Reading Time: 2 minutes The dry conditions throughout the province have resulted in some producers looking for feed options. Depending on whether producers are dealing with barley, oats or triticale, there are different feed options to consider. “The main considerations right now are to take the pressure off perennial forage crops, provide more days of grazing, and stockpile what […] Read more
Salvaging Feed From Annual Crops
Grazing And Pasture Plans For A Dry Season
Reading Time: 3 minutes Previous experience has highlighted the need for livestock producers in Western Canada to have preparedness plans in place in the event of drier-than-normal summers. “It’s important to prepare a grazing plan that matches the estimated forage production to the animal numbers, and takes into consideration rest periods to allow plant recovery between grazings and the […] Read more
Website Maps Offer Historical Comparisons
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s website contains lots of information for those in the agriculture industry, including literally thousands of maps. “These maps contain all sorts of information related to climate and current conditions,” says Ralph Wright, soil moisture specialist, Alberta Agriculture, Edmonton. “Precipitation, temperatures, snow pack, soil moisture – these are just some of […] Read more
Survey Demonstrates A Desire And Need For Training
Reading Time: 2 minutes “We are encouraged by the response we received and the strength of the interest expressed.” – Dr. Ty Faechner, Executive Director Of Areca Beginning in January, the Agricultural Research and Extension Council of Alberta (ARECA) conducted a survey to determine public interest in returning to the land, and to assess what kinds of training, skills […] Read more
Swath Grazing –Seeding Earlier Is Better
Reading Time: 2 minutes When it comes to seeding for swath grazing, an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development specialist says that barley can be seeded by the middle of June while triticale, oats, and oat/barley mixtures can be seeded as early as the first week of June. “We’ve had a nice, open spring this year and as many producers […] Read more
Crop Reports Now Available
Reading Time: < 1 minute As of May 12, 2009, Alberta’s agriculture industry has been able to access updated information related to the crop production year, including soil moisture and crop conditions. The Alberta 2009 crop report schedule includes 12 biweekly reports to be released between May and October, as well as a Crop Season in Review report in March […] Read more
Make It Safe, Make It Visible
Reading Time: < 1 minute Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development’s farm safety program has produced an updated version of the publication ‘Make It Safe, Make It Visible.’ “During seeding, it’s often necessary for farmers to move their equipment from field to field, and that frequently entails moving slower farm machinery on public roads,” says Raelyn Peterson, farm safety co-ordinator with […] Read more
Conservation Agriculture: Going Beyond Soil Conservation
Reading Time: 3 minutes Direct seeding, no till and zero till are common terms used in Canada. In a no-till cropping system, planting is the only operation which disturbs the soil. Only 25 to 35 per cent of the soil surface is disturbed. Most openers require that much disturbance to place the seed and fertilizer into a seedbed. Many […] Read more
Managing Acidic Soils In Alberta
Reading Time: 2 minutes Most of Alberta’s acid soils occur in the grey wooded soil zone. This is a result of hundreds of years of acidic organic material from the leaves of deciduous trees, needles from coniferous trees and other acidic organic material being added to the surface of soil. Most of Alberta’s soils that have developed under forest […] Read more
Preventing And Correcting Soil Erosion
Reading Time: 5 minutes Vegetation protects soil from wind erosion by reducing the wind speed at the soil surface,” says Dr. Ross McKenzie, research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development, Lethbridge. “Vegetative cover, such as a growing crop, standing stubble or crop residues are very effective in helping moderate the potential of wind erosion. The elimination of cultivation […] Read more
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