Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta-grown hemp has potential for many markets, from grain to construction materials like hempcrete, but the varieties need fine tuning.
Mapping the genetic development of hemp
Hemp has potential for many markets, from grain to construction materials like hempcrete, but the varieties need fine tuning
Making potatoes friendly to soil health
Soil health tactics are not out of reach for the spud sector
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Potatoes are a high-value crop and one of the world’s most important dietary staples. But when it comes to sustainability, they’ve got a hurdle to clear because there’s no escaping some level of soil disturbance when growing and harvesting. That doesn’t mean the relationship between soil health and the potato sector can’t […] Read more
The under-recognized aphid eaters
The larvae of lady beetles are less commonly identified, but take just as big a bite out of crop pest populations
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The insect experts say that every farmer across the Prairies should have a huge picture of coccinellidae larvae on their machine shop wall. If the scientific name doesn’t sound familiar, the common name certainly will. It’s the family of beetles that includes ladybugs and Asian lady beetles. “Everybody recognizes the adults and […] Read more
The role of aerodynamics when crop spraying
Air disturbance from the sprayer itself may be affecting your drift risk
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – We’ve come a long way with sprayers. We’ve made them bigger, we’ve made them faster and with new visual technology and artificial intelligence, we’ve even made them smarter. Now, research by the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute (PAMI) along with the College of Agriculture at the University of Saskatchewan and Agrimetrix in Saskatoon […] Read more
The fine balance of soil moisture
It’s a complex interplay that will always require rainfall in the semi-arid Prairies
Reading Time: 4 minutes Spring has been warmer than usual this year, making rain even more important. In the semi-arid Prairies, soils that hold some of winter’s meltwater may give emerging crops a good start but the finish is up to the water delivered by seasonal rainfall. Crop physiology depends on it. “Water is the key ingredient when it […] Read more
Complex patchwork of global rules on crop residues makes vigilance important
Keeping track isn’t easy, which is why Keep It Clean puts out an annual list of potential trade risks
Reading Time: 4 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – Growers are again being reminded about proper use of crop protection products and their potential impact on trade. Keep It Clean, an initiative of several commodity organizations, recently released its annual list of products that may cause trouble with export sales. “We are export dependant,” Greg Bartley, director of crop protection and […] Read more
Improved varieties contributing to rise in winter wheat acres
Acreage is still small, but more Manitoba farmers are growing the crop and reporting high profits
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – New varieties of winter wheat are boosting the bottom line of growers and fuelling an upsurge in acres in Manitoba. “Winter wheat is the most profitable cereal crop for many farmers in our program,” said Alex Griffiths, a winter wheat specialist with Ducks Unlimited Canada in Brandon, Man. “In the past two […] Read more
Prairie cover crop survey kicks up some surprising findings
Many cover crops aren’t being grazed and despite challenges, no one yearns for the old ways
Reading Time: 3 minutes The expectations were low but a grad student who surveyed western Canadian farmers who cover cropping hit a home run. “When I started this project, I told (grad student) Callum (Morrison ) if we heard from 50 farmers I would be happy,” said Yvonne Lawley a University of Manitoba assistant professor and expert in cropping […] Read more
Suddenly hemp fibre is in high demand as hempcrete use jumps
U.S. builders are using hempcrete more frequently due to its insulating properties and moisture tolerance
Reading Time: 3 minutes Glacier FarmMedia – The market for hemp fibre may be on its way up again and Jeff Kostuik of Verve Seed Solutions says it’s based on a part of the plant that used to be considered waste. At a crop demonstration in Manitoba this summer, he pulled apart a hemp stem and showed the hurd, […] Read more
Tiny pea leaf weevil spreads across vast prairie landscape
The adults leave tell-tale signs but it’s their offspring that wreak havoc below ground
Reading Time: 4 minutes Pea leaf weevils have completed their eastward trek across the Prairies, and while they’re generally not a huge issue, pea and faba growers need to learn the habits of these hard-to-spot pests. Adult pea leaf weevils are tiny and were first found in Canada near Lethbridge in 2000. By 2019, they had crossed the Manitoba […] Read more
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