Reading Time: 3 minutes If you’re seeing weird things in your canola — like buds turning into stems or leaves — don’t be alarmed. But what’s causing this “mystery syndrome” has Alberta experts scratching their heads. “You’ve got something that should be forming a pod, and it turns into a weirdly shaped leaf or a piece of stem or […] Read more
It’s a bit creepy, but ‘mystery syndrome’ is no cause for alarm
Buds on canola plants are doing things they shouldn’t — like turning into leaves or stems
Partnership a first for cereal breeding
Alberta Wheat Commission partners with private seed company and feds to develop new Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat breeding
Reading Time: 3 minutes A deal that is the first of its kind in Canada is being hailed as a major boost to Canada Prairie Spring Red wheat breeding — and a model for future cereal-breeding efforts. “From an Albertan perspective, it’s a huge opportunity for us,” said Kent Erickson, chair of the Alberta Wheat Commission “We can take […] Read more
More cattle heading to market as drought worsens
Emphasis was on growing the herd, but that’s been nearly abandoned due to dry conditions
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s just a trickle now, but there are fears of a flood of cattle going to market if the drought continues. “It’s a little too early to be splitting up pairs, but we are seeing some pairs sell,” said Anne Wasko, market analyst with Gateway Livestock Services. Sale figures are being closely watched these days […] Read more
Sell or hang on? Cattle producers facing tough choices
Some have already pulled the trigger and sold cattle, others are holding back and hoping they’ll have enough feed
Reading Time: 3 minutes It was supposed to be the year to grow the cattle herd — but Mother Nature and dry conditions across Alberta have changed all that. A lack of hay and pasture makes for tough choices and some are taking cattle to market. Viking Hutterite Colony usually buys calves, backgrounds them until spring, and then turns […] Read more
Get your timing right with PGRs
By increasing or decreasing hormone production, plant growth regulators can either promote or limit growth
Reading Time: 3 minutes Plant growth regulators may offer some benefits, but the timing and staging of their application is critical. “Plant growth regulators change the hormone relationships within plants and can increase or decrease hormone production,” Phil Bernardin, a technical rep with Engage Agro, said at Farming Smarter’s recent field day. In cereals, plant growth regulators act as […] Read more
Researchers invent their own version of the great white combine
Farming Smarter has created a hail simulator so it can test ‘hail rescue’ treatments
Reading Time: 3 minutes What can you do when your crops get pounded by hail? How do crops recover from hail damage? There are a lot of questions about this subject, and little information available. That’s why the team at Farming Smarter developed its own hail damage simulation machine, which it unveiled at the organization’s recent field school. “We […] Read more
Hefty checkoff rebates put squeeze on Alberta Beef Producers
Marketing and research are suffering because one-third of voluntary checkoffs are being rebated, say officials
Reading Time: 4 minutes Checkoff refunds continue to hobble Alberta Beef Producers, which had to give back $2.5 million in the past year, mainly to cattle feeders. “The $2 service charge that we have here would be sufficient if we were able to invest it all, but we lose about a third of it,” said Rich Smith, the organization’s […] Read more
Cancer-fighting drugs in your pasture?
University of Lethbridge researchers have already found one native plant — buffalo beans — that offers early promise
Reading Time: 2 minutes Plants you see every day in your pasture could contain valuable components for cancer-fighting drugs. Scientists from the University of Lethbridge recently found that buffalo beans, a plant commonly found in pastures in the south, contain compounds that may be beneficial to people fighting cancer. “We’ve always been interested in my lab in looking for […] Read more
The damage to crops is done — but how much worse will it get?
It’s not a writeoff yet, but recovery potential is limited and a late harvest seems inevitable, says crop expert
Reading Time: 3 minutes After one of the “driest Mays on record,” producers across the Prairies are wondering how their crops are going to fare this growing season. It’s not looking good. “The crops are going to be substantially smaller than they have been over the past few years,” Bruce Burnett, CWB crop and weather specialist, said in an […] Read more
McDonald’s ‘sustainable beef’ pilot project ramps up
Alberta visit of McDonald's global CEO signals a sea change in the beef industry
Reading Time: 3 minutes It’s full speed ahead for McDonald’s “verified sustainable beef” project. The country’s largest buyer of beef is finishing up the first phase of its groundbreaking pilot project in Canada, and earlier this month the head of the global fast-food giant paid a visit to Alberta to get a first-hand look. Recently appointed CEO Steve Easterbrook […] Read more
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