Reading Time: < 1 minute Over the last few growing seasons, growers have seen signs of late blight, a serious disease that mainly affects potatoes and tomatoes. This disease is caused by an aggressive fungus that develops rapidly under wet/moist environmental conditions. Wet conditions, combined with the presence of the pathogen, has resulted in continuing outbreaks of late blight in […] Read more
Late blight risk on potatoes and tomatoes again this year
The disease can be carried over in infected material
P.E.I. farms and fisheries ministries merge
A reorganization of Prince Edward Island’s government departments will see agriculture split from forestry and instead paired with fisheries. Having returned to office in the May 4 election, Premier Wade MacLauchlan on Wednesday announced his new cabinet, appointing former education and transportation minister Alan McIsaac as minister of agriculture and fisheries. As the agriculture and […] Read more
Drought prompts cuts to farm irrigation in California, Oregon
Portland | Reuters –– The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation will cut the amount of federal irrigation water available to farmers along the Oregon-California border to half the annual norm as it grapples with a fourth year of regional drought, the agency said on Friday. Though the roughly 1,200 affected farms in the Klamath Basin had […] Read more
Twelve new crop varieties under PBR91
Wheat, oats, flax and potato varieties added
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Seed Trade Association says the Plant Breeders’ Rights Office (PBRO) has granted rights under the new legislation (PBR91) to 12 new crop varieties. The April 30 PBRO Plant Varieties Journal on the CFIA website lists three new PBR91 wheat varieties, two oats varieties, one flax variety and six potato varieties. CSTA says there […] Read more
Variable-rate irrigation on the rise in Alberta
Not everyone is convinced the technology is where it needs to be, but advocates say ‘interest is growing exponentially’
Reading Time: 3 minutes Southern Alberta’s irrigation system is on the cusp of going very high tech. Now that crop yield monitoring is commonplace and variable-rate crop-input technology making inroads, ag equipment companies and early adopters of advanced technology are setting their sights on micromanaging irrigation. “Variable-rate irrigation (VRI) is certainly here to stay,” said Jeff Bronsch, president of […] Read more
The big two irrigated crops seeing some competition
Forages and cereals still dominate irrigated acreage, but oilseeds and specialty crops are growing in popularity
Reading Time: 3 minutes Each year, Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development publishes a compilation of all 13 of the province’s irrigation districts’ data for the previous year. The latest figures show cereals and forages (pasture, hay and silage crops) still account for two-thirds of the 1,390,000 acres in the districts, but the trend is clear — forage production isn’t […] Read more
P.E.I. Liberals in need of ag minister after win
Wade MacLauchlan’s Liberals scored another majority in the Prince Edward Island legislature in Monday’s election, but will need to find a new agriculture minister. George Webster — who’d held the post from 2009 until Monday, stepping down temporarily in 2009 to recover from a mild heart attack — opted not to run again in his riding […] Read more
McDonald’s reset to change structure, cut costs, boost franchises
Reuters — McDonald’s Corp.’s new CEO said on Monday he would reorganize business units, sell restaurants to franchisees and cut costs in a bid to turn the fast-food chain into a “modern, progressive burger company.” The anticipated video announcement by CEO Steve Easterbrook left investors hungry for specific details on how the world’s biggest restaurant […] Read more
Small farm ‘toys’ pack a mighty punch
Drones are getting off the ground in Alberta, in no small part thanks to their practical applications on livestock and grain farms
Reading Time: 3 minutes Drones may seem like a fun toy — but on the farm, these fancy fliers mean business. “At the end of the day, you want better information to make better decisions, and that’s what they give you,” said Steve Myshak, owner of Ventus Geospatial in Lethbridge. “That’s the bottom line on why you want to […] Read more
This spud’s for you — breeders develop new low-glycemic potato
Low-glycemic potatoes don’t cause a big spike in insulin, which makes it suitable for diabetics
Reading Time: 2 minutes There’s a new spud in town, and it’s made to suit Canada’s growing number of diabetics. The new and as yet unnamed potato has a lower-glycemic-index potential, improved digestibility, and can be enjoyed without creating a big spike of sugar and insulin in the body. “As part of improving the food attributes, we’ve been more […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
