Reading Time: 2 minutes The decision on whether to spray or not can be a difficult one for producers, says an Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development specialist, and the wrong decision can have serious financial consequences. “Today’s farm business managers wear many different hats, and mycology and entomology may not be their area of expertise,” said research economist Nevin […] Read more
Sharpen your pencil before deciding whether to spray
Determining the economic threshold on when it pays to spray is not cut and dried, says research economist
New forage research papers available online
Three new papers look at tall fescue, barley after perennial forages, and slender wheat grass
Reading Time: < 1 minute The website ForageBeef.ca has added some new research papers to its collection. Yield and nutritive value of irrigated tall fescue compared with orchardgrass: In monocultures or mixed with alfalfa. This work is by Donald Thompson of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Lethbridge Research Centre and can be read here. Barley yield and nutrient uptake in rotation after […] Read more
Will you have enough water when you need it?
Growing Forward 2 funding is available for new water sources such as wells and dugouts
Reading Time: 2 minutes Winter is a good time to review your water resources and identify any risks, says a provincial water engineer. “It’s the perfect season to spend some time working on your long-term water management plan,” said Melissa Orr-Langner. The goal of the plan is to ensure a farm has adequate and sustainable water sources to meet […] Read more
Website offers latest info on forage and beef research
Approximately 200 research papers have been added to www.foragebeef.ca over the past year
Reading Time: 2 minutes The website foragebeef.ca contains the latest information on forage and beef research for producers in Canada and the northern United States. “The site summarizes research for farmers and ranchers,” said Ken Ziegler, provincial beef and forage specialist. “It’s a unique approach to developing and organizing North American research information for the Canadian forage and beef […] Read more
South sees overwintering stripe rust
Early-seeded winter wheat appears to be more susceptible even when resistant varieties are used
Reading Time: 2 minutes Researchers are continuing to monitor plots and a few fields for stripe rust survival throughout the winter and early spring. Evidence of overwintering stripe rust was found last year in central Alberta, and Agriculture Canada researcher Denis Gaudet has extended his stripe rust survey this winter to include some evaluations in southern Alberta. Eight winter […] Read more
New booklets offer help for farm-direct marketers
Reading Time: < 1 minute A pair of new booklets — one on regulations and one on labels — can help farm-direct marketers better understand the regulations around their businesses. The regulations booklet looks at both federal and provincial legislation and how acts and regulation can affect direct marketers. The food labels booklet looks at basic labelling requirements, including sections […] Read more
AARD tool can be used to assess winter feeding sites
Tool evaluates site characteristics, feeding strategies, bedding and shelter management, water source management, and post-wintering site
Reading Time: 2 minutes The Wintering Site Assessment and Design Tool can help producers identify environmental risks associated with in-field winter feeding sites and systems. The tool can also be used to compare different situations and to adopt beneficial management practices (BMPs) to address risks, said provincial nutrient management specialist Trevor Wallace. The greatest environmental risk from wintering sites […] Read more
Be on guard for land agents with ‘questionable ethics’
Carol Goodfellow says a bonus for signing quickly and not being offered complete information are warning signs
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers, ranchers, land agents, and energy companies need to have a basic understanding of ethics as they relate to energy negotiations, says an official with the Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO). “One of the roles of the FAO is to assist farmers and ranchers to understand the laws that guide the energy industry and their rights […] Read more
Free ‘Native Pollinators’ booklet
Reading Time: < 1 minute AARD release – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada has released a new 44-page booklet entitled Native Pollinators and Agriculture in Canada. The publication looks at the lives of important pollinators, how to protect wild pollinators, and creating and managing a pollinator habitat on a ranch or farm (such as building eco-buffers and creating nesting areas). To […] Read more
New tool to calculate cattle investment
Reading Time: < 1 minute AARD release – Alberta Agriculture has a new tool for calculating long-term returns to a beef cow or heifer investment. The Excel spreadsheet calculates production costs, cash flow and return to equity given various bred stock prices and future calf selling prices. “Producers now looking to expand their herd are encouraged to take a hard […] Read more
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