Saskatchewan has set up a new cougar season for trappers, plus a southern expansion of its black bear trapping season, in part to help limit livestock predation. The province on Wednesday announced a new “trapping-only” cougar season will open Oct. 15, 2017 and close March 15, 2018. It also announced a new “black bear opportunity” […] Read more
Saskatchewan sets new cougar, bear trapping seasons
Crop ratings in the south decline due to ‘droughty’ conditions
Alberta crop conditions as of July 4
Reading Time: < 1 minute Provincial crop condition ratings declined by 3 points this week to 75 per cent rated good or excellent, solely due to a significant decline in the condition ratings of crops in the South region as the droughty conditions currently affecting the US northern tier states has reached into southern Alberta. Crop condition ratings were virtually […] Read more
Southern Saskatchewan dry, but Prairies mostly OK for now
CNS Canada — Dry conditions in southern Saskatchewan are cause for vigilance, but rain could still pull out a healthy harvest, according to a provincial soil and nutrient specialist. The area of concern lies within a triangle shape, with the northern tip at Saskatoon, one arm stretching southeast to Weyburn, Estevan and the U.S. border, […] Read more
U.S. Plains drought highlights spring wheat supply crunch
Chicago | Reuters — Drought conditions in the northern U.S. Plains that have propelled spring wheat prices to a three-year high worsened in the past week and there are forecasts for more hot and dry weather that could crimp the harvest. As the world struggles with a glut of grain that has filled inventories to […] Read more
A weed that prospers on degraded pasture
Noxious Weeds: Hoary alyssum
Reading Time: 2 minutes Thought to be brought to North America as a seed contaminant from Europe, hoary alyssum is toxic to horses and other livestock. It has a variety of life cycles depending on site and weather conditions, which makes this weed tricky to control. A prohibited noxious weed in Alberta, this pest can be easily identified. Hoary […] Read more
You want pollinators to make their home on your range
There are scores of native pollinators in Alberta — and the more you have on your rangeland, the better
Reading Time: 3 minutes There is a buzz on range- and pasture lands. And we really need to pay attention to native pollinators and the benefits that they provide, says a rangeland ecologist. “Pollinators are critical to rangelands themselves, and the plants that are there,” said Cameron Carlyle, an assistant professor at the University of Alberta, who is not […] Read more
Rain falls province-wide, some acres too wet to finish seeding
Alberta crop conditions as of June 20
Reading Time: < 1 minute It has been raining province wide, following a dry spell towards the end of May, with the Peace Region being the driest. Over the past week, most areas of the province received at least 10 mm of rain, with most parts of the North East and North West Regions as well as some areas in […] Read more
Burger King pledges to end deforestation by 2030
Rio de Janeiro | Thomson Reuters Foundation — The owner of Burger King has pledged to eliminate deforestation from its supply chains by 2030 but scientists say the company is not moving fast enough to stop its hamburgers from destroying rainforests and the communities who depend on them. Restaurant Brands International, one of the world’s […] Read more
PotashCorp, Agrium choose new married name
Canadian fertilizer giants Agrium and PotashCorp have picked the new brand under which they plan to do business once their proposed merger clears. Calgary-based Agrium and Saskatoon-based PotashCorp announced Wednesday their new merged company, pending regulatory review and approvals, will be named Nutrien. “The new organization will be the global leader in reliable, low-cost crop […] Read more
Seeding nears the finish line, growing conditions good to excellent
Alberta crop conditions as of June 13
Reading Time: 2 minutes Over the past week, most areas of the province received at least 10 mm of rain, with the western areas of the Southern, Central and North West Regions as well as southern areas of the Peace Region receiving over 20-30 mm of rain. About 96 per cent of crops across the province have now been […] Read more