Reading Time: 3 minutes The pre-harvest season is a good time to think about best practices around grain bin safety. Sounds like one more set of things to do on top of about a million others, right? Not necessarily, said a farm safety specialist. Those already taking action to minimize grain spoilage are also eliminating safety risks, said Robert […] Read more
Be safe and profitable when storing grain
Best practices for safety and preventing spoilage in bins frequently cross over, says safety expert
Large bins may be too large when it comes to drying canola
Bins hold a lot more these days, and that makes it challenging to push air through small seeds like canola
Reading Time: 3 minutes When is a grain bin too big to allow for proper drying? When it comes to canola, leading researchers may now have an idea. The Prairie Agriculture Machinery Institute (PAMI) found that commonly used conditioning fans stall when canola is piled too high in a tall grain bin. Adding an extra fan in parallel didn’t […] Read more
Soil sensing goes radioactive with gamma ray spectrometry
A geiger counter for your fields is one of the latest innovations for mapping soil
Reading Time: 4 minutes Scanning your field with what is essentially a geiger counter may seem like a strange way to find out which areas might yield the most, but it works pretty well, says a digital ag expert. “In combination with soil sampling, gamma ray measurement can be used for soil modelling, creation of site-specific nutrient maps and […] Read more
Fortune favours the speedy when it comes to grants
Focus On Practical Energy: Federal farm programs often pay out large sums, but they can become fully subscribed very quickly
Reading Time: 2 minutes It’s a simple equation: federal cash for green initiatives goes to those farmers who apply for it. Already this year, the $18-million Agricultural Clean Technology program stopped taking applications because of high demand. Up next is the $185-million On-Farm Climate Action Fund, which will help pay for costs for improving nitrogen management, cover cropping and […] Read more
Ottawa’s focus on green programs a concern for some farm groups
Focus On Practical Energy: While the programs are fine, producers also need ones that don’t fall into the green ‘bucket,’ they say
Reading Time: 4 minutes The flood of federal funding for adopting environmentally friendly farming practices is a positive step, but also a “drop in the bucket,” says the general manager of Alberta’s cereal commissions. Producers should definitely apply for the On-Farm Climate Action Fund (which offers 85 cents on the dollar for certain green practices), said Tom Steve of […] Read more
Don’t count pipelines out as a source for your livestock watering system
Underground pipe may be more economical than you think — especially with federal funding
Reading Time: 4 minutes You can place them wherever you want on your pasture, set up watering stations as you like, and keep your cows out of streams and dugouts. But underground pipe is also costly compared to some other watering options — at least on first analysis. But sometimes a pipeline may be a less costly option, say […] Read more
Ground truthing: Are on-farm trials for you?
Testing something on the farm isn’t the same as a scientifically valid field-scale trial
Reading Time: 3 minutes We’re hearing more and more about producers conducting their own on-farm trials to sharpen their management decisions. And it makes sense. Before committing to a practice, product, or variety, many growers want to see results on their own land. But on-farm trials demand time, resources, and determination. “You have to keep in mind that what’s […] Read more
Good beginnings make for happy endings for canola stands
Seeding a little too deep while going a little too fast are two big, but common, mistakes
Reading Time: 4 minutes The canola industry has a big goal — boost long-term average yields by six bushels an acre by 2025 in order to keep up with demand from crushers. That’s not a goal that can be achieved, however, if one out of every two seeds coming out of the seeder fails to germinate. Rather, seed survival […] Read more
Bow River flows set to bounce back in time for irrigation season
A big snowpack comes to the rescue after water levels in the Bow fell to near-record lows last fall
Reading Time: 4 minutes After a winter of exceptionally low river flows, above-average mountain snowpacks are coming to the rescue of the Bow River and many of southern Alberta’s irrigation districts, says a leading water scientist. The water supply is now “assured” for the irrigation districts that take water off the Bow and Red Deer rivers, said John Pomeroy, […] Read more
Bigger equipment can spell big trouble with power lines
Fortis says sprayers and air seeders came into contact with power lines 20 times last year
Reading Time: 4 minutes Farm equipment is getting bigger and it’s no longer uncommon to see air seeders in the 75-foot-wide range that fold up to considerable height in transport mode as well. But when is big too big? Or more precisely, when is ag equipment too large to safely clear power lines? Last year, Fortis Alberta responded to […] Read more
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