Reading Time: 4 minutes One of Canada’s largest seed suppliers is predicting 40 per cent of Prairie canola will be straight cut by 2020. “Last year, only around 11 per cent of acres were straight cut, and we’re saying that in the next four to five years, that’s going to increase by fourfold,” said James Humphris, canola seed and […] Read more
Getting the story straight on straight cutting canola
Pod shatter-tolerant varieties are making straight cutting a more viable option for Alberta canola growers — but it’s not a ‘silver bullet’
Changes to wheat classes could hit you in the pocketbook
The Big Shuffle: The bar has been raised for the CPS and CWRS classes, which means some old favourites may sell at a discount
Reading Time: 4 minutes It turns out the customer is always right — at least when it comes to Canada’s wheat classification system. “Concerns from our overseas clients about gluten strength” has prompted a revamp of the wheat classification system, said Mark MacNaughton, director of field crops for Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “The Canadian Grain Commission has changed the […] Read more
Half of Alberta fields have herbicide-resistant wild oats
The short-term gain from growing profitable crops too frequently will bring long-term pain, say weed experts
Reading Time: 4 minutes For Craig Shaw, herbicide resistance is a wreck waiting to happen. “It’s manageable at the present moment, but I wouldn’t guarantee it will remain manageable moving forward,” said Shaw, who has widespread herbicide resistance on his farm near Lacombe. “We’ve learned our lesson in terms of staying on top of weed control and making sure […] Read more
New Swedish machine slices problem weeds down to size
Organic grain growers have been snapping up CombCut machines ‘like crazy’
Reading Time: 3 minutes A new piece of machinery is helping crop growers control broadleaf weeds on their farms — especially on organic operations. “Organic growers are buying these CombCut machines like crazy,” said Steve Shirtliffe, a professor of plant sciences at the University of Saskatchewan. “There’s a real buzz in the organic farming community. I’ve never seen equipment […] Read more
Harvest loss a costly — and preventable — problem
Going just a bit faster can be way more expensive than any speeding ticket
Reading Time: 3 minutes Growers are leaving profit on the ground every time the combine hits the field. “You’ve grown it, you’ve put the inputs into it, and it’s free for the taking. Why not take it?” said Nathan Gregg, project manager at the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Institute. Harvest losses depend on the crop, but typically, one to two […] Read more
Pulses’ popularity points to bright future
The boom in pulse acres may just be getting started thanks to rising demand, better varieties, and strong profitability
Reading Time: 3 minutes Only one hand shot up when Neil Whatley asked a recent crop tour near Castor if anyone was growing lentils this year. Luckily, a more rigorous Statistics Canada survey tells the real story — there are a whole lot of hands growing lentils this year. “There’s close to six million acres on the Prairies this […] Read more
Lentil harvest — and marketing — comes with a learning curve
Lentils stay green into harvest, but you don’t want to wait too long
Reading Time: 3 minutes With Alberta lentil acres more than doubling in 2016, this fall will be the first-ever lentil harvest for a good number of growers. The trick to doing it successfully? Patience, said Nevin Rosaasen, policy and program specialist with Alberta Pulse Growers. “Harvesting lentils can be tricky, and you need to be patient,” said Rosaasen. “Lentils […] Read more
Healthy soil can boost your bottom line
Soil carbon is a bit like a credit card for your plants, says New Zealand soil expert
Reading Time: 3 minutes The Canadian government says six tonnes a hectare is an acceptable level of soil loss each year. Well, that’s not acceptable to soil health expert Nicole Masters. “Soil is our greatest export,” said Masters, director of Integrity Soils in New Zealand. “We took out a lot of our soil resources when agriculture really intensified. You […] Read more
Five steps to market-ready canola
International buyers are testing like never before — but meeting their standards is easy
Reading Time: 2 minutes Growing a good canola crop isn’t just about high yield or quality — it’s also about getting that crop ready to market on a global scale. “We export about 90 per cent of what we produce in Canada, so being able to meet the requirements of our export customers is really important for having open […] Read more
Show me the money: The lowdown on preconditioning
Preconditioned calves are healthier, grow faster, and grade higher — but can cow-calf producers make money on the practice?
Reading Time: 5 minutes Can you make money preconditioning feeder calves? The answer depends on whom you talk to. Attendees at a University of Calgary conference last month were told about an Indiana producer who pocketed an extra $80 per calf by preconditioning his animals. “The producer realized that the more days he preconditioned those calves, the more money […] Read more
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