] Read more
All in all, it wasn’t a bad crop year – and that’s welcome news
Keep an eye out for flea beetles, grasshoppers and bacterial leaf streak in the coming year
Reading Time: 4 minutes A lot of flea beetles, few diseases and pretty good yields are highlights of this growing season for three crop specialists. “In general, we’re at or above average for the five-year (yield) average and some of the 10-year averages,” said Jeremy Boychyn, agronomy research extension manager with Alberta Wheat and Alberta Barley. “All of Alberta […] Read more
Group brings many viewpoints together in pest battle
Prairie Biovigilance Network promises proactive approach to managing weeds, insects and disease
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – A new initiative aims to boost surveillance of — and the response to — pests affecting Prairie agriculture. The Prairie Biovigilance Network comprises a group of experts in plant pathology, entomology, weed science, economics and agronomy led by AgCanada research scientist Brent McCallum. Researchers examine the pests that are causing the problem […] Read more
Tiny pea leaf weevil spreads across vast prairie landscape
The adults leave tell-tale signs but it’s their offspring that wreak havoc below ground
Reading Time: 4 minutes Pea leaf weevils have completed their eastward trek across the Prairies, and while they’re generally not a huge issue, pea and faba growers need to learn the habits of these hard-to-spot pests. Adult pea leaf weevils are tiny and were first found in Canada near Lethbridge in 2000. By 2019, they had crossed the Manitoba […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
