Experts tell farmers with infected fields to thoroughly clean equipment before moving to a new field, but many question whether the time-consuming chore is worth it
Reading Time: 3 minutes Farmers in the epicentre of Western Canada’s clubroot infestation are easing back on containment efforts and betting resistant varieties will save the day — even as leading researchers are warning it could be a losing wager. Since first being discovered in an Alberta field in 2003, the soil-borne disease has spread to more than 1,000 […] Read moreFarmers betting on resistant varieties as clubroot spreads
Caped cowcasaders welcome Superman
Reading Time: < 1 minute Even the namesake local cows were getting into the spirit of things June 13 as actor Henry Cavill took a premiere of his new film “Man of Steel” to his home island of Jersey. A release from the island’s tourism board said Cavill, who plays the leading role of Superman, made a specific request to […] Read more
New safety rules for processed meats
Reading Time: < 1 minute As of July 2, federally inspected meat plants in Canada will be required to label beef steaks or roasts that have been mechanically tenderized, the federal government announced May 17. The move is part of new mandatory federal requirements designed to strengthen control over E. coli. Contaminated needles used to mechanically tenderize meat were identified […] Read more
It’s a matter of survival
Reading Time: < 1 minute Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics in Tübingen have found that rats can keep an eye on what’s going on above them at the same time as they can see around them. Each eye moves in a different direction, depending on the change in the animal’s head position. An analysis of both […] Read more
Food grains bank supports move to revamp foreign aid
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Foodgrains Bank (CFGB) says now that it has seen the details, it is supporting a merger of the Canadian International Development Agency with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. “We are pleased that reducing poverty in developing countries is clearly specified as a responsibility of the minister for international development, and […] Read more
An E. coli bacteria that we don’t mind
A team from the University of Exeter, with support from Shell, has developed a method to make bacteria produce diesel on demand
Reading Time: < 1 minute Most E. coli are harmless or even beneficial, but the bacteria get a bad rap because of toxin-producing strains such as 0157:H7. Scientists at the University of Exeter in England are using E. coli to produce another toxic product, but in this case a good one — diesel fuel. According to the university release, the […] Read moreWeatherFarm aims to boost service under new ownership
Reading Time: 2 minutes Prairie farmers can expect to see an enhanced selection of online weather and agronomic tools from WeatherFarm.com, following the recent transfer of the program to new owners. The network has been purchased from the Canadian Wheat Board (CWB) through a new partnership between Glacier Media and agricultural meteorology firm Weather INnovations Inc., in the form […] Read more
Biocontrol bugs can eat each other
Reading Time: < 1 minute More bug species are not necessarily better for biological control of invasive weeds, says a study by University of British Columbia UBC biodiversity experts. A UBC release says that most biocontrol programs combine many different enemies — typically about three different species, but sometimes as many as 25 — with the hope that at least […] Read more
Biocontrol bugs can eat each other
Reading Time: < 1 minute More bug species are not necessarily better for biological control of invasive weeds, says a study by University of British Columbia UBC biodiversity experts. A UBC release says that most biocontrol programs combine many different enemies — typically about three different species, but sometimes as many as 25 — with the hope that at least […] Read more
Beans to biting bedbugs
Reading Time: 2 minutes Scientists at University of California Irvine and University of Kentucky are trying to mimic a traditional Balkan bedbug remedy to help fight the bedroom scourge. Their work was motivated by a centuries-old remedy for bedbugs formerly used in Bulgaria, Serbia and other southeast European countries. Kidney bean leaves were strewn on the floor next to […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
