Reading Time: 4 minutes Plant breeding is strictly a numbers game — but researchers have found a way to improve the odds with help from a new tool called a ‘breeder chip.’ “Breeding is like a lottery. The more tickets you buy, the greater the chance of success,” said Curtis Pozniak, a professor of plant sciences and wheat breeder […] Read more
Wheat breeders get a cheat sheet
‘Breeder chip’ doesn’t make the process faster but ups the odds of hitting pay dirt
It’s all about the grass at this all-inclusive cattle resort in the Rockies
Waldron Ranch has been a paradise for cows for over a century — and will be for centuries to come
Reading Time: 5 minutes Ranchers along the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains watched her as she made her way through the foothills, walking for miles and miles and forcing her way through every fence until she reached her destination. That old cow just had to get back to Waldron Ranch. “She does it every year after weaning,” said […] Read more
The future looks bright for today’s agriculture grads
A decade and a half ago, ag programs were struggling to attract students — that’s changed dramatically
Reading Time: 5 minutes Alot of young people — and their parents — weren’t so keen on farming’s prospects 15 years ago. “Fifteen years ago, enrolments were low in ag programs across Canada,” said Josie Van Lent, dean of agricultural sciences at Lakeland College. “Farmers didn’t want to send their sons or daughters into agriculture because they thought there […] Read more
When it comes to the big two crop diseases, those really were the good old days
Fifteen years ago, a ‘funny’ new disease was found — today clubroot combined with fusarium is a killer one-two punch
Reading Time: 4 minutes Fifteen years ago, Dan Orchard was working as an agronomist at a retailer when he got a phone call about something “funny” in a customer’s canola field. The plants were prematurely ripened and the roots looked strange. Orchard had a hunch of what he was looking at, but a visit with a plant pathologist confirmed […] Read more
Ag tech tackles the next frontier — the people shortage on farms
The labour shortage has gone from problem to crisis — and that’s prompting a new tech revolution
Reading Time: 5 minutes Advances in farm equipment over the past 15 years have focused on one thing — allowing farmers to do more with less. Bigger equipment to cut the time when seeding and harvesting. GPS to minimize overlap. Precision tech to make every seed and input count. No till to capture snow and retain moisture (with less […] Read more
The times are finally changing for women in agriculture
Changing attitudes and support networks are allowing women to forge a new path in a male-dominated sector
Reading Time: 5 minutes Women have always been an important part of family farms — but over the past 15 years, their roles have evolved, both on the farm and in the agriculture industry as a whole. “A lot of women have taken on different roles that we didn’t see them in actively 15 years ago,” said Kim Keller, […] Read more
A two-year break can prevent a clubroot horror show
Clubroot spores live for 20 years but new research says a surprising 99 per cent die in two years — if infestations are light
Reading Time: 4 minutes *[UPDATED: Dec. 28, 2018] Still growing a canola-wheat rotation? One more year between canola crops could make a huge difference when it comes to clubroot. “Recent research has shown that 95 to 99 per cent of spores die over a two-year break,” said Dan Orchard, agronomy specialist with the Canola Council of Canada. “We were […] Read more
Beat your cash flow woes with the cash advance program
The only cheaper money is a forgivable loan from the bank of Mom and Dad, says administrator
Reading Time: 4 minutes Not too many hands shoot up when Dave Gallant asks a room full of farmers if they’ve used the federal cash advance program before. “For those who aren’t using the cash advance program, I want you to ask yourselves why you’re not taking advantage of this program,” the Canadian Canola Growers Association official said at […] Read more
A sea of green washed through this year’s canola crop
Green seed usually isn’t a big problem, but a quarter of this year’s harvest may be downgraded
Reading Time: 3 minutes Feeling a little green after getting the grade for a load of canola you’ve just delivered? You’re not alone — many producers are taking a hit after a year that produced unusually high amounts of green seed. “We’re grading about 80 per cent of canola at No. 1, but some samples are grading into No. […] Read more
Canada’s soil is in crisis — and change is needed, says advocate
Agronomy has ‘masked’ soil degradation, but the crunch is coming
Reading Time: 4 minutes The biggest crisis facing Canadian agriculture is right beneath our feet. “For the first time in history, we have the technology and tools to produce food in a sustainable way, yet farmers and their influencers cling to old ways and values,” said Don Lobb, an Ontario farmer and a longtime leader in the no-till and […] Read more
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