Reading Time: 5 minutes Most producers are well aware of the risks posed by farm chemicals and take the necessary precautions. But are you always aware of the risks from some of a farm’s most common contaminants — simple dust and mould? If so, you might want to keep that N95 mask handy even though COVID-19 mandates are being […] Read more
What you can’t see can hurt you: The threat of dust and mould
If you can’t remove or contain the hazard, then mask up properly, says medical specialist
Photography book of old grain elevators a labour of love nearly two decades in the making
Reading Time: 4 minutes Wooden grain elevators occupy a special place in the hearts of many, but rural folk aren’t the only ones for whom these structures carry an irresistible appeal. Chris Attrell, a born-and-raised urbanite, got bit by the elevator bug in 2003 — the day the grain elevators in the southern Alberta town of Champion came down. […] Read more
Making it real: Get the lowdown on climate on your farm
Stefan Kienzle has made decades’ worth of very detailed, very local weather data easily accessible
Reading Time: 6 minutes More growing days. Fewer days of frost. And more extreme weather: both drought-inducing heat waves and bitterly cold stretches. That’s the reality of climate change but are those changes happening on your farm? Now you can find out thanks to an easy-to-use website that details precipitation, temperature and growing days on virtually any chunk of […] Read more
Farmers are better able to cope with dry times, say veteran producers
Reducing moisture loss through practices such as no till and rotational grazing are major advances
Reading Time: 3 minutes A series of droughts in the ’80s was a defining event for a generation of Alberta farmers. But two producers who farmed through those times have a hopeful message: Better technology and management practices have put farmers in a much better position to handle extreme weather. “In the mid-’80s — 1982 through 1985 — we […] Read more
Gene editing produces breakthrough canola variety
Shorter, highly branched canola plants with more pods show the power of the cutting-edge technology
Reading Time: 4 minutes University of Calgary researchers have used gene editing to bring to life a new shorter, highly branched variety of canola that has more pods and is easier to harvest. “Based on my conversations with some people in the agriculture industry — including primary producers — they would love to have a crop like this,” said […] Read more
When it comes to new varieties, there’s a need for speed, says breeder
Creating the equivalent of a 22-hour day can speed up variety development by six times
Reading Time: 4 minutes Combining ‘speed breeding’ with new genomic tools will be able to deliver big dividends for farmers in the coming years, says a plant breeder using the accelerated breeding technique. “It really highlights that we can bring these technologies together to improve genetic gain in the crops of the future,” said Lee Hickey, an associate professor […] Read more
Imagine this: When the plant speaks, nutrients listen
Canadian researcher may have found a radically new way to fertilize crops
Reading Time: 4 minutes It sounds like science fiction, but some day there may be a fertilizer that only activates once the plant tells it to. That’s an oversimplification, but it’s the premise behind a researcher’s prototype for a “smart” fertilizer which uses a unique chemical to “listen” to calls for nutrients from the plant roots. It’s an insight […] Read more
Precision ag tech takes centre stage at Lakeland College
Students of new degree program are excited about future careers in a revolutionary industry
Reading Time: 5 minutes Within the first week of being back on campus and starting the classes I knew this is where I wanted to be. I feel like I’ve learned more in the sixth week of being here than I have in the last six weeks of any other part of my education.” So said Courtney Wallace, a […] Read more
QUIET REVOLUTION: Genomics takes wheat breeding into new era
Having a set of complete genomes unlocks the door to wheat’s vast and vastly useful genetic richness
Reading Time: 5 minutes It may not have seemed like a big deal when researchers announced they had sequenced the genomes of a bunch of wheat varieties. But it was big news for wheat midge — as well as other pests and diseases such as stripe rust and fusarium head blight. That’s because it should greatly speed up the […] Read more
Farmfair offers exhibitors rapid COVID test, refund guarantee
Passing the test allows three days of attendance, but the offer doesn’t extend to the general public
Reading Time: 2 minutes In response to recent provincial restrictions, all Farmfair attendees will have to show proof of full vaccination before entering the event. It’s either that or offer proof of a medical exemption or a privately acquired COVID test. The move by event organizer Explore Edmonton is in response to provincial restrictions for indoor events and other […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
