Reading Time: 2 minutes An Alberta Agriculture and Forestry agricultural water engineer, has a warning about the dangers of blue-green algae. “Blue-green algae is actually cyanobacteria, and can produce toxins that can be very dangerous,” said Shawn Elgert. “It can cause organ damage or even death if ingested by humans, livestock or pets.” Blue-green algae can often be hard […] Read more
Don’t take chances with blue-green algae
Cyanobacteria can produce toxins that can cause organ damage or even death
Recent bison deaths in North Battleford due to anthrax, more suspected
Keep a close eye on your herd and contact your vet immediately if you suspect anthrax on your farm
Reading Time: 2 minutes With high temperatures and drought, cattle and bison are at a higher risk of anthrax. Two bison deaths northwest of North Battleford, Saskatchewan have recently been confirmed as caused by anthrax, and seven others are suspected. Producers are encouraged to keep a watchful eye and to refresh their memories on what to do when anthrax […] Read more
Preventing negative side-effects of vaccinations in cattle
Beef 911: Vaccinating is a great tool, but producers need vaccination protocols and should be ready to deal with their negative effects
Reading Time: 4 minutes There is now a multitude of vaccines on the market for all facets of the beef and dairy industry. Vaccinating has become part of the biosecurity program on your farm, ranch or dairy. It is good for our industry as it controls disease, minimizes antibiotic use, improves production, and decreases death or losses from abortion. […] Read more
Is that old well just capped? That’s not good enough
Old wells are a ‘perfect breeding ground for bacteria’ and subject to run-off contamination that can get into your aquifer
Reading Time: 2 minutes Some rural Albertans may be living with a health hazard on their property and not even know it. Surface contamination poses one of the biggest threats to the purity of groundwater supplies. Old unused wells that are not properly decommissioned can serve as a conduit for bacteria and chemicals to seep into an aquifer. Once […] Read more
U of A research could detect Johne’s disease
Currently no reliable test to detect the frequent problem in dairy herds
Reading Time: < 1 minute Johne’s disease is a challenge for the dairy industry. One of the main issues associated with identifying Johne’s is that the calf gets infected at a young age, but symptoms may not show in the animal for years. Johne’s disease is difficult to diagnose and when present, can cause animal mortality, decreased milk production and […] Read more
How are biocontrol agents like James Bond?
Beneficial control agents include beneficial bacteria, fungi, nematodes and insects that feed on harmful organisms
Reading Time: 2 minutes As the public grows more concerned about chemical use, many growers struggle with how to keep their product salable while using fewer pesticides. Some growers are turning to a new kind of ‘undercover operative’ to deal with crop pests. “Biological controls or biocontrol agents attack and ‘neutralize’ or reduce pests in a cropping system and […] Read more
Ready to pull the trigger? Some thoughts on seeding early
A head start is tempting, but frost dates and saprophytic organisms may curb your enthusiasm
Reading Time: 3 minutes To seed early or not to seed early; that is the question. “If you have an early spring, there is that tendency to want to go early,” said Doon Pauly, agronomy research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development in Lethbridge. “I’m fully expecting that we will be in the field by the middle of […] Read more
Scientists create ‘genetic firewall’ for new forms of life
New York | Reuters — A year after creating organisms that use a genetic code different from every other living thing, two teams of scientists have achieved another “synthetic biology” milestone: They created bacteria that cannot survive without a specific manmade chemical, potentially overcoming a major obstacle to wider use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). […] Read more
Test that feed — expert says ergot contamination on the rise
Last year’s wet spring has left a potential deadly legacy and ‘it doesn’t take much’ ergot to cause serious problems
Reading Time: 3 minutes Ergot-contaminated feed is on the rise and producers need to be testing to avoid poisoning their livestock. “Last year at this time, we were running 20 to 40 samples a month for ergot — we’ve had days this year where we run 40 samples, and lots of them are high concentration,” said Barry Blakley, a […] Read more
New, multi-pathogen test being developed for beef cattle
Reading Time: < 1 minute Work is underway to create a new multi-pathogen test for respiratory and enteric diseases, the most common and costly diseases in beef cattle. Both involve several viruses and bacteria, but current tests only target a single pathogen at a time. Checkoff dollars and funding from the beef science cluster are being used to develop two […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
